Lorena Webbs is the new European road cycling champion. The 23-year-old Dutchman was too fast for Italian Elisa Balsamo in the sprint in Munich. This became clear after looking at the pictures. At the right distance, Belmo’s compatriot Rachel Barbieri won the bronze medal after her 128km run.
A few kilometers from the end, a leading group of three horsemen was overtaken by a peloton, after which the two countries prepared for the enemy. Italy advanced long and put off Balsamo well, but it was Wiebes who took the lead just before the finish after preparatory work by Charlotte Cole.
Balsamo got very close in the final metres, but despite the last jump, the world champion couldn’t get behind the wheel of Wiebes.
Wiebes herself didn’t immediately know she had won when she crossed the finish line. She described her victory as “very beautiful”. “Especially when you see how hard everyone worked. Everyone stuck to the plan. We were strong today, but we were in a long race,” the NOS runner said.
At the World Cup in Australia next month, the Dutchman will be hoping for a “happy end to the season”, and Yepes is the most successful Peloton cyclist this season. She recently won twice in the Women’s Tour de France, including the opening stage in Paris. Wiebes then wore the yellow jersey for one day. She will transition from Team DSM to SD Worx after this season.
Earlier in the European Championships, Dutch sprinter Fabio Jacobsen took the title. (ANP)
A version of this article also appeared in the August 22, 2022 newspaper
