Vos leaves strong impression during comeback in Trofeo Alfredo Binda
Marianne Vos has left a strong impression during her first road race of 2023. In the hills of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the Dutch rider of Team Jumbo-Visma maintained a competitive pace. Only on the final climb did Vos have to let go of an elite group. Shirin van Anrooij won the race.
The local laps around Cittiglio ignited the race. Several leading groups, including one with Kim Cadzow, were already caught in the opening phase. In the second lap, Riejanne Markus picked up the pace. Vos rode ahead briefly, but the peloton did not let her escape. However, when Karlijn Swinkels attacked, she did manage to get away for a short while. She and two other riders gained a minute's lead. But the peloton kept a steady pace, and on the penultimate passage of the Orino, the breakaway attempt was over. Afterwards, Vos maintained a chasing group's pace for a considerable time until the Orino also placed an excessive strain on her one lap later.
"This race has left us with mixed emotions."
"This race has left us with mixed emotions", race coach Carmen Small said. "Marianne had to let go on the final climb because of cramps in both legs. Despite that setback, the entire squad rode well today. They did what we asked of them, which led to Karlijn's superb move. In the end, the team worked together to drop Marianne off in a good position. Then she, unfortunately, cramped up, leaving everyone somewhat disappointed. Nevertheless, it is a good starting point after her surgery. Marianne's ability to perform at this level already is encouraging, but it is always disappointing when a plan cannot be carried out all the way through."