Defeated at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where the Austrian Anna Kiensehofer had successfully led a long breakaway, the Dutch were once again deprived of victory. The most successful cyclist in the Netherlands, Marianne Vos (34), finished 2nd in the sprint, one wheel away from the young Italian [23 ans].
Balsamo, who competed in the Tokyo Olympics on the track, ended a series of four world victories in the Netherlands. She returned the title to Italy who had been waiting for her since Giorgia Bronzini’s two winning sprints in 2010 and 2011.
It would have been impossible without my team who did an amazing job
, thanked the young Piedmontese.
Italian Elisa Balsamo (center), surrounded by Dutch Marianne Vos (left) and Polish Katarzyna Niewiadoma (right) on the podium.
Photo : afp via getty images / KENZO TRIBOUILLARD
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We had to take him as close as possible to the line in the sprint
, confirmed her eldest, Elisa Longo Borghini, who started the sprint to her compatriot on the false flat going up to the line. To the detriment of Vos, who found herself lonely in the sprint.
Vos, whose third world title dates back to 2013, has chosen to place himself in the wheel of Balsamo. But she was forced to follow a longer trajectory, outside the wide finish curve, and failed to bounce back from her rival.
Do you realize that I beat Marianne Vos today? It’s crazy!
exclaimed the young Italian, European champion hopes last year.
To say that next year I will wear this jersey … It all seems incredible to me. My boyfriend is on the finish line, my family is following me from home: I am happy to have given them this joy.
The strict marking between Italy and the Netherlands, key to the race, therefore turned against the Dutch who took turns accelerating (Brand, van Vleuten, Blaak, van Dijk) in the last 60 kilometers. Their tactics had the effect of wearing down the sprinters, in particular the Belgian Lotte Kopecky (16th) and the American Coryn Rivera (10th), but the Italians resisted.
We expected to see the Dutch run more aggressively
, noted Longo Borghini, third last year behind two … Dutch, Anna van der Breggen, who is ending her career this season, and Annemiek van Vleuten.
Finally, for the last race of her career, the Quebecer Karol-Ann Canuel (31st) helped her fellow Albertan Alison Jackson, involved in the final sprint, to finish 6th.
