130km to go. We already have a bit of a split in the peloton on Norwood Edge as the Dutch pace us up the hill. It is only a two kilometre climb but it is enough to do some damage and we have already whittled down the front group to around 40 riders.
135km to go. We have had about 14 kilometres since the flag dropped in Bradford and we will soon be heading up the course’s two climbs, Norwood Edge and the Lofthouse. They are unlikely to be decisive, with the real action to unfold on circuits around Harrogate. Deignan is well set but there was a brief scare for teammate Lizzy Banks, with a little technical issue, but she got back on.
Preamble
The Cycling World Championships may be in Yorkshire but all roads for the women’s title go through the Netherlands. Bad news for home fans and Lizzie Deignan with her hopes of regaining the crown she won in 2015 appearing slim. Not only is Deignan battling one of the deepest Dutch squads ever assembled but also a host of former Boels-Dolmans teammates.
A collective palmarès that includes five road and two time trial world titles, two road Olympic golds, 40 stage and four overall wins at the Giro Rosa as well as a long list of victories in the cycling calendar’s one-day classics means it would be a shock to see no shades of orange stood on top of the podium come the end of the race.
Defending champion Anna van der Breggen is backed up by Marianne Vos, with Annemiek van Vleuten, the 2017 world road champion Chantal Blaak and Amy Pieters also on the roster the best chance for any challenger might be for the Dutch to beat themselves.
Deignan returned to the road in April after after giving birth to her daughter Orla last year and knows she only has an outside chance on her home turf. A win at the Women’s Tour in June is her best result since coming back but if she were to take advantage of home comforts again that would represent another level entirely. “To win here would be elation rather than relief,” she told the BBC ahead of the race, referencing her favourite status in 2015. Perhaps reduced pressure could be just the ticket.
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