Favourites for the elite women's road race, UCI 2019 Yorkshire Worlds
Lizzie Deignan (photo courtesy of
Welcome to Yorkshire)
The elite
women's road race at the UCI 2019 Yorkshire Worlds follows an
interesting and picturesque route from Bradford to Harrogate, taking in
a good deal of Nidderdale. It features the Norwood Edge and Lofthouse
climbs, which will tire the competitors without being decisive.
The ups and downs towards the end of the route, at Shaw Mills and
Birstwith, could lead to the formation of an elite front group. The
Harrogate circuit is attritional, and may cause a further thinning of
the field.
The Dutch have so much strength in depth that they are likely to adapt
their tactics to the race situation, rather than having one designated
leader. Annemiek van Vleuten, Anna van der Breggen, and Marianne Vos
could all be in with a chance.
Yorkshire will be hoping that the World Champion from 2015 can repeat
the trick in 2019: Lizzie Deignan.
Favourites for the elite women's road race, UCI 2019 Yorkshire
Worlds: Lizzie Deignan
Lizzie Deignan (photo courtesy of Welcome to Yorkshire)
Lizzie Deignan is from Otley, and took up cycling after a British
Cycling talent-spotting team visited her school.
She won the silver medal in the road race at the London 2012
Olympics, and became World Champion in 2015 in Richmond, Virginia.
Lizzie Deignan has already won on West Park in Harrogate, when she
solo-ed up to the line in the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire.
She had a daughter in September 2018, and has been on the comeback
trail in 2019, winning the Women's Tour (of Britain) in June 2019. She
is focusing on the World Championships, and knows the course well.
Come on Lizzie!
Favourites for the elite women's road race, UCI 2019 Yorkshire
Worlds: Annemiek van Vleuten
Annemiek van
Vleuten at the 2018 World Championships
Annemiek van Vleuten is the time trial World Champion 2017 and 2018.
On
her website, she says that when she won her first Dutch national
time trial title in 2007 '...I never dared dream that ten years later
I would become World Champion in the discipline. I've achieved many of
my goals in recent years. Now I dream of being World Champion on the
road.'
So it is clear that the road race is Annemiek van Vleuten's top
priority in Yorkshire in 2019.
In 2019, van Vleuten has already won Strade Bianche,
Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Giro Rosa. She will be a strong
contender, albeit in a Dutch team packed with talent and other
options.
Favourites for the elite women's road race, UCI 2019 Yorkshire
Worlds: Anna van der Breggen
Anna van der
Breggen in Harrogate (with World Champion's bands on her shorts)
Anna van der Breggen is the 2016 Olympic road race champion, and the
2018 road race World Champion. She is from Zwolle in the Netherlands.
In 2019, Van der Breggen has won the Tour of California and the
Flèche Wallonne.
Favourites for the elite women's road race, UCI 2019 Yorkshire
Worlds: Marianne Vos
Marianne Vos, TDY 2019, by SWPix
Marianne Vos is the most successful female road racer of the current
era. She also competes in cyclo-cross, mountain biking, and on the
track. She is now 32.
Vos is the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, winning the road race at the
London Olympics. She was road World Champion in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
In 2019, Marianne Vos won the Tour de Yorkshire in May, and La Course
in July.
Favourites for the elite women's road race, UCI 2019 Yorkshire
Worlds: Chantal Blaak
