Marianne Vos (Netherlands) made a successful title defense today when she won the elite women’s road race at the world championships for the second successive year after leaving her opponents for dead as she launched an unanswerable attack on the final ascent of Via Salviati to leave her eleven companions to watch as she soloed to victory.

At the summit Emma Johansson (Sweden) and Rosella Ratto (Italy) trailed Vos by a mere five seconds but that was more than sufficient for the Dutchwoman, who demonstrated substantial power and composure to ward off her hunters as she wriggled her way through the streets of Florence. Johansson won the sprint for second from Ratto, 15 seconds down on Vos.

Vos’ teammate Anna van der Breggen performed admirably in protecting the interests of her compatriot on the final two laps, and she topped a fine day’s work by slipping away to take fourth place, while Evelyn Stevens (USA) took 5th.

On the penultimate climb to Fiesole Stevens and Johansson tried to ask question of Vos on Via Salviati. They found their answer as Vos retorted with a vicious attack of her own on the steepest section of the climb, and she edged out enough of a gap to carry to the finish.

Result:

1 Marianne Vos (Netherlands)                         3:44:00            

2 Emma Johansson (Sweden)                          0:00:15            

3 Rossella Ratto (Italy)                                       

4 Anna Van Der Breggen (Netherlands)       0:00:33            

5 Evelyn Stevens (United States of America) 0:00:46      

6 Linda Villumsen (New Zealand)                  0:00:50            

7 Tatiana Guderzo (Italy)     0:00:52            

8 Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)                                                       

9 Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)                       0:01:40            

10 Tatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation)                                                        

11 Elena Kuchinskaya (Russian Federation)  0:02:41            

12 Claudia Hausler (Germany)                        0:03:34            

13 Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France)             0:04:20            

14 Megan Guarnier (United States of America) 0:04:41  

15 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Netherlands)   0:05:03            

16 Ellen Van Dijk (Netherlands)                                                  

17 Paulina Brzezna - Bentkowska (Poland)                                                        

18 Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)                   0:05:05            

19 Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)     0:05:28            

20 Trixi Worrack (Germany)