A great win for Emma Pooley in France. Photo: CJ Farquharson / PhotoSport Email: click here
British Olympic Silver medallist Emma Pooley has won the high ranking Women's World Cup road race, the Plouay GP, her second World Cup win of the season. Emma won the race alone after attacking in the hills just over halfway through the race. Using her well known time trialling ability, Emma opened up a gap of over two and half a minutes on the rest of the riders before crossing the line arms aloft and showing that she has great form in the run up to the World Championships at the end of September on a course which will no doubt be very much to her liking.
Pooley and her Cervelo team attacked the race and their hard work saw a select group of 14 riders go clear but without World and Olympic Champion Nicole Cooke who has had much to deal with in recent months including illness and the collapse of her Vision 1 team. The break however was brought back and it was then that Emma Pooley made the key move, by attacking and finding her rivals wanting.
Ironically, it was the chase by the Great Britain and Australian national teams that kept her lead to a minimum and when Nicole Cooke attacked on the final lap, there was the chance that the Cervelo rider out front may be brought back but Emma was having none of that and continued to press hard on the pedals. The attacking from Cooke, proudly wearing the rainbow stripes, saw the gap come down to 40 seconds which made the leader a little nervous as she more than most is aware of the damage that Nicole Cooke can do to a race.
Nevertheless, Emma continued to power on and despite the wide roads and the wind, increased her lead to well over two minutes by the finish as the riders behind started too fight over second place. Talking to CyclingNews.com, Emma says "I was a bit surprised because I've only done little races since the Giro and I didn't think I was very fit, but sometimes a bit of freshness is good - so I guess I ate enough pasta last night! It was really hard and I honestly didn't think I'd make it to the finish, I thought they'd catch me with about 300 metres to go and be just utterly gutted. I'm quite pleased obviously!"
Podium at Plouay with Marianne Vos in the World Cup leader's jersey, Emma Pooley and Johansson
Read a full report of the race on CyclingNews.com
MORE PHOTOS (Photo: CJ Farquharson / PhotoSport Email: click here )
Katie Colclough (GB) and Lizzie Armitstead racing side-by-side
Team GB including World Champion Nicole Cooke, Hannah Mayho, Katie Colclough, Lucy Martin and Sharon Laws.
Lizzie Armitstead back racing after a heavy fall recently alongside the then World Cup leader Johansson
Nicole Cooke, World and Olympic champion
Emma Pooley on the attack.
Sharon Laws
Vos, Pooley and Johansson
