Beaming, Lorena Wiebes sat down comfortably, arms in the air. No doubt about it, she would win this Amstel Gold race in the final sprint. Perfect finish photo. And never for a moment did she realize that another front wheel to her left crossed the finish line just a fraction earlier. Yellow-black shirt with rainbow bands on the sleeve. Marianne Vos, who, with an utmost effort, still won the only Dutch cycling classic…
“It was a terrible feeling, so stupid,” Wiebes said afterwards to NOS. The 25-year-old sprinter from SD Worx was considered the favorite beforehand, especially after the race was stopped and shortened due to an accident with a police officer. Her team set Wiebes well for the sprint, competitor Elisa Longo Borghini took over. “She almost threw me into the fence but somehow I managed to squeeze through.” But in the fierce battle with the Italian, she had no eyes for Vos on the other side. “I know I have to sprint to the line. Normally I do all that, but Marianne came as a surprise to me.”
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While Wiebes indicated that she would sleep poorly for a few more nights due to her mistake, Vos subduedly celebrated her second victory in the Gold Race, which she also won in 2021. “It is very disappointing for Lorena,” said the leader of Visma – Lease a Bike, who also cheered very early on her first victory and saw Demi Vollering almost come alongside. “Maybe it happens more often here because the wind is often heady. I saw her cheering, but I was just busy with my own sprint. I didn't know if I could go over it. Actually, I didn't think I would beat her again.”
After surgery on a hip artery in the autumn, Vos (36) already won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen this season, which was her 250th professional victory. Last week she did not win in Paris-Roubaix, but she did win in South Limburg. “Now I have luck on my side.”
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