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  Open de Sučde Vargarda is the penultimate event of the Women's World Cup and usually a small group contests the finish, although on a couple of occasions it has been larger.

Lizzie Armitstead continues to lead the World Cup rankings on 445 points, 130 ahead of Johansson. With a total of 240 available in the remaining two races it is still technically possible for the lead to change. Racing on home roads Johansson will be even more motivated to win in a race she hasn't before.

1 Elizabeth ARMITSTEAD 445
2 Emma JOHANSSON 315
3 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN 268
4 Eleonora VAN DIJK 265
5 Kirsten WILD 230

Full Rankings

The race has been run since 2006 with Marianne Vos the only repeat winner (2009 and 2013). Other winners joining Vos on the start line are Annemiek van Vleuten (2011) and Kirsten Wild (2010).

The Route


Profile

12 laps of an 11km. The laps are mostly flat other than a climb of around 1km in the middle of the circuit. There are 2 GPM sprints on lap five (after 49km) and nine (after 93km). The race regulations list the climb as 500m at average of 8%

It is still close in the World Cup Mountains and Sprint classification so expect riders to fight for the points.

Mountain Classification

1 Alena AMIALIUSIK 12
2 Pauline FERRAND PREVOT 10
3 Ashleigh MOOLMAN-PASIO 10

Full Rankings

The only sprint point comes on lap 7 after 76.2km.

Sprint Classification

1 Iris SLAPPENDEL 20
2 Anna Zita Maria STRICKER 16
3 Rebecca WIASAK 12

Full Rankings

The climb is where a group is likely to go away. A group sprint (from a reasonably large group anyway) is not out of the question. Kirsten Wild has won and finished second in the past. The teams of the two big sprinters (Giant-Shimano and Wiggle-Honda) might look to keep it together but they also have options to put riders in moves.

The Contenders

Marianne Vos

There has hardly been a race the past two or three months that Rabo have stated that they have not dominated. Vos started her season later than usual but since then has been on a roll. Since the end of April Vos has picked up 20 wins and never finished outside the top 10 and has helped teammates win on more than one occasions as well. It is hard to see past the two time winner. Rabo have a strong team and from an attack or a sprint Vos is the name to watch. That said she might also be happy to let a break go if it includes a teammate.

Annemiek van Vleuten

Has won the race before in 2011. Has had a very consistent year. Won the Dutch time trial Championship ahead of Ellen van Dijk and then went on to win the prologue and stage three of the Giro Rosa, as well as finish 8th overall. Her 9th at the Ladies Tour of Norway shows her form is good but maybe not great.

Lizzie Armitstead

There is no doubting Armitstead has had a great season, but she has still been unable to pick up a lot of wins. She only has three at UCI level (Commonwealth Games not included), which is really hard to imagine when you think about it. Armitstead is climbing better than ever but that really seems to have dented her speed in a sprint. Still a quick finisher but doesn't seem as fast as she was. A win here could potentially seal up the overall World Cup win, depending on where Johansson finishes. Likely to go on the attack as unlikely to win a sprint against the likes of Vos, Wild or Bronzini.

Ellen Van Dijk

Boels Dolmas are likely to play the Armitstead card but they have several other options. Ellen van Dijk has finished in the top five, three times including second in 2011. Van Dijk's only win of the year comes at Ronde van Vlaanderen, where she attacked the field and nobody was willing to chase with Armitstead sitting on until it was too late.

Emma Johansson

Home roads for one of the most consistent riders in cycling. Johansson has never won the race but finished second last year. Nine wins in 2014 accounting for 75% of Orica-AIS's wins. Sits second in the World Cup rankings and if she holds any ambitions to win overall she needs to win here. Has a strong team behind her and if there is anyone who can beat Vos or Armitstead it is probably Johansson

Katrin Garfoot

Joined Orica-AIS mid season after a very strong early season with Jayco-AIS National Team. Garfoot is a genuine all rounder who can time trial, climb and sprint. Bronze in the time trial at the Commonwealth Games was a sign that we have not seen her best yet. Expect Garfoot and Orica-AIS to ride their usual attacking race and try and put one or more of them in a good position ahead of the final few laps.

Evelyn Stevens

Did her own Grand Tour riding the Giro Rosa and then Internationale Thüringen a race she went on to win. After her Specialized-lululemon squad were without competition in the TTT on Friday they will no doubt want to continue that success in the road race.

Kirsten Wild

A race has always done well at, winner in 2010 and 2nd in 2019. In the past six editions Wild has never finished outside the top 15. She might be the dominant sprinter in the women's peloton but she climbs well enough to make it over the climb in the middle of the lap. Wild has a fast finish but has not been able to beat Vos in a bunch sprint of late.

Elena Cecchini

The Italian Champion has been impressive this year, hardly a race where she has not been in the mix. A strong sprinter but her ability to climb will see her develop in to one of the top riders in the sport. The Italian Championships is her only win of the year but her most impressive result was second at the Tour of Chongming Island World Cup with only Wild able to out sprint her. The climb is unlikely to trouble Cecchini and she likes to attack.

Giorgia Bronzini

Five wins in UCI races for Bronzini this year including one at the Giro ahead of Vos and another last week at the Route de France (although down on her six from last year). If Bronzini has the form she did at the Giro will be a strong contender for the win.

Other names to watch: Anna Van der Breggen, Megan Guarnier, Megan Guarnier, Katarzyna Pawlowska, Gracie Elvin, Amanda Spratt, Trixi Worrack, Sara Olsson, Oxana Kozonchuk, Claudia Lichtenberg, Jasmin Glaesser, Rosella Ratto, Vera Koedooder, Lotta Lepisto, Eugenia Bujak, Susanna Zorzi and Linda Villumsen.
 
 
         
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