No match for Lorena Wiebes - Dutchwoman wins European Championships with powerful sprint
Cycling
There was one big favourite and she did exactly what was expected of her. The women's elite road race at the European Championships ended in a bunch sprint and Lorena Wiebes was completely unmatched in the final meters.
The 162-kilometer race was a challenge for the riders' endurance however it wasn't really a race that developed normally. There wasn't a breakaway on the day as many riders kept attacking during the start of the race but without any climbs or cobbles there wasn't anyone who could make the difference.
Even defending champion Mischa Bredewold was part of the moves, there were splits too, but ultimately no-one got away with a serious gap. A few moves over the hard part of the race in the cobbles reduced the peloton quite a bit but afterwards many came back and we essentially had a full peloton heading to a sprint.
Sara Martín attacked with 30 kilometers to go and resisted until 12 kilometers to go. The peloton calmly led by the Dutch was heading to a bunch sprint. However in the final kilometer the team dissolved and Italy had the numbers, forming a perfect leadout.
Wiebes was forced to make some moves in the final meters that could've cost her valuable energy, but when she began her sprint she dismissed that possibility. It was a victory where the Dutch sprinter was head and shoulders above the rest, consolidating the title in SD Worx after teammate and compatriot Bredewold did the same last year. Elisa Balsamo sprinted to second place and Daria Pikulik filled the final spot on the podium.
| 1 | WIEBES Lorena | Netherlands | 250 | 03:56:34 |
| 2 | BALSAMO Elisa | Italy | 200 | + 00 |
| 3 | PIKULIK Daria | Poland | 150 | + 00 |
| 4 | COPPONI Clara | France | 125 | + 00 |
| 5 | GÅSKJENN Ingvild | Norway | 100 | + 00 |
| 6 | SCHWEINBERGER Kathrin | Austria | 90 | + 00 |
| 7 | NORSGAARD Emma | Denmark | 80 | + 00 |
| 8 | VAS Blanka | Hungary | 70 | + 00 |
| 9 | LELEIVYTE Rasa | Lithuania | 60 | + 00 |
| 10 | MAJERUS Christine | Luxembourg | 50 | + 00 |
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