This standalone race comes two days after the 3-day Tour of Chongming Island stage race, held from Wednesday to Friday. It’s an opportunity for the riders not only to test their legs as the week progresses but also watch their competition closely before the Sunday’s World Cup.
The flat, wide and exposed roads Chongming Island has to offer make for a completely different type of race from what we’ve seen in the World Cup so far this year. It’s a true sprinter’s race and the biggest teams have chosen to bring their favourite sprinters to contest it. The 125km race features the famous 8km Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge to Changxing Island that the riders will have to tackle in both directions. A head wind on that section is likely to break up the bunch. It’s important for the riders to position themselves carefully at the front to make the cut.
This course is indeed a unique opportunity for the sprinters to show their strength as the race typically comes down to a sprint.
Last year, the race was won by powerhouse Kirsten Wild (Hitec Products) in a bunch sprint. This year, the racing is wide open.
The SufferPrize presented by the Sufferfest will certainly be a tough one to call. There is no doubt this race will require the riders to dig deep, but this Sunday, it will be a prize for the one who attacks, brings back breakaways and sacrifices herself for her team.
If there was only one name to speak of, Kirsten Wild (Hitec Products) would be it. She won both the overall Tour of Chongming Island stage race and the World Cup race in 2014, and the stage race again in 2015. Nothing suits Wild better than flat open roads. Her teammates will attempt to close down any attacks to make sure the Dutch rider can contest the all-out sprint finish.
Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda) has unfinished business with this World Cup. Winner of the final stage of the Tour of Chongming Island in 2014, she has never won the World Cup race, although she has been on the podium twice in the past two years (2nd in 2013 and 3rd in 2014). With a Wiggle Honda team stronger than ever, she will be hard to rival as she benefits from her team’s attacking style and lead out train.
French woman Roxane Fournier (Poitou Charentes Futuroscope) is another pure sprinter. She finished second to Kirsten Wild on stage two of the Tour of Chongming Island earlier this week, ahead of Giorgia Bronzini and came out on top to win on stage three on Friday to finish second overall. She came to China with a strong Poitoux Charentes Futuroscope team, including former Track World Champion Pascale Jeuland.
UCI Women Road World Cup rankings