Strong team performance earns Vos impressive second place in Milano-Sanremo Donne (+VIDEO)
Marianne Vos sprinted to a second-place finish in the Milano-Sanremo Donne. In an exciting finale, where Team Visma | Lease a Bike, with Vos, Imogen Wolff, and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in the lead, the Dutch rider came up just short in the sprint for the win. Lorena Wiebes claimed victory in the Italian spring classic.
In the Italian one-day race, the peloton remained together for a long time. Despite several attack attempts, it wasn’t until 70 kilometers to go that three riders made their move. The breakaway created a gap of up to three minutes, but 45 kilometers from the finish, the last rider was caught.
The pace increased on the Cipressa, with Vos and Ferrand-Prévot positioning themselves near the front. However, a large group formed again as they approached the Poggio. On the final climb, there were some serious attacks, which led to a small group — including Vos and Ferrand-Prévot — heading toward Via Roma. In the streets of Sanremo, Vos sprinted to a strong second place, while Ferrand-Prévot finished in twelfth.
"It was a beautiful race, and I’m glad I was part of it"
“When you’re sprinting against Lorena Wiebes, you know it’s going to be tough”, Vos reflects realistically. “The plan was to go for the sprint, and I feel like I gave everything I had, so I’m definitely happy with my second place. It was a beautiful race, and I’m glad I was part of it. Hopefully, this is just the start of many more great editions.”
But the 37-year-old Dutch rider is not only satisfied with her own performance; she also has high praise for her teammates. “In the finale, it was incredibly hectic and nerve-wracking in the peloton, but my teammates did an amazing job. It’s great to see that we could be competitive in the finale. I have no regrets.”
