Having worked to present Nederland Bloeit teammate Annemiek van Vleuten the GP Plouay and the overall World Cup, Marianne Vos returned to the top step of the podium in the first stage of the Profile Holland Ladies Tour between Neerijnen and Ophemert. The Dutch champion was the fastest of a group of fifteen riders that escaped in the early part of the 114.3km stage, beating German champion Ina Teutenberg (HTC-Highroad) and big Dutch rival Kirsten Wild (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) with a sprint so devastating that she was given a time one second quicker than them.
“There was wind and rain from the start and there was action straight away,” said Vos in the Omroep Brabant. “There was a lot of wind on the dykes; we rode away in the group and spent the whole race riding into the wind.
“Ultimately, it ended in a sprint,” she added.
The break of fifteen consisted of Vos and Sarah Düster (both Nederland Bloeit), Teutenberg and Chloe Hosking (both HTC-Highroad), Wild, Trixi Worrack, Irene van den Broek, Chantal Blaak and Lucinda Brand (all AA Drink-Leontien.nl), Theresa Cliff-Ryan (United States), Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara), Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-UCK), Gloria Presti (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo), Martine Bras (Dolmans Landscaping) and Roxane Kneteman (Batavus Ladies).
Towards the end Cliff-Ryan, Kneteman and Presti were dropped and, despite having five of the remaining twelve riders, AA Drink-Leontien.nl was unable to make its numbers count against Vos.
“It went wrong in the sprint, but there are more opportunities,” said Wild. “In any event I hope to win a stage this year.”
Result stage 1
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Highroad @ 1s
3. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
4. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK @ 2s
5. Shelley Olds (USA) Diadora-Pasta Zara
6. Martine Bras (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping Team @ 3s
7. Sarah Düster (Ger) Nederland Bloeit @ 7s
8. Trixi Worrack (Ger) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
9. Irene van den Broek (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
10. Chantal Blaak (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
Standings after stage 1
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Highroad @ 7s
3. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 10s
4. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK @ 16s
5. Shelley Olds (USA) Diadora-Pasta Zara @ 17s