A wooden pole, the arm and the last curve. It's all over, like Nibali's fall in Rio or Baggio's penalty in 1994The pathos of the female performance in Vermiglio is a Rossinian crescendo. Van Empel led from the start, drawing her own linesBehind her, everyone seemed stuck in the snow. Even Marianne Vos, who, due to a small inconvenience, seemed to have lost positions and hopes. Then the turning point. The girls in front continued to give it their all, but behind them the Dutchman Jumbo Visma he started to gain one second after anotherHers was a powerful and inexorable dance that after the final climb hurled her into Van Empel's wake.
The sun has returned to the peaks, down here the shadow is master again. And while the men warm up their muscles for their start, the girls parade behind the podium. First Van Empel, second Vos, third Rochette. And fourth, just 12 seconds off the podium, was Eva Lechner. What a shame!
Always in the lead
A wooden pole, the arm and the last curve. Marianne Vos swoops down on her compatriot like an eagleHe hooks it and with two corners to go, he thinks he's found the gap to pass it. Champions also love the flashy move. Vos could easily stay on her wheel and wait for the sprint, where she would make a quick meal of her. But the solitary arrival tempts her and so she slips into the inside of the curve. There's that damned post, her arm hooks it, and Marianne falls. Van Empel is incredulous, waiting for her like one does with a fallen legend.But when Vos sets off again, Van Empel accelerates sharply and arrives at the finish line with an advantage that is enough to shake your fist and celebrate success.
«Yesterday I found the course difficult – says the winner, also Dutch, 19 years old – instead This morning I immediately found the right feeling and entered the race very relaxed. From start to finish in first place, the best thing. Every week this year has been better. The goal was to get a podium, not to win, but I won the first test on snow and it's beautiful.The snow is very cold, not my ideal temperature. Marianne has arrived below. I still had energy for the sprint, but she fell in the last cornerIt was difficult to get through.
«It wasn't in the plan to stay alone in the headI just wanted to find my own pace. It was difficult to choose a line on this terrain. It was very different from running on sand. The snow is white and you can't see the lines. It's hard to keep yours and see if you're going to end up in another one.. On the sand, you can see where you are stepping."
Disappointment Vos
Marianne Vos is the usual lady, a model of style and sportiness. And if at the World Championships in Leuven she could have had reason to be angry with her compatriots, this time she realizes she did it all by herself and doesn't make a fuss.
On the podium were two Dutch women (Vos and Van Empel) and a Canadian: Rochette And finally for Van Empel came the first victory in the World Cup and on the snow Marianne Vos' final comment was even ironic On the finish for Marianne Vos, a consolation pat from Rochette
On the podium were two Dutch women (Vos and Van Empel) and a Canadian: Rochette And finally for Van Empel came the first victory in the World Cup and on the snow Marianne Vos' final comment was even ironic You are disconsolate: victory was just a step away…
“I didn’t know what to expect,” he says, “like everyone else. I had run in the snow before, but not like thisI was missing two laps, but in the second part of the race I found my rhythm again, even though I didn't think I could fight for the victory. I was clumsy. It was all or nothing, I closed the line. For a moment I was convinced I had succeeded, then I hit the pole.It happens. I was a little upset, but I knew I couldn't win the way things were going. You have a line and just as you think you've found it and a second later the bike goes everywhere. You need to be focused and stay calm."
Lechner Flag
And then there's the Italian premiere, Eva Lechner, whose strength and courage were given by the snow and the air of home.She also has great skill and was able to move very well in the snow and once again she was the Italian flag.
«I felt very good – she says – I made a bit of a mistake at the beginning when I lost the slipstream of the first ones, then I recoveredThe Italian cheering, especially at the highest point, was spectacular. Only in Italy do we have fans like this. I'm a little disappointed about the podium, which was really needed. I was really close, but I'm happy to have made it into the top five.I had fun in this snow. Knowing how to drive is one of my strengths. I'm happy that the first snow test took place in ItalyThe difficult thing today was the somewhat icy trajectories. You had to have the sensitivity to keep the bike and stay calmIf you made a mistake, you'd get nervous and lose control. You had to keep your balance, stay on your feet or on your bike..."
