Armitstead wins silver in women's Olympic road race, Vos strikes gold
London 2012 Olympic Games women's road race photo gallery>>
Lizzie Armitstead gave Great Britain its first medal of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, claiming silver in the women's road race on Sunday behind Marianne Vos of the Netherlands.
Armitstead, Vos and Russian Olga Zabelinskaya came to the rain-soaked finish together having been part of an escape group all the way into London from the final ascent of Box Hill.
By the final kilometre, the trio had maintained a 40-second gap over the much reduced chasing peloton. Zabelinskaya - the weaker of the three in fast finishes - led Vos and Armitstead in the last 500 metres. Vos then opened up her sprint, with Armitstead fighting hard to come around her.
Vos held the British rider off in The Mall to claim the Olympic road race title, one of the few wins previously missing from her extensive palmares.
Ina Teutenberg won the field sprint for fourth place after her German team had done much of the chasing into London.
Netherlands and Great Britain lead the way
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Unlike the previous day's men's road race, the teams that put the work in to the day's racing were the ones that reaped the rewards.
Both the Netherlands and Great Britain teams rode tactically astute races, forcing escapes, upping the pace and policing breakaways where necessary. The four-rider limit for each team seemed to make little difference in their dominance of the 66-rider field.
Britain's Emma Pooley played a huge role in decimating the peloton and keeping an eye on escapes on the two loops of Box Hill - much to the delight of the crowd, who endured torrential rain but still managed to chant Pooley's name as she went past.
Defending Olympic champion Nicole Cooke caught back up to the bunch after drifting off the back on the first ascent of Box Hill. She maintained her place in the peloton to the line, ready with fresh legs should team-mate Armitstead's group get caught.
The fourth member of the British team - Lucy Martin - fared less well, getting dropped on Box Hill and not making it back up to the front of the race.
Punctures and crashes also played their part in proceedings. American Shelley Olds had been in the escape group with Armitstead, Vos and Zabelinskaya but was forced to drop out after suffering a flat tyre. Olds chased back up to eventually place seventh.
Pooley punctured in the final five kilometres, and came into the finish just under two minutes behind the leaders.
Several riders fell by the wayside as thunderstorms turned formerly dry roads into slick tarmac. No major injuries were reported.
Re-read out women's road race live text coverage>>
Results
London 2012 Olympic Games, women's road race: London/Surrey 140km
1. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) in 3-35-29
2. Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain) at same time
3. Olga Zabelinskaya (Russia) at 2 secs
4. Ina Teutenberg (Germany) at 27 secs
5. Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)
6. Emma Johansson (Sweden)
7. Shelley Olds (USA)
8. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France)
9. Liesbet De Vocht (Belgium)
10. Aude Biannic (France) at same time
British
31. Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) at 32 secs
40. Emma Pooley (Great Britain) at 1-57
Nicole Cooke
Emma Pooley on Box Hill
Lizzie Armitstead heads escape group
Emotional win: Marianne Vos
Armitstead, Vos and Zabelinskaya on the podium
London 2012: Live text coverage of cycling events
July 28: Men's road race
July 29: Women's road race
London 2012: Latest news
Tickets for Box Hill? You may need another...
Bradley Wiggins' UKSI Olympic bike
Hoy helicoptered in for opening ceremony
Box Hill closed after local riders give security the slip
Boonen and Gilbert train on Box Hill Olympic circuit
Goss fresh for Olympic Games assault
Trott on top: London 2012
Hoy to be GB flag bearer at London 2012 opening ceremony
Millar: I think about Olympics all the time
Cavendish recognises advantage in missed Tour chances ahead of Olympics
Kenny not Hoy selected for London 2012 sprint
German and French Olympic teams sneak in fourth sprinter
Cavendish: GB's best bet for Olympic gold
London 2012: Team info
Men's road race start list
Women's road race start list
Men's time trial start list
Women's time trial start list
Team GB rider profiles
Great Britain track team confirmed
Bronzini leads Italian Olympic cycling tea
British Olympic men's road race team announced
Armitstead and Cooke lead GB women's road cycling team
London 2012: Event guides
Olympic Games women's road race: Who will win?
Olympic Games men's road race: Who will win
Download detailed Olympic road race route map
London 2012 cycling schedule
London 2012: Reports
Men's road race: Vinokourov wins as Cavendish misses out
London 2012: Photos
Men's road race by Phil O'Connor
Men's road race by Graham Watson
Team GB road race training on Box Hill (July 26)
London 2012: Podcasts
Cycling Weekly podcasts on Soundcloud
London 2012: TV schedule
London 2012 BBC TV cycling coverage schedule
London 2012 Eurosport cycling coverage schedule
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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