Worlds: Dideriksen claims rainbow jersey for Denmark

Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen played the finishing sprint in the women’s world championship road race to perfection Saturday in Doha, Qatar. The 20-year-old rode the wheel of Kirsten Wild, among the top race favorites, until just the right moment before dashing past the Dutchwoman inside the final hundred meters on the finishing straight to claim the rainbow jersey.

Wild settled for runner-up honors in a photo finish, with Finland’s Lotta Lepistö just behind for third place.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Dideriksen, the junior world champion in 2013 and 2014. “I hoped for a top 10 when I came. I am only 20, and it was a goal in the future to win the world title, so to take this now, it is unbelievable.”

Top 10

• 1. Amalie DIDERIKSEN, (DEN), in 3:10:27
• 2. Kirsten WILD, (NED), at :00
• 3. Lotta LEPISTÖ, (FIN), at :00
• 4. Elizabeth DEIGNAN, (GBR), at :00
• 5. Marta BASTIANELLI, (ITA), at :00
• 6. Roxane FOURNIER, (FRA), at :00
• 7. Chloe HOSKING, (AUS), at :00
• 8. Sheyla GUTIERREZ RUIZ, (ESP), at :00
• 9. Joelle NUMAINVILLE, (CAN), at :00
• 10. Jolien D’HOORE, (BEL), at :00

A sprint seemed practically inevitable on the flat parcours in the 134.5-kilometer race. Japan’s Eri Yonamine was the first escapee up the road, getting clear in the early goings. She was joined before long by Nicole Hanselmann of Switzerland, but the duo was brought back with around 70km left to race.

Amber Neben of the United States attacked with a little over 40km to go, giving her a chance to double up on world titles in Doha after winning the time trial Tuesday, but she was reeled in around 15km from the finish. Inside the final 10km, Sweden’s Emma Johansson dug deep with defending champion Elizabeth Deignan (formerly Armitstead) of Great Britain on her wheel attempting to force a bit of separation, but they too were quickly marshaled by a well-organized peloton, with the Dutch team leading the way at the front of the pack.

The orange squad drove the pace into the final kilometer, with Wild seemingly in perfect position for the sprint, but her final lead out rider peeled off 200 meters from the line, leaving the 34-year-old in the wind perhaps a few moments too early. Wild led the sprinters into the last 50 meters, but Dideriksen — overcoming a prior crash — surged past just in time to take the victory.

“The heat? I felt good the entire race,” Diderisken said. “I had some amazing teammates, we only had three today. They kept bringing me bottles, and when I crashed, they brought me back, so I have to say thank you to the two girls.”

“Of course, I hoped to win the gold medal, Wild said. “I am a bit disappointed. I think we did a strong, good race today as a team, and I cannot blame anyone but myself. I looked behind in the last corner, and I saw Amelie on my wheel, so I knew it would be hard to beat her.

“Maybe I went a bit too early, but she was very strong, and she passed me in the last meters. For us, this course is like Holland, except the fields are yellow, instead of green, and the cows are camels. Now it feels like I [lost] gold.”

Results

• 1. Amalie DIDERIKSEN, (DEN), in 3:10:27
• 2. Kirsten WILD, (NED), at :00
• 3. Lotta LEPISTÖ, (FIN), at :00
• 4. Elizabeth DEIGNAN, (GBR), at :00
• 5. Marta BASTIANELLI, (ITA), at :00
• 6. Roxane FOURNIER, (FRA), at :00
• 7. Chloe HOSKING, (AUS), at :00
• 8. Sheyla GUTIERREZ RUIZ, (ESP), at :00
• 9. Joelle NUMAINVILLE, (CAN), at :00
• 10. Jolien D’HOORE, (BEL), at :00
• 11. Emilie MOBERG, (NOR), at :00
• 12. Lisa BRENNAUER, (GER), at :00
• 13. Katarzyna PAWLOWSKA, (POL), at :00
• 14. Leah KIRCHMANN, (CAN), at :00
• 15. Christine MAJERUS, (LUX), at :00
• 16. Coryn RIVERA, (USA), at :00
• 17. Sara MUSTONEN, (SWE), at :00
• 18. Mia RADOTIC, (CRO), at :00
• 19. Rasa LELEIVYTE, (LTU), at :00
• 20. Barbara GUARISCHI, (ITA), at :04
• 21. Miho YOSHIKAWA, (JPN), at :04
• 22. Marianne VOS, (NED), at :04
• 23. Alison JACKSON, (CAN), at :04
• 24. Jelena ERIC, (SRB), at :04
• 25. Barbora PRUDKOVA, (CZE), at :04
• 26. Ashleigh MOOLMAN-PASIO, (RSA), at :04
• 27. Megan GUARNIER, (USA), at :04
• 28. Christina PERCHTOLD, (AUT), at :04
• 29. Carmen SMALL, (USA), at :04
• 30. Alexis RYAN, (USA), at :04
• 31. Eugenia BUJAK, (POL), at :04
• 32. Amy PIETERS, (NED), at :04
• 33. Polona BATAGELJ, (SLO), at :04
• 34. Alena AMIALIUSIK, (BLR), at :04
• 35. Katarzyna NIEWIADOMA, (POL), at :04
• 36. Maria Giulia CONFALONIERI, (ITA), at :04
• 37. Aude BIANNIC, (FRA), at :12
• 38. Nicolle BRUDERER, (GUA), at :12
• 39. Katrine AALERUD, (NOR), at :12
• 40. Olena PAVLUKHINA, (AZE), at :12
• 41. Samantha SANDERS, (RSA), at :12
• 42. Diana PEÑUELA, (COL), at :12
• 43. Ganna SOLOVEI, (UKR), at :12
• 44. Yusseli MENDIVIL, (MEX), at :12
• 45. Ursa PINTAR, (SLO), at :12
• 46. Alice BARNES, (GBR), at :12
• 47. Julie LETH, (DEN), at :12
• 48. Tiffany CROMWELL, (AUS), at :12
• 49. Emma JOHANSSON, (SWE), at :12
• 50. Chantal BLAAK, (NED), at :12
• 51. Katrin GARFOOT, (AUS), at :12
• 52. Stephanie POHL, (GER), at :12
• 53. Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN, (NED), at :12
• 54. Natalya SAIFUTDINOVA, (KAZ), at :12
• 55. Sara PENTON, (SWE), at :18
• 56. Dani KING, (GBR), at :18
• 57. Eileen ROE, (GBR), at :18
• 58. Heidi DALTON, (RSA), at :18
• 59. Cecilie Gotaas JOHNSEN, (NOR), at :18
• 60. Ting Ying HUANG, (TPE), at :18
• 61. Emilia FAHLIN, (SWE), at :18
• 62. Cecilie UTTRUP LUDWIG, (DEN), at :18
• 63. Sarah RIJKES, (AUT), at :18
• 64. Yumi KAJIHARA, (JPN), at :18
• 65. Alicia GONZALEZ BLANCO, (ESP), at :18
• 66. Kaat VAN DER MEULEN, (BEL), at :18
• 67. Chantal HOFFMANN, (LUX), at :18
• 68. Valerie DEMEY, (BEL), at :18
• 69. Lauren KITCHEN, (AUS), at :22
• 70. Romy KASPER, (GER), at :22
• 71. Karol-Ann CANUEL, (CAN), at :22
• 72. Mieke KROEGER, (GER), at :22
• 73. Trixi WORRACK, (GER), at :27
• 74. Tatiana GUDERZO, (ITA), at :27
• 75. Lotte KOPECKY, (BEL), at :30
• 76. Hannah BARNES, (GBR), at :39
• 77. Olga SHEKEL, (UKR), at :39
• 78. Rosa TÖRMÄNEN, (FIN), at :39
• 79. Abby-Mae PARKINSON, (GBR), at :39
• 80. Lisa KLEIN, (GER), at :39
• 81. Elise MAES, (LUX), at :39
• 82. Annasley PARK, (GBR), at :39
• 83. Lauren STEPHENS, (USA), at :39
• 84. Anna PLICHTA, (POL), at :39
• 85. Ellen VAN DIJK, (NED), at :39
• 86. Eri YONAMINE, (JPN), at :39
• 87. Anna VAN DER BREGGEN, (NED), at 1:00
• 88. Audrey CORDON, (FRA), at 1:00
• 89. Elisa LONGO BORGHINI, (ITA), at 1:00
• 90. Elena CECCHINI, (ITA), at 1:00
• 91. Sara BERGEN, (CAN), at 1:00
• 92. Gracie ELVIN, (AUS), at 1:00
• 93. Roxane KNETEMANN, (NED), at 1:43
• 94. Sofie DE VUYST, (BEL), at 1:43
• 95. Anisha VEKEMANS, (BEL), at 2:30
• 96. Wehazit KIDANE, (ERI), at 3:42
• 97. Zhao Juan MENG, (HKG), at 3:42
• 98. Amber NEBEN, (USA), at 6:46
• 99. Sarah ROY, (AUS), at 6:46
• 100. Eugénie DUVAL, (FRA), at 6:46
• 101. Nicole HANSELMANN, (SUI), at 10:31
• 102. Alba TERUEL RIBES, (ESP), at 10:31
• 103. Paz BASH, (ISR), at 11:48
• DNF Annie FOREMAN-MACKEY, (CAN)
• DNF Loren ROWNEY, (AUS)
• DNF Rotem GAFINOVITZ, (ISR)
• DNF Alexandra NESSMAR, (SWE)
• DNF Varvara FASOI, (GRE)
• DNF Allie DRAGOO, (USA)
• DNF Marta LACH, (POL)
• DNF Laura VAINIONPÄÄ, (FIN)
• DNF Alexandra CHEKINA, (RUS)
• DNF Hong GUO, (CHN)
• DNF Jaruwan SOMRAT, (THA)
• DNF Anriette SCHOEMAN, (RSA)
• DNF Thi That NGUYEN, (VIE)
• DNF Coralie DEMAY, (FRA)
• DNF Laura MASSEY, (GBR)
• DNF Valeriya KONONENKO, (UKR)
• DNF Nikola NOSKOVA, (CZE)
• DNF Anastasiia IAKOVENKO, (RUS)
• DNF Svetlana VASILIEVA, (RUS)
• DNF Pascale JEULAND, (FRA)
• DNF Margarita SYRODOEVA, (RUS)
• DNF Antonia GRONDAHL, (FIN)
• DNF Makhabbat UMUTZHANOVA, (KAZ)
• DNF Wogahta GEBREHIWET, (ERI)
• DNF Ebtissam Zayed AHMED MOHAMED, (EGY)
• DNF Mossana DEBESAI, (ERI)
• DNF Sofia ARREOLA, (MEX)
• DNF Silvija LATOZAITE, (LTU)
• DNF Kelly Kalm, (EST)
• DNF Alicja RATAJCZAK, (POL)
• DNF Eden BEKELE, (ETH)
• DNF Carla OBERHOLZER, (RSA)
• DNF Tsega Beyene, (ETH)
• DNF Najla Aljuraiwi, (KUW)
• DNF Zanele TSHOKO, (RSA)
• DNF Jiajun SUN, (CHN)
• DNF Noura ALAMEERI, (KUW)
• DNF Nada ALJURAIWI, (KUW)
• DNF Olga ZABELINSKAYA, (RUS)
• DNS Giorgia BRONZINI, (ITA)
• DNS Qianyu YANG, (HKG)
• DNS Beatha INGABIRE, (RWA)
• DNS Eyeru TESFOAM, (ETH)