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Ronde van Overijssel
Preview |
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With a women's edition held for
the first time last year Lisa Brennauer took a solo victory
holding off the chasing peloton. The now world time trial
champion is racing Gracia Orlova and will not have the chance
to defend her win here. With two UCI stages race running at
the same time - Gracia Orlova and Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy
Jacobs many of the big teams send reduced squads or will not
be racing.
2014
1 Lisa BRENNAUER
2 Kirsten WILD +12
3 Nina KESSLER +12
4 Elise DELZENNE +12
5 Natalie VAN GOGH +12
6 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN +12
7 Chantal BLAAK +12
8 Iris SLAPPENDEL +12
9 Romy KASPER +12
10 Karol-Ann CANUEL +12
Past Winners
2014 - Lisa Brennauer
The Route
At 143km it is one of the longest races on the calendar. Add
in that many teams do not bring a full six rider squad and it
is a race that will be hard to control. While the race is in
the Netherlands it is not completely flat but then there is
nothing that should trouble the sprinters.
The race finished with two laps of an 8.5km circuit that
includes a number of small rises. Again nothing that is likely
to trouble the sprinters but it does present those looking to
avoid a sprint an opportunity to attack and look to head to
the finish line solo or in a small group.
The Contenders
Start list available
here
Kirsten Wild
The dominant sprinter of the women's peloton started her
season later after renewing her focus on the track ahead of
the Rio 2016 Olympics. Won gold in the scratch race and then
picked up bronze in the omnium. In a bunch sprint Wild is very
hard to beat. Won the bunch sprint last year and with Hitec
fielding a full six rider squad they will look to control and
have Wild pick up her fifth win of the season.
Lizzie Armitstead and Boels Dolmans
Boels Dolmans have the best of both worlds. In the event of a
sprint Lizzie Armitstead can be relied on to produce a good
result in a sprint. In Chantal Blaak, Ellen Van Dijk and
Evelyn Stevens they have three riders who are likely to be on
the attack throughout the race.
Anna Knauer
The 2013 Junior World Omnium Champion earned her first podium
on the road finishing third at EPZ Omloop van Borsele last
week. The 20 year old joined Rabo last year in her first year
as a senior and with the depth on the squad has not had a lot
of chances for herself. With three races on over the weekend
and a podium at Borsele the team can be confident in backing
the 20 year old.
Teammate Anouska Koster is worth keep an eye on after winning
the young rider classification at the Energiewacht Tour but if
it comes down to a sprint Knauer is the quicker finisher. The
experienced Roxane Knetemann is also on good form and will be
important for the two young riders.
Other names to watch: Lauren Kitchen, Kelly Druyts, Evy
Kuijpers and Kim de Baat. |
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