World Cycling Championships 2020 Imola: Van der Breggen solos to rainbow jersey

The women's road race takes place on a demanding circuit with two sharp uphills, that's tackled five times. Anna van der Breggen attacks with 42 kilometres remaining and solos to a commanding victory. Annemiek van Vleuten and Elisa Longo Borghini round out the podium. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results women’s road race Worlds 2020
1. Anna van der Breggen (nld)
2. Annemiek van Vleuten (nld) + 1.20
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (ita) s.t.
4. Marianne Vos (nld) + 2.01
5. Liane Lippert (ger) s.t.
6. Elizabeth Deignan (gbr) s.t.
7. Kasia Niewiadoma (pol) s.t.
8. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (den) + 2.41
9. Lisa Brennauer (ger) + 3.08
10. Marlen Reusser (swi) s.t.

Race report
Valerie Demey is the first attacker. She jumps clear off the front in the second lap on the Mazzolano climb. She opens up a gap of 30 seconds before she is brought back on the second climb.

Alison Jackson goes next and the Canadian is almost reeled in on the race track when Grace Brown bridges across. The duo crosses the line 27 seconds ahead of the peloton.

Wiles, Pieters, Labous, the Barnes sisters, Majerus, Brennauer, Ragusa and Anderson close the gap before the Mazzolano climb. On the slopes García jumps across, while Alice Barnes and Brown drop back. Anderson can’t follow the pace either on the Cima Galisterna.

Bujak opens the chase just after the summit. The Slovene rider enters the penultimate lap 1 minute after the lead group, while the peloton is 2.30 minutes in arrears.

Bujak closes the gap on the Mazzolano, while the gap of the peloton falls below 1 minute. The main group rejoins the leaders on the Galisterna.

When Van Vleuten sets the pace Van der Breggen, Lippert, Uttrup Ludwig and Longo Borghini are the only ones able to follow. Van der Breggen uses Van Vleuten as a launch pad and goes solo with 42 kilometres remaining.

The time trialing World Champion crests the summit 15 seconds ahead of Van Vleuten, Uttrup Ludwig and Longo Borghini. Deignan bridges across in the descent.

The peloton rejoins the chasers on the race track before they cross the line 1.44 minutes after Van der Breggen.

The leader widens the gap on the Mazzolano and Galisterna to more than 2 minutes. Longo Borghini and Van Vleuten reach the crest of the last climb together.

Van der Breggen solos, two years after her Innsbruck triumph, to a new rainbow jersey. Van Vleuten outsprints Longo Borghini for second place.

Other interesting reads: route and start list women’s road race at the Worlds in Imola.