British rider Lizzie Armitstead capped off a remarkable season winning the women’s world championship road race today to add to the World Cup overall title. Armitstead made her attack on the final climb with less than 1km to go ripping the peloton apart and leading to the finish. Dutch rider Anna Van Der Breggen finished a close second after initially getting the jump in the sprint then being overtaken by Armistead before the finish line. Megan Guarnier (USA) was third.
How the race unfolded
Picking up the action with just over 70km to run there was a crash in the peloton taking down last years world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Shelly Olds, Ferrand-Prevot quickly rejoined the peloton but the crash ended Olds race.
With around 27km to race a break of seven riders including Australian riders Rachel Neyland and Lauren kitchen threatened to stay away with the lead sometimes getting out to one minute, Polish rider Malgorzata Jasinka attacked off the front of the break and held an 8 second gap for awhile before being caught, as Jasinka caught it was Santos Women’s Tour winner Valentina Scandolara and Australian Lauren Kitchen attacking and opening up a gap to the other riders of the break but in the straight leading into Libby Hill for the final time all three groups were visible on the same stretch of road. The catch was made on Libby Hill and as the peloton started the final climb with less than a kilometre to go Lizzie Armistead made a decisive attack that left a group of only nine riders to contest the sprint.
Armitstead continued to lead down the left hand side of the long finish straight and as Anna Van Der Breggen opened her sprint coming past Armistead was able to jump and come around Van Der Breggen’s right side and open a gap to win the world championship from Van Der Breggen with USA’s Megan Guarnier third. Last years world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot finished sixth.
This is the big one, you get to wear the jersey. The rainbow is most special thing in cycling. It’s a dream come true,” Armitstead said. “I just couldn’t believe it, I didn’t get to celebrate, I really was going all the way for that line. It was such a strange sprint, I was on the front, I was leading it out, and I was just waiting for the rush to come, but it never came. Everyone was just sprinting alongside me. It was just perfect.
Australia had three riders in the top 20, Tiffany Cromwell finished 17th, Rachel Neylan 19th and Lizzie Williams 20th. Newly crowned World time time trial champion, Linda Villumsen was 22nd for New Zealand.
Video highlights of the Women’s Road race
Results 2015 Women’s World Championship Road Race
| Place | Rider (Team) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth (GBR) | 3:23:56 |
| 2 | VAN DER BREGGEN Anna (NED) | |
| 3 | GUARNIER Megan (USA) | |
| 4 | LONGO BORGHINI Elisa (ITA) | |
| 5 | JOHANSSON Emma (SWE) | |
| 6 | FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (FRA) | |
| 7 | NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna (POL) | |
| 8 | AMIALIUSIK Alena (BLR) | |
| 9 | NEFF Jolanda (SUI) | |
| 10 | VAN DIJK Ellen (NED) | +:09 |
| 11 | NUMAINVILLE Joelle (CAN) | |
| 12 | WORRACK Trixi (GER) | |
| 13 | CANUEL Karol-Ann (CAN) | |
| 14 | MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh (RSA) | |
| 15 | MAJERUS Christine (LUX) | |
| 16 | BRAND Lucinda (NED) | |
| 17 | CROMWELL Tiffany (AUS) | |
| 18 | CECCHINI Elena (ITA) | +:17 |
| 19 | NEYLAN Rachel (AUS) | |
| 20 | WILLIAMS Lizzie (AUS) | |
| 21 | JASINSKA Malgorzata (POL) | |
| 22 | VILLUMSEN Linda Melanie (NZL) | |
| 23 | SCANDOLARA Valentina (ITA) | +:19 |
| 24 | STEVENS Evelyn (USA) | |
| 25 | DIDERIKSEN Amalie (DEN) | +:31 |
| 26 | FAHLIN Emilia (SWE) | |
| 27 | BRONZINI Giorgia (ITA) | +:36 |
| 28 | KITCHEN Lauren (AUS) | +:46 |
| 29 | GARFOOT Katrin (AUS) | |
| 30 | BRENNAUER Lisa (GER) | +:49 |
| 31 | KASPER Romy (GER) | +:51 |
| 32 | KIRCHMANN Leah (CAN) | +:52 |
| 33 | SOLOVEI Ganna (UKR) | |
| 34 | TUSLAITE Daiva (LTU) | |
| 35 | LELEIVYTE Rasa (LTU) | |
| 36 | JACKSON Alison (CAN) | |
| 37 | MOBERG Emilie (NOR) | |
| 38 | PENUELA Diana (COL) | |
| 39 | RIVERA Coryn (USA) | |
| 40 | LEPISTO Lotta (FIN) | |
| 41 | KUCHINSKAYA Elena (RUS) | |
| 42 | BUJAK Eugenia (POL) | |
| 43 | DREXEL Ingrid (MEX) | |
| 44 | ANTOSHINA Tatiana (RUS) | |
| 45 | BIANNIC Aude (FRA) | |
| 46 | PIETERS Amy (NED) | |
| 47 | KACHELHOFFER An-Li (RSA) | |
| 48 | SPRATT Amanda (AUS) | |
| 49 | D’HOORE Jolien (BEL) | |
| 50 | ROWNEY Loren (AUS) | |
| 51 | SANTESTEBAN GONZALEZ Ane (ESP) | |
| 52 | PLICHTA Anna (POL) | |
| 53 | CORDON Audrey (FRA) | |
| 54 | RATTO Rossella (ITA) | |
| 55 | PIPES Lenore (GUM) | 52 |
| 56 | SHEKEL Olga (UKR) | +1:11 |
| 57 | BATAGELJ Polona (SLO) | +1:16 |
| 58 | POTOKINA Anna (RUS) | +1:25 |
| 59 | KOZONCHUK Oksana (RUS) | +1:25 |
| 60 | ELVIN Gracie (AUS) | +1:25 |
| 61 | BLAAK Chantal (NED) | +1:37 |
| 62 | GUDERZO Tatiana (ITA) | +2:33 |
| 63 | YONAMINE Eri (JPN) | +3:33 |
| 64 | ERIC Jelena (SRB) | +4:52 |
| 65 | ZUR Monika (POL) | +5:41 |
| 66 | PINTAR Ursa (SLO) | +5:41 |
| 67 | SLAPPENDEL Iris (NED) | +5:41 |
| 68 | LOZANO RAMIREZ Laura Camila (COL) | +5:41 |
| 69 | VEKEMANS Anisha (BEL) | +5:41 |
| 70 | BRZEZNA Monika (POL) | +5:41 |
| 71 | DILLON Olivia (IRL) | +5:41 |
| 72 | KIESANOWSKI Joanne (NZL) | +5:41 |
| 73 | GULUMA ORTIZ Serika (COL) | +5:41 |
| 74 | NILSSON Hanna (SWE) | +5:41 |
| 75 | MOLLEBRO Camilla (DEN) | +5:41 |
| 76 | BASTIANELLI Marta (ITA) | +5:41 |
| 77 | WILES Tayler (USA) | +5:41 |
| 78 | BUCHANAN Rushlee (NZL) | +5:41 |
| 79 | SIMMONDS Hayley (GBR) | +5:41 |
| 80 | SCHWEIZER Doris (SUI) | +5:41 |
| 81 | KNETEMANN Roxane (NED) | +7:34 |
| 82 | VASILIEVA Svetlana (RUS) | +10:11 |
| 83 | REIS Daniela (POR) | +10:11 |
| 84 | ERIKA Varela (MEX) | +10:11 |
| 85 | MUNOZ Paola (CHI) | +10:11 |
| 86 | KOMANSKI Lauren (USA) | +10:11 |
| 87 | GIRUBUNTU Jeanne D’Arc (RWA) | +11:37 |
| 88 | GUTIERREZ RUIZ Sheyla (ESP) | +14:00 |
Images via British Cycling
Race report by TBL – The Bike Lane
