Marianne Vos wins the inaugural La Course by Le Tour de France

Warm weather and building crowds greeted the women’s peloton on the Champs-Elysees as La Course got underway for the first of 13 laps of a 6.85km circuit. As predicted, the attacks came thick and fast, with Specialized-Lululemon rider Chantal Blaak among those to animate the early proceedings.

With three laps completed the race was all together before former British national champion Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) featured in a move of roughly 10 riders. The move was soon brought back to the bunch.

Trixi Worrack (Specialized-Lululemon) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Rabo-Liv) got clear of the field with eight laps remaining and a lap later than were still holding on to an advantage of 16 seconds. But the high speed in the peloton — an average of 44km/h — ensured the catch was imminent.

World ITT champion Ellen van Dijk (Boels Dolmans) made her move inside seven laps to go, getting 20 seconds clear of the bunch while French road race and ITT champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Rabo-Liv) and Charlotte Becker (Wiggle Honda) chased her down.

The two chasers were reeled in with five laps to go, with Van Dijk finally brought back to the peloton with 32km remaining. No sooner had that moved ended than another began. A group of five went up the road, including Ferrand-Prevot and Orica-AIS’s Valentina Scandolara.

They too were caught a short time later before Belarusian champion Alena Amialiusik (Astana BePink) came to the front solo. She dangled out front of the peloton for roughly four kilometres before another group, this one featuring two-time Australian champion Gracie Elvin (Orica-AIS), caught her then tried to build some kind of advantage.

They were all brought back a short time later, except for Bigla’s Vera Koedooder who pressed on, before being joined by Van Dijk and then, with 21km still to race, being caught by the UnitedHealthcare led peloton.

And so the pattern repeated itself. Many riders tried to get clear as the finish approached, including former world championship silver medallist Rachel Neylan (Australian National Team), and Amanda Spratt (Orica-AIS), but ultimately nothing stuck.

There was a brief pause with 15.9km to go as the peloton reformed and the riders seemed to take a deep breath ahead of the bunch sprint that seemed unavoidable. Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) and Amy Pieters (Giant-Shimano) were among the riders that tried to get clear in the final 15km, but they were caught with less than 10km to race.

Vera Koedooder made another attempt at a solo victory with 8.2km to go, being joined by another nine riders, before Lizzie Armitstead tried to get clear of that group on her own. But with 6.2km to the finish, they were all caught.

The final attack of the day, and probably the most promising, came from Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Amy Pieters with 4.5km to go. But with Pieters leaving all the work to Ferrand-Prevot — Pieters’ teammate Kirsten Wild was on of the big favourites for the bunch sprint — the escape was ultimately doomed.

Ale-Cipollini did the bulk of the work to close down the two leaders, working in support of sprinter Shelley Olds, and with 2.7km to go and a bunch sprint seemed inevitable. Marianne Vos, spotted only once in the live coverage to that point, had found herself into the first few wheels and was looking dangerous.

With just 1km to go a crash in the main field took out Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Lizzie Armistead, with the bunch splitting behind. As the 300m-to-go banner approached, German national champion Lisa Brennauer (Specialized-Lululemon) came to the front to lead things out.

It was Marianne Vos who launched her sprint first, flying up the left-hand side of the road with Kirsten Wild the next to react. With just metres to the line the two riders were level on the road, but it was Vos who had the staying power to pull just clear of Wild, crossing the line to take out the race that she has campaigned for and championed since its inception.

Marianne Vos wins #LaCourse https://t.co/vUJAZg6mpG

— La Course by Le Tour (@LaCoursebyTDF) July 27, 2014

Vos’ win in La Course is the latest in another outstanding season from the world champion, in which she’s won the Women’s Tour of Britain (including three stages), Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik, and the Giro Rosa (including four stages).

La course by Le Tour de France

: Paris > Paris

Sunday 27th July (2014)

Classification: 1.1

Category: Int. Woman

Distance: 89km

1.	VOS Marianne Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team	02:00:41
2.	WILD Kirsten Team Giant-Shimano	-
3.	KIRCHMAN Leah Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies	-
4.	BRENNAUER Lisa Specialized-lululemon	-
5.	OLDS Shelley Alé Cipollini	-
6.	RIVERA Coryn UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Womens Team	-
7.	D'HOORE Jolien Lotto Belisol Ladies	-
8.	JOHANSSON Emma Orica - AIS	-
9.	FRAPPORTI Simona Astana BePink Womens Team	-
10.	FOURNIER Roxane Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86	-
11.	BRONZINI Giorgia Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling	-
12.	WILLIAMS Lizzie	-
13.	DUTRIAUX Fiona Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86	-
14.	CECCHINI Elena Estado de México-Faren Kuota	-
15.	BIANNIC Aude Lointek	-
16.	MAJERUS Christine Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team	-
17.	KOZONCHUK Oxana RusVelo	-
18.	VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team	-
19.	VAN DIJK Ellen Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team	-
20.	HOSKING Chloe Hitec Products	-
21.	BARNES Hannah UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Womens Team	-
22.	RIBEROT Fanny Lointek	0:04
23.	AMIALIUSIK Alena Astana BePink Womens Team	0:06
24.	LAWS Sharon UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Womens Team	0:10
25.	TAGLIAFERRO Marta Alé Cipollini	-
26.	BLINDYUK Yulia RusVelo	-
27.	FERNANDES SILVA Clemilda Bizkaia-Durango	0:20
28.	BRAND Lucinda Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team	-
29.	KOEDOODER Vera Bigla Cycling Team	-
30.	ROY Sarah Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86	-
31.	ZORZI Susanna Astana BePink Womens Team	-
32.	SCANDOLARA Valentina Orica - AIS	-
33.	HEATHER Taryn Bigla Cycling Team	-
34.	SMALL Carmen Specialized-lululemon	-
35.	NEYLAN Rachel	-
36.	HOLCOMB Janel Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies	-
37.	BLAAK Chantal Specialized-lululemon	-
38.	KASPER Romy Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team	-
39.	PIETERS Amy Team Giant-Shimano	-
40.	VAN DER MEER Janine Futurumshop.nl-Zannata	-
41.	FERNANDES SILVA Marcia Bizkaia-Durango	-
42.	PAWLOWSKA Katarzyna Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team	-
43.	COLLINS Emily Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling	-
44.	WALLE Brianna Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies	-
45.	KUCHINSKAYA Elena RusVelo	-
46.	KESSLER Nina Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team	-
47.	JOHNSEN Cecilie Gotaas Hitec Products	-
48.	LENTING Charlotte	-
49.	BRAVARD Charlotte Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86	-
50.	SAN SEBASTIAN LASA Irene Bizkaia-Durango	-
51.	WILCOXSON Jade Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies	-
52.	ESKAMENDI GIL Dorleta Bizkaia-Durango	-
53.	MUSTONEN Sara Team Giant-Shimano	-
54.	HIGGINS Cari UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Womens Team	-
55.	DE VOCHT Liesbet Lotto Belisol Ladies	-
56.	LEPISTö Lotta Bigla Cycling Team	-
57.	LESUEUR Mélodie Lointek	-
58.	RIVAT Amelie Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86	-
59.	WORRACK Trixi Specialized-lululemon	-
60.	DECROIX Lieselot Lotto Belisol Ladies	-
61.	ILINYKH Yulia Bizkaia-Durango	-
62.	HOFFMANN Chantal Lotto Belisol Ladies	-
63.	FAHLIN Emilia Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling	-
64.	HAHN Jacqueline Bigla Cycling Team	-
65.	DELZENNE Elise Specialized-lululemon	-
66.	CORDON Audrey Hitec Products	-
67.	JASINSKA Malgorzta Alé Cipollini	-
68.	POLSPOEL Maaike Team Giant-Shimano	0:27
69.	MACLEAN Jessie Orica - AIS	-
70.	VAN DER BREGGEN Anna Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team	-
71.	SLAPPENDEL Iris Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team	-
72.	ELVIN Gracie Orica - AIS	-
73.	TAYLOR Carlee Orica - AIS	0:30
74.	MUNDY Jessica	-
75.	SPRATT Amanda Orica - AIS	-
76.	BECKER Charlotte Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling	0:39
77.	MOBERG Emilie Hitec Products	0:56
78.	BORGATO Giada Estado de México-Faren Kuota	1:02
79.	DUVAL Eugénie	1:13
80.	SICOT Marion	-
81.	KOSTER Anouska Futurumshop.nl-Zannata	-
82.	VAN BAARLE Ashlynn	1:16
83.	VALSECCHI Silvia Astana BePink Womens Team	-
84.	POOLEY Emma Lotto Belisol Ladies	-
85.	SOEK Julia Team Giant-Shimano	-
86.	WILES Tayler Specialized-lululemon	1:19
87.	TAMAYO Lauren UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Womens Team	-
88.	RAMSDEN Denise Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies	-
89.	HALL Lauren Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies	-
90.	GUDERZO Tatiana Alé Cipollini	1:28
91.	GUARISCHI Barbara Alé Cipollini	-
92.	BERLATO Elena Alé Cipollini	-
93.	TREVISI Anna Estado de México-Faren Kuota	1:47
94.	KNOL Willeke Team Giant-Shimano	-
95.	FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline Rabobank-Liv Woman Cycling Team	2:21
96.	ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team	3:11
97.	CHULKOVA Anastasiya RusVelo	4:10
DNF.	JEULAND Pascale Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86	-

nic

I watched the last third of le course and the last lap was excellent racing. I did enjoy the fact that I didn’t know who was going to win the sprint too! I can’t believe it took the UCI and tdf organisers his long to organise something like this and I hope it continues to grow.
Tricky Dicky

This was a nice race - aggressive all the way through, high average speed, and some very respectable sprinting at the end! I think the strong riders who wanted a breakaway were missing a trick on the “downhill” bit of the race - they freewheeled virtually every lap (perhaps they were on the rivet from the effort going up the other side?) - and that is where the breaks could have gone away with the strongest riders rather than allowing a re-grouping each lap.
One other highlight was the quality of the commentary - Ant McCrossan & Rochelle Gilmore knew what they were talking about, had done their research, identified the right riders when it mattered and did some insightful interviewing of the riders afterwards. Compare and contrast to Phil & Paul….
Anyway, next year I would love ASO to include a mountain-top finish on one of the Tour’s stages for La Course and perhaps a TT or a more classics-style stage: build it out, bit by bit.
Brent Sword

In the end the course was a slightly limiting factor to the excitement of the racing for TV, crits and flat short circuits are great for spectators but make for terrible tv. Also strange was giants team instructions of trying to assure a bunch sprint by sending somebody to sit on and wreck EVERY breakaway. I,m not sure how strong a team they have but the continual efforts to get on the breaks left there sprinter exposed at the end as they were all gone before a k to go. Result was wasted effort and having to open the sprint to early.
- Sam Young
  
  Kirsten Wild is the dominant sprinter in the women’s peloton. It’s not a surprise that they were very keen to keep it to a bunch sprint. More of a surprise that Marianne Vos managed to get in front. Just goes to show what a classy rider Vos is .
- RacingCondor
  
  I agree that the circuit was the limiting factor, as a crit circuit it’s just too big. Great racing though considering.
  I think Giant did a good job helping to shut things down and Wild came soo close to proving their tactics. It’s just difficult to have a proper lead out and cover moves on small teams (not many riders to sacrifice controlling the race on a team of 6).
  Vos has an incredible ability to be in the right place at the right time. Last lap comes and as if by magic there she was on 4th wheel. What surprised me was that Wiggle Honda didn’t manage to get Bronzini up there.
a different ben

Did they have footage from the same camera they used in the men’s sprint? The one that travels alongside?
- http://cyclingtips.com.au Matt de Neef
  
  If they did they didn’t show it in the live broadcast.
- RacingCondor
  
  Didn’t see any footage from the finish line camera (anyone else think of horse racing when they saw that camera) but two of the riders were supposed to have onboard camera’s, one front mounted and one rear mounted (can’t remember who unfortunately). It would be interesting to see highlights of their footage.