Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) won the Ronde van Drenthe, the third round of the women’s World Cup, in the northeastern Netherlands city of Hoogeveen. The multi-talented former World champion ousprinted Kirsten Wild (AA Drink-Leontien.nl), who launched her own sprint from a long way out, into second place, with World champion Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita-Forno d’Asolo) in third.
An early attack from Shara Gillow (Australia) was quickly quashed by the peloton, but Janneke Kanis (Nederland Bloeit) and Alison Starnes (United States) were more lucky and were allowed to take a lead of 2 minutes as the race approached the first sections of Dutch cobblestones.
On the long cobbled sector at Exloo a number of crashes split the peloton into several pieces, the front of which was gaining on Kanis and Starnes. A number of favourites were caught behind the splits though, including most of the Garmin-Cervélo team, and the chase from behind would soon bring things back together.
The front group eventually caught up with Kanis and Starnes on the final cobbled sector after around 70km, while the Garmin-Cervélo chase brought the race back together as it approached the feed zone after 80km.
The peloton took the second ascent of the VAM-berg all together, with Grace Verbeke (Topsport Vlaanderen 2012-Ridley) taking the summit first. A brief attack from Carmen Small (Tibco-To the Top) was followed by a more serious one from Vos and Lizzie Armitstead (Garmin-Cervélo) as the race passed through the finish area.
It was all together as the peloton began the final 26.2km finishing loop though; with no one wanting to commit too early, much of the loop was ridden at a relatively gentle pace with most of the race favourites lurking near to the front.
World Cup leader Annemiek van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) suffered a puncture on the narrow approaches to the VAM-berg, but she was slowly brought back to the front by her team.
The third and last time over the VAM-berg, with 12.9km to go, a huge acceleration from 2009 winner Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-UCK) split the peloton to pieces. Wild clung on to her wheel though, with Martine Bras (Dolmans Landscaping) tucked in behind her; while Vos clawed her way across.
On the descent though, and the flat roads into Hoogeveen, a group formed around them; the majority of the favourites were there, including Nicole Cooke (MCipollini-Gambenini), van Vleuten, Judith Arndt, Ina Teutenberg and 2007 winner Adrie Visser (all HTC-Highroad), and Bronzini.
Vos and van Vleuten briefly exchanged attacks, followed by similar efforts from Cooke and Arndt, but it was now clear that the race was to end in a sprint.
On the wide, flat, straight roads back into Hoogeveen the sprinters’ teams lifted the speed to prevent any last minute attacks, stringing the peloton into a long line. AA Drink-Leontien.nl and Nederland Bloeit were jostling for position at the head of the line but, inside the final kilometre Wild suddenly found herself without teammates as the blue and green riders were forced to concede their positions.
Loes Gunnewijk (Nederland Bloeit) led Vos into the final corner, but Wild was the first to launch her sprint almost as soon as she had got around. The big sprinter had made her effort too soon though and Vos was able to come around her to take the victory by just over a length.
Bronzini also left her sprint later than Wild, but the World champion was just unable to come past on the line and took her second successive third place in the race.
Sixth place for van Vleuten was enough for the Ronde van Vlaanderen winner to hold on to her lead in the overall World Cup standings; Vos though, moves into second place, just 24 points behind her, having ridden just two of the three rounds.