After a long, quiet start, the race opened up with about sixty kilometres to go. Many attacks followed, but eventually it came down to a sprint in Leuven. The Italian riders started the sprint after which Vos won her sixth silver medal.
The three-time world champion was disappointed with her second place. โI would have liked to win here. Balsamo rode a very strong race. When she attacked, I couldnโt develop more speed. The last metres were painful, because I felt I couldnโt get past her. I missed the punch. Itโs been a grueling raceโ, Vos said. โItโs a shame I wasnโt able to finish it off. It wouldnโt have been the first time for me, but you donโt get a chance like this every day.โ
Britainโs Anna Henderson showed up at the front frequently. โI didnโt know how my legs would feel. When we turned onto the Flandrien Circuit, I noticed that it was all right. On the Leuven circuit, I rode up front a lot in case the opportunity arose to jump in. I will take this experience with me for the future.โ