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Marianne Vos on the Sand © Thomas van Bracht

Marianne Vos, shown here winning Centrumcross, took the top podium in Rome © Thomas van Bracht

ROME, ITALY – On a beautiful, sunny day, World Champion Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Giant) launched a searing attack on Katie Compton (Trek) after the the duo stormed away from the rest of the riders on a course that was more criterium than cyclocross to take the seventh round of the World Cup series. Vos opened the race with an explosive start that only Compton was able to match, though Sanne van Paassen (Rabobank) managed to briefly bring the two back into the fold before Compton took to the front and hit the gas, dislodging all but the World Champion from her wheel. Compton led the middle laps, hoping to power away from the Dutch rider, but Vos bade her time on the dry, flat, grass-and-light-sand terrain held on a race track before sprinting around the American champion with such ferocity with three to go that Compton had no response. Though Compton tried to reel the World Champion back in, the gap, once established, never diminished. Compton finished 24 seconds down, comfortably securing her World Cup overall – the first ever by an Elite American – with 390 points to Nikki Harris’  254. Compton can now safely skip the final World Cup in Hoogerheide.

“I had a good start,” said Vos. “Katie passed me in the first lap and kept the pace really high. Katie was really strong, I knew I couldn’t make any mistakes. I waited for a moment.”

Vos, who is one of the most decorated cyclists of her generation, had tweeted earlier in the day of the complications of being a multi-discipline world champion: “Nearly took the wrong kit for the WC Rome. What a ‘problem’ if you can take the wrong rainbow jersey; road instead of cx. Fast course it is!”

Katerina Nash (Luna) launched a solo pursuit of the two leaders and spent the majority of the race on her own, staving off a group containing Sanne van Paassen, Helen Wyman, Lucie Chainel-Lefevre, Sanne Cant and Sabrina Stultiens. A late charge by van Paassen and Cant in the final laps looked like it might bring Nash back into the fold, but Nash held off the pursuit and crossed the line in third. Van Paassen came in for fourth. American Amy Dombroski finished in 16th.

2013 World Cup Rome Elite Women

RankNameNat.Result
1Marianne VOSNED39:38:00
2Katherine COMPTONUSA40:02:00
3Katerina NASHCZE40:46:00
4Sanne VAN PAASSENNED40:53:00
5Sanne CANTBEL41:00:00
6Helen WYMANGBR41:15:00
7Sabrina STULTIENSNED41:24:00
8Lucie CHAINEL-LEFEVREFRA41:26:00
9Ellen VAN LOYBEL41:40:00
10Eva LECHNERITA41:41:00
11Julie KRASNIAKFRA41:43:00
12Nikki HARRISGBR41:43:00
13Annefleur KALVENHAARNED42:03:00
14Christel FERRIER-BRUNEAUFRA42:06:00
15Jasmin ACHERMANNSUI42:13:00
16Amy DOMBROSKIUSA42:33:00
17Valentina SCANDOLARAITA42:47:00
18Pavla HAVLIKOVACZE42:53:00
19Elena VALENTINIITA43:10:00
20Joyce VANDERBEKENBEL43:22:00
21Francesca CUCCINIELLOITA43:29:00
22Gabriella DAYGBR43:43:00
23Alice Maria ARZUFFIITA44:11:00
24Reza HORMESNED44:25:00
25Martina MIKULASKOVACZE45:02:00
26Francesca CAUZITA45:19:00
27Suzie GODARTLUX45:20:00
28Alessia BULLERIITA
29Margriet Helena KLOPPENBURGDEN
30Nancy BOBERBEL