Having just missed out on victory in the three-day stage race of the same name, Shelley Olds (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) took the biggest victory of her career to date in the Tour of Chongming Island World Cup. The American sprinter beat double stage winner - and overall stage race winner - Melissa Hoskins (Orica-GreenEdge) in a tight finish on the line, with Monia Baccaille (MCipollini-Giambenini) - who had won the other stage - beating Chloe Hosking (Specialized-lululemon) in the battle for third.
"This feels so good. It's such a liberation for me and for the entire team,” said Olds at the finish. “I felt great in the past few days and wanted to win a stage or end up on the podium. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. I can regard this victory as a good revenge.
“I’ve been through tough times with a crash in Trofeo Binda [where she broke her wrist - ed] and another crash in Luxembourg after that,” she added. “I kept believing in my own chances because I really want to go to the Olympic Games. I hope that goal comes a bit closer now.”
Just like in the stage race, the course of the Chongming Island World Cup was almost completely flat, with its highest point coming at the crossing of the Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge. Despite some rain, there was very little wind to disrupt the peloton, and the sprinters’ teams kept things under control and prevented any significant breaks getting clear. Despite rival lead out trains from Orica-GreenEdge and MCipollini-Giambenini, the AA Drink-Leontien.nl team positioned Olds into the final metres and the American hit the line first, to take her first victory since the Trofeo Costa Etrusca in March 2011.
Despite sitting out the race, as usual, Ronde van Drenthe and Trofeo Binda winner Marianne Vos (Rabobank) still leads the overall World Cup standings by a commanding margin. The Dutch champion has a total of 200 points so far, with second place, Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Judith Arndt (Orica-GreenEdge) on 139.
The next race in the series was due to be the GP Ciudad de Valladolid on June 3rd, but the Spanish race has been suspended due to problems securing the necessary funding. The World Cup will therefore resume with the Open de Suède Vårgårda team time trial, on August 17th; after the Olympic Games.
Result Tour of Chongming Island World Cup
1. Shelley Olds (USA) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
2. Melissa Hoskins (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
3. Monia Baccaille (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini
4. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Specialized-lululemon
5. Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Faren-Honda
6. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Specialized-lululemon
7. Liesbet De Vocht (Bel) Stichting Rabo Women
8. Lucy Martin (GBr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
9. Lucinda Brand (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
10. Marlen Jöhrend (Ger) Abus-Nutrixxion
World Cup standings after five rounds
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women 220pts
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) Orica-GreenEdge 139
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home 86
4. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
5. Shelley Olds (USA) AA Drink-Leontien.nl 75