Marianne Vos goes round the outside and powers to Vårgårda road race win
Vos bossed the final corner and rushed to the line before anyone could catch her
Marianne Vos (WaowDeals) won the PostNord Vårgårda WestSweden Road Race, pushing hard into the final corner before making charge for the line ahead of the bunch.
The Dutch rider - who had to be content with second at the European road race championships in Glasgow - swooped around the heads of several lead out trains before exiting metres ahead of the competition and jumping on the pedals before anyone could respond.
Second place went to RideLondon Classique winner, Kirstin Wild (Wiggle High5) with defending champion Lotta Lepistö (Cervélo-Bigla) third.
How it happened
The UCI Women's WorldTour event covered 141 kilometres, kicking off with laps of a circuit around Vårgårda, before looping off to cover a 54 kilometre route with four gravel sectors along the way. The peloton then returned to Vårgårda for a further four laps of the opening circuit.
The bunch stayed intact over the first laps - before Margarita Victorita Garcia (Movistar Team) attacked on her own with over 80km ahead, building up a gap of 45 seconds.
Hot on her heels were Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Cervélo-Bigla), and Vos (WaowDeals) - but once the trio joined up with Garcia and the group showed signs of cutting the cord all four were pulled back.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The gravel sectors threw up several surprises - notably Vos took a tumble but was able to right herself and get back into the race.
On the final gravel sector, with 47km left, a dangerous break of Amy Pieters (Boels Dolmans), Chloe Hosking (Alé Cipollini), Silvia Persico (Valcar PBM), Gracie Elvin (Mitchelton-Scott), Vos and Uttrup Ludwig formed. However - they were caught when as the race entered the finishing laps.
Van der Breggen was the first to make a move - with 30km left. She was joined by Canyon-SRAM's Trixi Worrack, Alexandra Manly (Mitchelton-Scott), Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb), Anna Trevisi (Alé Cipollini), plus Eva Buurman (Trek-Drops).
Brand attempted to attack her fellow escapees, but ultimately the six-rider break proved unsuccessful.
Van der Breggen made yet another break for freedom, taking with her Worrack, Floortje Mackaij (Team Sunweb) plus Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Cervélo-Bigla), and Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans).
Not content to tow anyone to the line, Van der Breggen attacked again, going solo whilst the rest were reeled in.
Entering the final lap, Van der Breggen had a gap of 15 seconds. Sunweb came to the fore, with Moolman-Pasio and Dani Rowe (WaowDeals) also lending a hand and the Dutch rider was eventually netted back to the peloton.
On the final bend, the bunch began organising itself in preparation for a sprint. However, Vos had other ideas, taking a long but fast line around the rest of the field before storming to victory - with Wild and Lepistö the fastest of the bunch which followed 2s back.
Results: PostNord Vårgårda WestSweden Road Race (141km)
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Waowdeals Pro Cycling Team in 3-27-55
2 Kirsten Wild (Ned) Wiggle High5 at 2s
3 Lotta Pauliina Lepistö (Fin) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team
4 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Canyon-SRAM Racing
5 Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling
6 Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Valcar PBM
7 Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam, at same time
8 Coryn Rivera (USA) Team Sunweb Women at 3s
9 Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Astana Women's Team, at same time
10 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana at 4s
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.