Emma Pooley out to defend last year’s victory as Marianne Vos has competition all but sewn up
The Women’s Road World Cup comes to a somewhat premature climax tomorrow with the ninth edition of the Grand Prix de Plouay in southern Brittany, France. In the past the competition had always stretched into September and the build up to the World Championships; but with the loss of the Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt, the race for the other rainbow jersey ends here.
The race itself is unchanged from last year, taking in six laps of a hilly 19.1km circuit, making a total of 114.6km in all. With the circuit consisting of three climbs, often exposed to the stiff Breton wind, Plouay is one of the toughest races on the Women’s calendar. The first ever edition of the race finished in a bunch sprint but each one since has gone to breakaways of one or two riders.
The finish line is a permanent fixture in the cycling-crazy village of Plouay; with a population of less than 5000 people it is by far the smallest place to have hosted the World Championships, with the 2000 races won by the late Zinaida Stahurskaia and Romans Vainsteins.
Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) currently leads the series by 18 points over compatriot Kirsten Wild (Cervélo TestTeam); with the big sprinter not starting the race tomorrow though, Vos’ nearest challenger is big rival Emma Johansson (RedSun Cycling) who is 46 points in arrears.
With 75 points available for the victory anybody down to Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies) in sixth place can mathematically win the World Cup; in truth though, only a complete disaster for Vos should prevent the Dutchwoman for taking the title for a second consecutive year.
Last year’s winner Emma Pooley leads a powerful Cervélo TestTeam in the defence of her title; teammate Charlotte Becker is one of those with a mathematical chance of taking the World Cup, but the course does not suit the German champion so she will be lending her support to the others. Other than Pooley, Claudia Häusler and Sharon Laws have the qualities to do well here.
HTC-Columbia will start with a two-time winner in Noemi Cantele, as well as the 2008 runner-up Luise Keller. Cantele, the 2005 and 2007 winner, has only shown glimpses of the form that won her two medals at last year’s World Championships, but this race has often kick started a strong end of season for the Italian. Judith Arndt, who finished a very close second in last week’s Route de France, should be the HTC-Columbia rider to watch.
Whatever the individual result, the Cervélo TestTeam and HTC-Columbia will both be vying for supremacy in the World Cup team competition. Cervélo currently leads by 12 points, but it is a stated aim of HTC-Columbia to take the competition.
If all goes to plan the race should be treated to a real battle between Marianne Vos and Emma Johansson. Last year’s GP Plouay was a cagey affair for both riders as they fought a close battle for the World Cup jersey, but with the competition all but sewn up by Vos this time the race will hopefully be an open one.
The other previous winner to start in tomorrow’s race will be 2003 victor Nicole Cooke. The 2008 World and Olympic champion has had an uncharacteristically quiet season racing for the Great Britain national team but will be looking to ramp up her season as she builds her form towards a bid to take back the rainbow jersey in Melbourne, Australia.
French hopes will be carried to the race by current national champion Mélodie Lesueur (ESGL 93-GSD Gestion), Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Vienne-Futuroscope) and Edwige Pitel (Michela Fanini-Record-Rox).
GP Plouay past winners
2002 Regina Schleicher (Ger)
2003 Nicole Cooke (GBr)
2004 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu)
2005 Noemi Cantele (Ita)
2006 Nicole Brändli (Swi)
2007 Noemi Cantele (Ita)
2008 Fabiana Luperini (Ita)
2009 Emma Pooley (GBr)
World Cup standings after 8 rounds
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 220pts
2. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam 202
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) RedSun Cycling 174
4. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 160
5. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam 158
6. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team 158
7. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Columbia 142
8. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia 131
9. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Great Britain National Team 112
10 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 108