UCI Women's WorldTour
Colombian youngster leads Movistar Team as Vos (CCC) takes resounding victory in Pau; Polish veteran into attack at final two laps of French event.
It was a sensational victory from former Olympic champion Marianne Vos (CCC) at the sixth edition of La Course (UCI Women’s WorldTour), held in 2019 as a five-lap, 121km hilly race in and around Pau, venue for the Tour de France ITT later on Friday.
The Dutchwoman stormed to the win with an astonishing uphill sprint where she brought back late attacker Amanda Spratt (MTS), alone for 25km after leaving behind a main peloton featuring two Movistar Team riders: Malgorzata Jasinska and Paula Patiño. While the veteran Polish rider briefly went on the move with 40km remaining, an acceleration caught by World Champion Anna van der Breggen (DLT) later on, the young Colombian focused her efforts on the difficult sprint, where she took 18th -10″ behind Vos-.
The squad managed by Jorge Sanz and Sebastián Unzué, unable to bring Sheyla Gutiérrez to the start due to illness overnight, ends this way their international July campaign. Racing for the Blues will resume in ten days’ time with the new Clásicas de Navarra and San Sebastián.
REACTIONS:
Paula Patiño: “I’m happy with my first La Course, with the job all my fellow Blues did and my own effort. Even though it didn’t seem like that at the start, I did feel some responsibility knowing that I was the only Latin American rider at the start – I want to thank all fans from across the pond. The legs felt a bit rusty in the beginning after the Giro, yet with the climbs and kilometers passing by, I started to feel better. At the final two laps there was a really big selection, and Jasi and I could stay inside the leading group. After that, there was only one key: giving it your all and spending all energy left. With so many fans on the road, such a strong field of contenders and this result, it’s been a day of great motivation. I really progressed a lot during the Giro, learning something every day, gaining experience. This month of July will really help my career.”
Malgorzata Jasinska: “I tried to attack on the Gelos climb in that penultimate lap, taking advantage of a slower pace between the favourites. I think it was the right time to open a decent gap, yet into the second climb I was caught by Van der Breggen as she attacked. The peloton split into two as a result, and I was left a bit behind, but I was able to bridge back later on. CCC took all responsibility to keep the gaps under control and try and catch Spratt. Jorge asked me to support Paula all the way towards the final slope before the finish, and that’s what I did – I feel like my real sprint was to that turn left with 350m to go (laughs), I really had nothing left in the tank afterwards.”
Cover picture (c): Velofocus