Grace Verbeke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012) returns to defend her title I tomorrow’s Ronde van Vlaanderen Vrouwen on what promises to be the toughest course yet. As the only Belgian the have won the race in its seven year history, Verbeke achieved the sort of acclaim not usually afforded to women riders in her home country last year and she would dearly love to do it again.
Verbeke has already shown similar form to last year, with an eighth place in last weekend’s Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the first round of the World Cup, bettering her twelfth of last year. If anything her new team is stronger than previous team Lotto Ladies, with the acquisition of Lieselot Decroix and Belgian champion Liesbet De Vocht, and so stands a real chance of joining Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel in the double winners club.
The 130km course climbs 12 hills in total, just six fewer than the men’s; instead of the long, flat section ridden at the beginning of the men’s race though. the women will hit the relatively easy Rekelberg after just 20km. 27km later the course will hit the Oude Kwaremont, followed by the Steenbeekdries, Taaienberg and Eikenberg. The final 55km of the course will be identical to that of the men’s, with the Molenberg in its new, later position followed by the familiar Leberg, Vlakenberg, Tenbosse, Muur-Kapelmuur, Bosberg run in to the finish in Meerbeke.
Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) was desperately disappointed to miss out in last year’s race. The World number one missed the Trofeo Binda as she was busy winning the World scratch race championship on the track in Apeldoorn, Netherlands; she promptly won the Parkhotel Rooding Classic in Valkenburg the next day though, so appears to have her road legs. Vos will, as usual, be the rider to watch tomorrow.
HTC-Highroad is bringing 2 former winners in the form of Judith Arndt (2008) and Ina Teutenberg (2009). Arndt, like Verbeke, put in a strong performance at the Trofeo Binda, with seventh, following her victory in the Tour of New Zealand in February. Once again, this will be Teutenberg’s first race in Europe this season; the German über-sprinter has been racing, and winning in the United States. As usual HTC-Highroad comes with a team full of potential winners; chief among these is Dutchwoman Adrie Visser, who was away with Verbeke last year and was only dropped by the Belgian on the Muur.
Last year’s final podium finisher Kirsten Wild leads a strong AA Drink-Leontien.nl team, which includes Chantal Blaak and Trixi Worrack.
Almost certain to feature in the result somewhere will be Emma Johansson (Hitec-Products UCK). The Swedish champion has won almost every race she has entered this year, including the successful defence of her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad title. She won the sprint for second, behind Pooley, in the Trofeo Binda, and would dearly love to go two better than her third place of 2009.
Having won the Trofeo Binda Emma Pooley (Garmin-Cervélo) leads the World Cup, and to pay respect to the jersey she will be riding tomorrow. Cobbles, short bergs and crosswinds are far from the tiny climber’s favourite terrain though, and she told VeloNation last week that she hopes not to “embarrass” the jersey; despite her size though, the British champion is tough, and finished in the first big group in 2008, the only other time she has ridden the race.
Garmin-Cervélo will more likely throw its considerable strength behind Italian Noemi Cantele, who has attacked on the Muur almost every year she has ridden this race, and Dutchwoman Iris Slappendel; there is a slight question mark over the fitness of Slappendel however, as she hurt her wrist in a crash in the Trofeo Binda.
The final former winner riding is Nicole Cooke, who leads an MCipollini-Giambenini team bristling with champions as usual. As well as Cooke’s victory, Italian champion Monia Baccaille finished third here back in 2005, while even the slight pre-ban figure of Marta Bastianelli has finished in the top ten.
Elsewhere the Netherlands team is bristling with talent, mostly from the Skil-Koga team, which is not a UCI team and therefore ineligible to ride. Former Cervélo TestTeam rider Regina Bruins and Roxane Knetemann, daughter of the late Gerrie are included, as is Het Nieuwsblad runner-up Andrea Bosman.
The 2011 race will be the second appearance at the Ronde for American team Tibco-To the Top; the race was the team’s European debut last season and many of the riders experienced a steep learning curve. It returns for a second year, with the Trofeo Binda already in its legs, one year more experienced.