Michael Byrne 3rd in Vorden World on Wheels with Sjoerd Huisman taking the win. CadoMotus Ladies with 1,2,4

With the weather unsure of being wet or dry, it turned out to be a hot, sunny and beautiful afternoon. The course was on a smooth, fast 1300mt track with 4 nice left hand turns, one long slight windy uphill and a slight downhill for the finish. This was not the case last year, where it rained and was very slippery.

Top L: Hilde Goovaerts leads the group. R: Angeline Thomas leads from Bianca Roosenboom

Bottom L: Angeline Thomas sprints for a prem with Bianca and Erna Kijk trailing. R: Anniek Ter Haar and Britta Vantournhout (Time Out), lead the last two laps with CadoMotus behind. (Photos courtest of MarathonIllustrator)

(+) click on images to enlarge

The ladies field was again quite strong today with most of the Dutch selection finishing their National Championships last week, most still on a high peak. During the race Bianca Roosenboom’s (NED) job was to collect all the prem sprints, while Hilde Goovaerts (BEL), Jannitta Spigt (NED) and Angeline Thomas (AUS) made sure to counter any attacks that went off after a sprint. Mariska Huisman (NED) tried a few times to break away, but this saw difficult going alone on a fast course.

L: Angeline and Bianca sprint for prems. R: Jannitta Spigt and Angeline Thomas break away with Nachi Shinozuka trailing.

After one of the prem sprints, Angeline Thomas and Jannitta Spigt attacked from the back with Japan’s Nachi Shinozuka quickly jumping on the wheel. They had a 200mt lead on the pack for about 3 laps, with the work being shared between all three skaters. Unfortunately, due to the fast course, they could not hold the gap and got caught with 2 min and 3 laps to go.

In the last 2 laps, there was much fighting, with all the teams trying to get into a good position for the final sprint. Hilde Goovaerts made sure to keep moving up until she was right on the wheel of Time Outs Britta Vantournhout (BEL) and leading her out Anniek Ter Haar (NED). On the last lap and 700mt from the finish, Hilde Goovaerts jumped around Team Time Out to start the lead out with Angeline Thomas on her wheel. With Jannitta Spigt not being able to respond quick enough to follow Angeline, there opened a gap where Britta Vantournhout could quickly jump on.

End sprint, Bianca Roosenboom takes the Victory with Angeline Thomas 2nd and Nachi Shinozuka 3rd.

Coming towards the last corner, Britta Vantournhout was right on CadoMotus so from 5th place, Bianca Roosenboom stepped out and began sprinting but with no one on her wheel. Angeline Thomas then waited for her to pass then jumped to her wheel, leaving a gap on the downhill so no one could catch. With another great result Bianca Roosenboom took the win with Angeline Thomas 2nd and Nachi Shinozuka in 3rd place. A great finish by 17yr old Margo Van der Merwe in 4th and the best finish she has had this season and in a World on Wheels race.

Bianca crossing the line for the win.

Vorden World on Wheels Ladies Results

1. Bianca Roosenboom (NED) CadoMotus World
2. Angeline Thomas (AUS) CadoMotus World
3. Nachi Shinozuka (JPN) Timmerman Powerslide
4. Margo Van de Merwe (NED) CadoMotus National
5. Mariska Huisman (NED) Zuidema

7. Jannitta Spigt (NED)
9. Hilde Goovaerts (BEL)

For full Ladies results click HERE

Angeline 2nd, Bianca Roosenboom 1st, Nachi Shinozuka 3rd.

The mens event was fast-paced from the opening, with a full lineup of teams present and all skaters keen to push the pace in dry conditions on the fast Vorden course. Breakaways were the order of the day, despite rarely lasting long as the fast-moving group bore down on each and every one. The Powerplay.nl team of Geert Plender, Sander de Graaf, Stephan Wielinga, Swiss Alain Gloor and returning from injury, Jan van Loon, launched attacks throughout the first 35 minutes of the 45-min +5 lap event - often countering off their own attacks and succeeding in putting single skaters clear of the field a number of times. Habovo were active in initiating attacks also, as were the Nefit team - keen to score a podium place for Arjan Mombarg (NED) who was in front of a home crowd at the event he helps organize and promote each year.

L: The start group of the A mens. R: Michael Byrne giving chase to a break away.

A sneak off the front by Arjan Smit together with Geert Plender and Jan van Loon in the closing laps was close to being successful, however they were swallowed by the bunch in the last lap with around 40 skaters still intact in the lead group to contest the jostling and wrestling match that precedes the final sprint. While Timmerman/PS managed to put 4 skaters together near the front with just 500m remaining, it was Sjoerd Huisman who had been allowed to skate an economical race who took the lead, followed by Ingmar Berga and Michael Byrne (AUS) into the final turn. Despite a corner-exit run up the inside by Byrne, the order at the turn would not change at the line - with Huisman taking the win with another strong sprint finish, followed by Berga in 2nd, and Byrne 3rd for his first podium appearance of the season.

Field sprint from left: Ingmar Burger, Sjoerd Huisman, Koen Verweij, Michael Byrne, Karlo Timmerman with Christijn Groeneveld behind in green suit, then far front right is Stijn Van Hoeve.

Vorden World on Wheels Mens Results

1. Sjoerd Huisman (NED) Nefit
2. Ingmar Burger (NED) DSB
3. Michael Byrne (AUS) Stouwdam/Unive - CadoMotus
4. Stijn van Hoeve (BEL) Habovo
5. Karlo Timmerman (NED) Timmerman/PS

Sjoerd Huisman wins from Ingmar Burger 2nd, Michael Byrne 3rd and Stijn Van Hoeve 4th.

6. Koen Verweij (NED) Stouwdam/Unive - CadoMotus
7. Christijn Groeneveld (NED) Hyper - CadoMotus
10. Josh Lose (AUS) Hyper - CadoMotus

For full Mens results click HERE

Ingmar Burger 2nd, Sjoerd Huisman 1st, Michael Byrne 3rd.

The double-feature 'weekend' continues in the Netherlands on Monday night with another World on Wheels Criterium in t'Veld - the scene of last year's Netherlands Marathon Championship.