On paper, the Dutch staff was by far and away the strongest for the elite ladies’s highway race on the World Championships on Saturday. There was a double world champion in Marianne Vos, a Tour de France Femmes winner in Demi Vollering, strong domestiques who may be leaders in Riejanne Markus and Pauliena Rooijakkers, and the approaching issues in Puck Pieterse and Mischa Bredewold.
With 20km to go of the race, the Dutch had been in a superb place. Vollering, Markus and Vos had been nonetheless there, and barely does anybody guess towards the latter in a dash. Nonetheless, 20km later, Lotte Kopecky of Belgium gained the dash, and Vollering completed fifth. Vos and Markus completed eighth and ninth. There was comfort in Pieterse successful the race for the under-23 jersey, however this may do little to cease the thought that the Worlds was there to be gained.
There was usually Dutch orange on the entrance, however strikes had been usually chased down by riders in the identical jerseys, all within the obvious hope of delivering Vollering to victory. Maybe one other tactic would have resulted in success, however we’ll by no means know.
The world champion, Kopecky, predicted some confusion forward of the race: “They’re beginning with a really sturdy staff, nevertheless it has already been proven a number of instances that they don’t all the time get alongside effectively,” she stated.
“You see that on paper there may be one clear chief, however there are additionally others who’re eyeing the world title. There are a number of ladies within the Dutch staff who can and wish to win.”
Regardless of showing to be onto one thing, post-race, she was much less prepared to place the boot in, graciously.
“I’m now actually questioning the way it regarded from tv, as a result of I’m getting so many questions on this,” Kopecky stated. “There have been riders with clear roles. Tactically they didn’t do it that dangerous, but in addition if Demi is the chief she will not be going to be the one within the break.
“Having Marianne within the break, she was most likely the quickest ,they may have performed it in a different way, however that additionally means it’s a must to have Demi sitting within the bunch, which could be very arduous to do. I’ve to see the race myself to say one thing about it, however I feel the best way they rode was fairly logical.
“I don’t know if there’s one thing actually completely different. Demi was simply making an attempt to do away with us [with her attack on Zurichbergstraase on the final lap] and journey solo to the end.”
Nonetheless, all Vollering’s assaults did had been drop Vos and Markus, who did not return to the entrance of the race once more.
“We had been in a brilliant good scenario with me and Marianne within the breakaway, and naturally Demi behind,” Markus stated after ending ninth. “We tried to make it over the large climb, we knew that the favourites would assault on the final climb, we simply tried to make it over the climb so we might be there within the final group with three, however I feel we simply missed it by like 5 or ten seconds. It is actually disappointing as a result of I feel if we’ve got three within the remaining then it is a completely different sport, however Demi was alone, and it was just a bit bit too arduous for her.
“It was all the time the plan for her to assault on the climb, I feel for her the race must be as arduous as doable, so I do not assume it is a mistake, however the ideally suited scenario could be that we make it in my view, so it is simply shit that we’re not there.”
For Ruby Roseman-Gannon, the Australian who completed sixth, it’s a “blessing and a curse to have such a dominant staff, as a result of everybody seems to them”.
“It is an actual problem for the Dutch to win with Kopecky there, she’s an actual all-rounder and it is actually actually tough,” she stated.
“I feel generally the Dutch can work very effectively collectively, and I feel generally they do not,” Chloé Dygert of the USA, who completed second, added. “I feel their largest strengths are generally their largest weaknesses. I feel everybody on that staff desires to win, and that generally means everyone loses.”
Viewers and pundits weren’t the one ones startled by the Dutch techniques. Each time you regarded on the tv, it appeared that the Dutch had been on the entrance of the break and in addition of the chase. One thing needed to give, and it did.
“I used to be shocked with how the race performed out as I anticipated fireworks from the Dutch from the beginning and in addition that they’d assault full,” Liane Lippert of Germany, who completed fourth, stated. “However it was actually not tremendous arduous till the final lap so I used to be a bit shocked about that.
“I used to be shocked by their techniques, nevertheless it’s not the primary time it’s like this.”
If the techniques had come off, if Vollering or Vos had gained, then there could be much less dialogue over how unusual it regarded. As it’s, the Dutch left the elite race empty handed, and with confusion reigning over what occurred. It’s only two years since a Dutchwoman gained the rainbow jersey, however because the winners of 5 of the earlier six, this seems like an eternity.
