On the age of 36 and with nearly 20 years of racing expertise within the professional peloton to her identify, there are few races that Marianne Vos has but to win, not to mention begin.
Nonetheless, with profession win quantity 249 on the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, the Dutchwoman added one other spotlight to her near-endless reel of them, outpowering world champion Lotte Kopecky and Lidl-Trek duo Elisa Longo Borghini and Shirin van Anrooij on the Elisabethlaan in Ninove.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider had been a part of an elite chase group behind solo attacker Longo Borghini for half of the earlier 30km earlier than she, Kopecky, and Van Anrooij joined up with the Italian on the Muur van Geraardsbergen and went clear excessive.
The run to the road, after the Bosberg noticed Kopecky fail to distance her rivals, was colored by Lidl-Trek assaults as Vos stayed quiet in watch for the – because it turned out, moderately profitable – closing dash.
“This victory means lots to me. I’d by no means have dreamed of beginning the brand new season like this,” Vos mentioned after the win. “The truth that it was additionally my debut within the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad made it even higher.”
Vos, who already has a pair of second locations this season on the opening levels of the Setmana Valenciana, had recognized race favorite Lotte Kopecky as the most important risk within the lead group. Because the Lidl-Trek pair pale within the dash, leaving the 2 Dutch stars to battle it out head-to-head within the closing metres, she was confirmed appropriate.
“It was a really powerful race and everybody knew how robust Kopecky was,” Vos mentioned. “Alongside the best way, she confirmed that she had actually good legs.
“It was clear that she was going to strive it on the Muur and on the Bosberg. Subsequently, I needed to pull out all of the stops to observe her there. We had a pleasant group after which the sport began.
“It was a tricky race, so then it’s important to wait and see what’s left within the legs. Kopecky rode an extremely robust remaining. That I may beat her is nice!”
The win marks Vos’ first since coming back from surgical procedure on the iliac artery in her left leg in August. She had beforehand written on Instagram that constriction of the artery had precipitated her to “[struggle] with ache and lack in energy of my left leg for an extended time frame.”
After celebrating a highway win for the primary time since final Might’s La Vuelta Femenina, she paid tribute to key figures round her for serving to with the return to this race-winning degree.
“It is extremely good to see how my household, my girlfriend and my buddies sympathised with this story,” she mentioned. “It was an extended highway to get again right here, however I used to be capable of put together optimally for this begin to the season. I’m very comfortable.”
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