The last lap came down to four riders. Demi Vollering, who went clear alone after a lead-out from Puck Pieterse on the Camilien-Houde climb, was caught with 15.6km to go by Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Marlen Reusser. Longo Borghini attacked by surprise at the start of the last lap, Vollering brought her back before the top of the climb, then sprinted for the world title, completed in 4:45’09 between Brossard and Montreal.
Reusser, fourth, told DirectVelo: “I was the only one riding flat out.” She was thinking, without naming them, of Niewiadoma-Phinney, Longo Borghini and Juliette Berthet.
Being the only one riding, I know that one. Sunday, club run, off at twenty past nine, a headwind both ways. Me on the front, three lads in my wheel talking about their kitchen extension. I rode flat out, with the backpack. I have the segment on the Lasne road, and they clocked the same time as me, to the second, without ever meeting the wind. I’m not saying I was the strongest. I’m saying we can talk about it. At the café, we talked. They paid for the coffee, that’s something.
Reusser also said that Puck Pieterse “was in her role” by not taking a turn in the chase. On the Dutch side, the roles were written in advance: according to national coach Laurens ten Dam, Femke de Vries, Lieke Nooijen, Riejanne Markus, Karlijn Swinkels and Amber Kraak took turns at the front before Pieterse’s intervention. Ten Dam praised his leader’s “killer mentality” and the team’s plan. Vollering called it “the biggest victory of my career”, having already won the Tour de France twice.
In her role, that’s the word. At the club we have a plan too: everyone takes a turn, in order, right up to the foot of the climb. On paper. In reality the plan holds until the bakery. Six teammates taking turns in order, without arguing: I’ve never seen that on a Sunday. Take off the backpack, the café and the red light in Oudenaarde: we’re still missing a national coach.
It’s true, we checked: Cyclingnews.
