Spot Interview: World & Olympic Champion Marianne Vos

Marianne Vos is quite simply a legend in Women’s cycling, winning on Track, Road and Cyclo-Cross and at Manchester on Saturday, the crowd showed the love they have for her…

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In London in 2012, Marianne Vos beat the British road queen Lizzie Armitstead to win the Gold medal and then followed that up with the Gold at the Road Worlds. A look at her palmeres and it’s stacked with World and Olympic titles and medals. Not just on the road but off road as well and in Manchester on Saturday night, Marianne was besieged by the fans for autographs and photos.

Marianne is quite the consummate professional, giving the public her time and also the media and VeloUK managed to grab a few minutes with her in between her races. The Dutch eight time World Champion has had so many Silver medals in the Road Worlds, if she didn’t have so many titles to her name, she’d be the equivalent of the eternal second, Raymond Poulidor.

Marianne though is a winner and one of the biggest stars to grace a Revolution event. “I was here for the 2008 Worlds and it’s great to be back in Manchester” Marianne explained to VeloUK. “I didn’t know Revolution was such a big event but to be here in this atmosphere is fantastic. I am glad I came here to do this race. It’s good to see track cycling is so big in Great Britain”.

Marianne though didn’t just jet in and jet out. The Olympic and World Road Champion came here and put in the hard yards on the boards behind the derny to make sure she would not let her fans down. In a classy field packed with top class riders, Marianne won the opening event, the Devil Take the Hindmost against her closest rival, Lizzie Armitstead. Marianne followed that up with second behind lone attacker Katie Colclough in the Women’s Scratch race.

Marianne, with two Dutch teammates, then did her best to beat the GB trio in the Team Pursuit but they were unable to stop the Brits from taking that and then Vos was fourth in the Points behind Dutch teammate Ellen Van Dyck. That’s a pretty good showing but that was down to her professionalism just as much as her undoubted talent.

2006 and World Road Race Champion. Marianne also won in 2012 and will do her best to repeat that in 2013.

“I have worked hard this week for tonight because I didn’t want to blow up! When it’s sold out and people are coming to watch you, then I wanted to be good enough to race for the win. I am well prepared even though I didn’t do that much track the last two years. It has only been the Worlds since my last race in 2011. So I wanted to do some preparation for this and it’s been really good.”

Marianne now heads to South Africa. “I go there to do some base training to build up for the cyclo-cross and road seasons” she explained. “It will be my first block of training after my rest period. When I come back from South Africa, it will be the third week of December so I will do the World Cup (Cyclo-Cross) on the 23rd and then I will continue keeping the rhythm of cyclo-cross until the Worlds and then the end of the season”

Flashback! Vos and Armitstead out front in the Olympic road race in London.

Asked what her goals will be in 2013, Marianne says “I am preparing for the whole season (road) and want to be good in every race I do and want to enjoy every race I start in.”

“I am also going to do some mountain biking and am going to see what I can do there but only small races. The big goal will be the spring classics, Flanders and Fleche Wallonne and then the big goal is the Worlds. I wear those stripes with pride and will do my best to defend them in Florence.”

Thanks to Marianne for her time. Quite some athlete!

Gold and Silver in London 2012 Olympics, Marianne Vos and Lizzie Armitstead.

Autograph after autograph as well as photos and media interviews. Marianne was certainly a lady in demand.

Flowers for the Dutch legend ….

Team Pursuit and Marianne does her best to beat the Brits …

 

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