Guderzo Solos To Victory For Italy In Women’s Road-Race

Italy's Tatiana Guderzo soloed to victory in the women's road-race on Saturday, whilst Great Britain's best performer, Emma Pooley, finished fourteenth. Nicole Cooke abandoned mid-way through the race.

Guderzo's victory came after an attack over the tougher of the two climbs, shattering a 17 rider front group.

Second for the second year running was Marianne Vos (Holland), the strongest of a three rider counter-attack. Noemi Cantele, already a silver medallist for Italy in the time trial, took bronze after shadowing Vos and American Kristin Armstrong behind her team-mate for the last 10 kilometres.

Defending World Champion Nicole Cooke abandoned with four laps to go, riding out of the race alongside team-mate Katie Colclough.   Cooke had hinted the previous evening that despite working hard on her build-up for the Championships, her condition was perhaps not as good as she would like it, and she eventually opted to quit.

Despite Nikki Harris being involved in a crash early on, with initial reports saying she has a suspected broken collarbone, Great Britain and Germany worked hard early on to toughen up the race.

On a gruelling course the strategy worked well, with the front group down to less than 40 with three laps of the 13.8 kilometre circuit to go and half that number  a lap later.

Pooley was constantly close to the front, but it was a move by Guderzo on the second last climb of the race that proved decisive.

Vos worked hard to try and pull back the break, but Guderzo had not taken a bronze medal on the hilly Olympic course last year in Beijing by chance and Cantele did a brilliant job shadowing the Dutchwoman.

Pacing herself steadily on the final climb, Guderzo looked behind several times, but in fact the chase gruop had dropped out of sight. Just a few minutes later she soloed across the line for Italy's first gold medal of the 2009 World Championhips.

Results

World Championships 2009: Women's road race

1. Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) in 3-33-25

2. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) at 19sec

3. Noemi Cantele (Italy)

4. Kristin Armstrong (USA) at same time

5. Diana Ziliute (Lithuania) at 1-07

6. Judith Arndt (Germany)

7. Erinne Willock (Canada)

8. Nicole Brandli (Switzerland)

9. Grace Verbeke (Belgium)

10. Catherine Cheatley (New Zealand) at same time.

Other

14. Emma Pooley (Great Britain)

27. Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain) at 6-54

DNF Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)

Tatiana Guderzo takes a solo win

Defending world champion Nicole Cooke is dropped from the main group

Road World Championships 2009: Related links

News

Cooke to fight back in women's road race after difficulat season

Millar ready to take command of Worlds team

Kennaugh ready for under-23 road race

Wiggins accepts time trial defeat

Cancellara says TT victory was 'most beautiful ever'

Men's time trial start list

Pooley disappointed with 11th in time trial

Ellingworth explains Cavendish withdrawal from Worlds

Dowsett happy with world-class ride in under-23 TT

Manning praises Dowsett after Worlds TT ride

It's Cavendish or Stannard for final worlds place

Great Britain names world championships team

Millar won't ride worlds time trial despite Vuelta win

Wiggins quits Tour of Britain to focus on worlds TT

Out of sorts Cooke abandons Tour de l'Ardeche

Cavendish keen to ride worlds despite illness

Millar set to lead GB road race team at the Worlds

Brits head home to fight for worlds places

Reports

Cancellara blasts to third Worlds time trial title

Men's time trial as it happened

Armstrong repeats 2006 world champs win for USA

Under-23 Men Time Trial

Women's and under-23 men's time trials as they happened

Photos

Men's time trial gallery by Graham Watson

Women's time trial gallery by Graham Watson

Under-23 men time trial gallery by Graham Watson