False celebration at the finish line
Curious finish brings tears to cycling classics
April 14, 2024, 4:34 p.m
The Amstel Gold Race is one of the most important races in the cycling world, a win is a great triumph. All the more bitter when you give it away in the last few centimeters. This is what happened to the Dutchwoman Lorena Wiebes.
A motorcycle accident, a forced break and premature celebration at the finish: former world champion Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) won the turbulent Amstel Gold Race for women. The 36-year-old crossed the finish line as winner in the classic race, which was shortened to 101 km, on Sunday. For Vos it was the second triumph in the Amstel Gold Race after 2021.
Her Dutch compatriot Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) had already thrown her arms up in celebration, but was intercepted by Vos before the finish line. “I just wanted to push through and when I jumped to the finish, I knew that I had more speed. Of course I hoped that it would be enough and I’m happy about the victory. But it’s a real shame for Lorena,” winner Vos told Eurosport . “The sprint was very special. I was on the left side of the barrier with Lorena Wiebes and I thought we wouldn’t be able to get past. Then Lorena found a gap, but obviously celebrated too early.”
At the end of March, Wiebes had won the Gent-Wevelgem race and also won the renowned Scheldeprijs last weekend, but now she deprived herself of the triumph. Before the race, the 25-year-old announced that she hoped “to win the Amstel Gold Race at some point. I will need very good legs to have a chance.” The classic will be “an interesting race for me.” Now the experience ended incredibly bitterly; after the decision, Vos was in tears in the finish area.
The race was interrupted for around an hour due to a traffic accident involving a police motorcycle and was ultimately shortened by 56 kilometers. An officer was injured in a collision with a car, the police in the Limburg region said. The best German was Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//SRAM Racing) in 18th place.