Elite Women's Road Race Report

2010 UCI Road World Championships Geelong

Elite Women Road Race

BySimon Cadzow

I said it yesterday; Is it me or are these championships just getting better and better?

The Women’s Elite Road Race was hard fought in fantastic conditions. It’s different from the men’s, and it should be. I was once told, ‘men and women – equal – but not the same’.

From the word go the pace was on with the Italians leading off strong from the line. Instead of people jumping off the front, they were popping off the back.

Instead of hearing “bike left!” we were hearing “cardiac right!”

These girls gave it everything.

Kathy Mattis (USA) broke the rule and attacked on lap 3 building a lead of almost 3 min. The crowd couldn’t’ve (I just made this word up for the effect) yelled any louder each time she came through.

(In fact the crowd cheered for everyone whether pushing hard in the peloton or running 10 min on your own off the back – name another sport where that happens)

Emma Pooley (GBR) passed her on the ascent of Challambra Cres on the penultimate lap. And that was the beginning.

Nicole Cooke (GBR), 2008 World Champ, went...And was slowly brought back.

She went again and this time with Judith Arndt (GER), 2004 World Champ, are you detecting a pattern?

The back half of the last lap was a screamer. They built a lead of 11 sec to the last lefthander into the uphill home stretch. It should be the home stretch from hell. The light at the end of the tunnel is definitely a train.

The bunch turned and put the pedal to the metal.

And then suddenly from nowhere, it was the salute of the championships.

Bronzini...Giorgia Bronzini. The Italian points race 2009 track world champion, the pattern continues.

The heart symbol with the fingers held high above her head, on an uphill finish. It’s all about heart.

“I raced for my heart and I think about the person who maybe one day was with us, Franco Berllini.”

Marriane Vos (NED) her fourth silver medal in this event, and fifth medal in a row setting a new world record for consecutive medals, held no symbol. She didn’t need to, her hearts on her sleeve.

And Emma Johansson (SWE), bronze for the girl from Sweden, even with hitting a spectator with her helmet on the sprint. By the way she enquired how they were and hoped they were ok. Character.

The Australians?

Vicki Whitelaw and Ruth Corset made it to the end, both utterly spent. The rest of the team had already given their all. Ruth summed it up, “I think the whole team gave it everything, gave it 100% today, we didn’t leave anything behind.” When you start losing feeling above your toes....

All said and done, back to back championships for Italia! And I swear their national anthem is a drinking song. Brilliant!

 A fitting memory for Franco Ballerini (ITA)...Bellisimo.

Top highlights of the day:

1)     The Italian team signing on together and posing for a “before” photo

2)     The Italian team following the win by Bronzini celebrating together on the podium and posing for an “after” photo

3)     On the way to the race seeing a guy in his 50’s wearing council workers clothing reclining back whilst urging emphatically to a lady in her 70’s to mow her council strip with more gusto

4)     Judith Arndt and Nicole Cook attacking off the front – their timing was almost perfect. Almost.

5)     Finding the free food tent for the media – should’ve found this days ago but the racing has been too good!!!

Day 5 is the big one!! The Elite Men’s Road Race – I personally spoke with Pat McQuaid, UCI President today, and asked him when Australia could expect to see the worlds again. He said, “Not for a long time”. Enough said - get to the circuit!!