After two days of Time-Trial races, time for the Road races in Herning (Denmark) and today the awarding of the three first European titles.
The programme started with the Women’s Juniors race who raced three laps of the circuit. The race was very hard fought with many attacks, the most important approximately 10 kilometres from the finish when the Italian, Elena Pirrone (who won the Time-Trial title on Wednesday), the Russian, Gyunel Mekhtieva and the French rider, Marion Norbert were leading the race. After gaining almost 10 seconds, the peloton caught them up 3 kilometres from the finish. On the long straight, the Dutch rider, Lorena Wibes dominated in a long sprint managing to beat the quick advance of the Dane, Emma Norsgaard, Time-Trial bronze medallist. Third place went to the Italian, Letizia Paternoster who finished second in the Time-Trial.
After her success in the Time-Trial, the Dane, Pernille Mathiesen also won the Road race. With great support from her teammates, especially Cecile Uttrup, Pernile Mathiesen gave an excellent performance with a great strategic move, before riding solo the last 15 kilometres of the race. Behind the Dane, despite the attempts by Italy and the Netherlands to catch up the breakaway rider, the peloton was not able to keep up and the Norwegian, Susanne Andersen won the sprint 6’ behind the champion, in front of the British rider, Alice Barnes who finished third.
A sprint finish in the Juniors race won by the Italian, Michele Gazzoli. For almost seventy kilometres, the French rider, Louvel, the Norwegian, Andersen and the Dane, Johansen provided the race action. After the breakaway rider was caught up due to the move by the Italians, the peloton remained together in the last 27 kilometres, and in the final sprint Gazzoli beat the Norwegian, Soren Waerenskjold and the German, Niklas Markl. For Gazzoli, this is the second European title in ten days, after the one won in the Track Elimination race in Anadia (Portugal).
Tomorrow (Saturday 5 August) the European Championships will continue with the Men’s Under 23s Road races (160 km, start at 9 am) and the Women’s Elite (120 km, start at 2 pm).
European Road Championships Guide #EuroRoad17 – click here
