Anna van der Breggen took her first world title on Saturday, winning the women’s run of the 2018 Road World Championships after a long solo breakaway. The 28-year-old Dutch rider attacked from the field with just over 40K to race on the punishing circuit in Austria. Two-time Olympian Amanda Spratt finished 3 minutes behind to take second, while 2009 world champion Tatiana Guderzo placed third.
Road Worlds featured an unusually difficult course this year. The women raced 156K from Kufstein to Innsbruck with several significant climbs along the way. After the challenging Gnadenwald climb with its 10.5-percent grade, they faced three intense laps around Innsbruck. From the start, it was clear that these finishing circuits, which included the steep Igls climb, would prove decisive.
The race began with a flurry of attacks until two riders established an early breakaway. Poland’s Aurelo Nerlo and Colombian climber Ana Sanabria held a 2-minute advantage as they began the Gnadenwald ascent. With the race firing up behind them, however, they were soon scooped up by the chase.
Gnadenwald whittled down the field noticeably. It also ended Annemiek van Vleuten’s chances of a repeat world title. Van Vleuten, who won both the Giro Rosa and La Course this year, started the day as co-captain of the powerful Dutch team. But a crash ahead of Gnadenwald shifted her role to supporting teammate van der Breggen. X-rays later revealed that van Vleuten finished the race with a knee fracture.
Despite a strong move on Gnadenwald from Lotta Lepistö and Emma Jorgenson, the women entered the finishing circuits in Innsbruck together. On the first trip up the Igls, Lucy Kennedy drove the field in an effort to set up Spratt, a pre-race favorite and fellow Australian. As they ascended the Igls, riders flew out the back and soon the main field shrank to only about 20 competitors.
In a surprise move, American Coryn Rivera attacked over the top of the Igls. Rivera is best known for her rocket-fast sprint, but she’s also a smart, tactical rider. Her move sparked a solid breakaway that included Spratt. Ellen van Dijk marked the move for the Dutch team, while Elena Pirrone did the same for Italy.
Behind the flying breakaway, the Dutch team set out to counter the move made dangerous by Spratt’s presence. Van Vleuten went first and attacked the now-small field. When she was caught, van der Breggen immediately countered and scampered up the road alone.
With just over 40K to race, van der Breggen rode across to Rivera’s group—and just kept going. Spratt knew van der Breggen was riding away with the world title and tried to follow, but couldn’t hold the Dutchwoman’s wheel.
Alone at the front, van der Breggen steadily increased her advantage over a hard-chasing Spratt. Behind them, Guderzo, Amy Pieters, and Karol-Ann Canuel joined the remnants of Rivera’s breakaway. Guderzo didn’t linger and set off alone in pursuit of Spratt and van der Breggen. Inside the final 15K, the three riders rode solo, separated by more than 5 minutes.
At the line, van der Breggen had plenty of time to celebrate the first world title of her decorated career. She came close to winning twice previously, with second-place finishes in 2015 and 2017. She also finished second in the World Championship time trial on three occasions.
Van der Breggen is at her best in the sport’s most difficult races. In 2016, she won Olympic gold on the fiendishly challenging Rio road race course. During this past season, she stormed to victory on the legendary cobbles of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and in Italy’s gravel classic Strade Bianche. She also won the climber’s classics Flèche-Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Riding the final race of her career, American Megan Guarnier finished 16th in Innsbruck. Guarnier won three US national road race titles as well as a coveted Giro Rosa victory. In 2015, she won a bronze medal at Road Worlds, her highest finish at a world championship. Guarnier’s teammate Ruth Winder was the best US finisher at Worlds this year, placing 10th.
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