Van Vleuten wins gold in women’s elite race at Road Worlds

HARROGATE, England (AP) — Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten rode alone for more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) to win the women’s elite race at the Road World Championships on Saturday.

Van Vleuten attacked on a climb around a third of the way through the 149-kilometer route in Yorkshire and kept the chasing pack comfortably at bay to claim her first world road race title, having been world time trial champion in 2017 and 2018

Compatriot Anna van der Breggen pulled clear late in the race to win silver, while Australia’s Amanda Spratt took bronze.

There was no fairytale for Britain’s Lizzie Deignan, who led the peloton through her northern England home town of Otley in Yorkshire early in the day but paid the price for her hard work leading the chase and finished in 31st.