Marianne Vos (; born 13 May 1987) is a Dutch multi-discipline cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Visma–Lease a Bike.[7][8]
After winning a junior European and World Championship in road racing, she continued her success in senior cycling by becoming World Champion in cyclo-cross and road racing at the age of 19. Vos added track racing World Championships when she won the points race in 2008 and the scratch race in 2011. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in the points race; at the 2012 Summer Olympics, gold in the women's road race. She is a 3 times World Road Race Champion – in 2006, 2012 and 2013 – and 8 times World Cyclo-cross Champion – in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2022.
She has multiple wins at the Giro Donne, Holland Ladies Tour, Ladies Tour of Norway, La Flèche Wallonne, Ronde van Drenthe, Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio, Emakumeen Euskal Bira and GP de Plouay – Bretagne; also she ranked first in points in the UCI Women's Road World Cup five times and in the 2019 UCI Women's World Tour. She has 24 races at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, and claimed the first place overall in the 2018–19 season.
Vos was a founding member of Le Tour Entier, which campaigned for a Women's Tour de France and improvements to women's cycling generally. Vos has drawn comparison to Eddy Merckx as being "the finest cyclist of [her] generation".[9]
Early years
editMarianne Vos was born in 's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant and lives in the small village of Babyloniënbroek. She started her career when she was six years old after watching her older brother who was already a cyclist.[10] At first she trained with her brother's team as she was not allowed to participate in races; during the winter she started training in cyclo-cross as well. When she was eight, she was able to ride races.[10] Vos also participated in speed skating and inline speed skating. At 14 she replaced inline skating with mountain biking.
Professional career
edit2000s
editIn 2002, she won two national championships and finished second in another. She became Dutch mountain biking champion and won the national junior road race,[11][12] while she finished second in the Dutch time trial championship behind Roxane Knetemann.[13] In 2003 Vos successfully defended her national junior mountain bike title.[11] At the time trial championships she again finished second, this time behind Maxime Groenewegen while 2002 champion Roxane Knetemann finished fourth.[14]
In 2004, Vos excelled in cyclo-cross for the first time when she won her first international race in Gieten, beating Birgit Hollmann and Arenda Grimberg.[15] She finished third in the Dutch junior road race and time trial, unable to beat Ellen van Dijk who won both events.[16][17] Continuing her cyclo-cross season she added wins in Surhuisterveen and Pijnacker–Nootdorp. In the last she beat Hanka Kupfernagel and Daphny van den Brand.[18][19] For the third straight time she became Dutch junior champion in mountain biking before heading to Verona for the junior road world championship.[11] Aged 17 and a first-year junior, Vos broke away in the final of five laps on the climb. She stayed clear and became world champion.[20] At the end of 2004 Vos was elected Sport FM Sportswoman of the year 2004.[21]
In 2005, junior world champion Vos claimed her first Dutch junior national road title in front of 2004 champion Ellen van Dijk.[22] Van Dijk was able to defend her time trial title successfully before Maxime Groenewegen, while Vos finished third again.[23] Participating as a senior at the Dutch cyclo-cross championship Vos finished second behind Daphny van den Brand.[24] She then won her fourth Dutch junior mountain bike title, before winning a junior World Cup meeting in Houffalize.[11] She finished fourth at the world junior cyclo-cross championship and won a race held in Heeswijk a week later.[11] From then on Vos occasionally took part in senior road races. One was the Omloop van Borsele which she won by beating Adrie Visser.[25] Including Vos's world championship in 2004 the Netherlands had won the last three editions of the junior championship (the others being Loes Markerink in 2002 and Suzanne de Goede in 2003).[20] Vos's goal was to add a fourth title by defending her title in Salzburg, but she finished second behind Denmark's Mie Bekker Lacota.[26] Vos competed in cyclo-cross again. Six weeks after her silver medal in Salzburg she won in Harderwijk and Suameer.[27][28] Her next aim was the European cyclo-cross championship in Pontchâteau, France. She started in the elite field and was expected to assist Daphny van den Brand but instead beat the favourites, including van den Brand who won silver.[29] After the European championship she won two cyclo-crosses in Gieten and Loenhout.[30][31] Vos was named Sport FM Sportswoman of the year 2005.[21]
In 2006, Vos won her first race on 1 January in Pétange.[32] Less than a week later, the Dutch championship in Huijbergen was again a clash between Vos and van den Brand, this time van den Brand became champion while Vos took silver.[33] Vos then concentrated on the world cyclo-cross championship in her own country, in Zeddam. On 29 January 2006 she was in excellent form, with only Hanka Kupfernagel and Daphny van den Brand able to catch her. Van den Brand changed bikes and lost her lead, finishing one minute behind to take bronze. The gold medal was decided in the last metres when Vos outsprinted Kupfernagel.[34] During the 2006 road season Vos took part in the Gracia–Orlová Tour in the Czech Republic and won the 5th stage, 2:20 ahead of the pack.[35] In that same week she won the Omloop van Borsele for the second time in a row, beating Vera Koedooder and Bertine Spijkerman.[36] In Spain she took part in the Emakumeen Bira and won the 1st stage.[37] She then travelled back to the Netherlands for the national road championship in Maastricht. Vos cycled in a group containing all the favourites for the race and outsprinted Sharon van Essen and Suzanne de Goede to win the title.[38] On 28 June 2006 Vos was named Dutch Sports Talent of the year 2006 ahead of pentathlete Laurien Hoos and gymnast Epke Zonderland. The additional award was handed to her by former swimming star Erica Terpstra.[39]
A few weeks later she was strongest in the Omloop van Valkenburg where she again finished in front of de Goede.[40] Vos was still in the junior age category and took part in the European road race championship in Valkenburg. She won the sprint against Italy's Tatiana Guderzo.[41] She went on to win two stages and overall in the Tour Féminin en Limousin.[42] In July, she won criteriums in Steenwijk, Draai van de Kaai, Oostvoorne and Pijnackerow.[43] In August 2006, she signed a five-year deal with the Dutch team DSB–Ballast Nedam.[44] It wasn't long before she won her first race with DSB. At the end of the 4th stage of the Trophée d'Or Féminin Vos beat Tanja Schmidt-Hennes.[45]
With the silver medal won in 2005 in mind, Vos returned to Salzburg for the senior road race at the world road race championship. Vos remained in the bunch until Nicole Cooke started the action in the fifth of six laps. Cooke attacked on the second climb and only Nicole Brändli and Vos were able to catch her. A few others came back a few kilometres later. Judith Arndt left the group by herself. Vos made the jump to Arndt and they led for a few minutes until the chasers came back. From then, the group stayed together apart from attacks on either the flat road or the second climb. The race went to a sprint of 15 riders, with Vos taking another rainbow jersey.[46] In the European cyclo-cross championship Vos won a bronze medal behind Daphny van den Brand and Hanka Kupfernagel.[47]
In 2007, Vos won La Flèche Wallonne Féminine and the Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt World Cup events before going on to win the series overall. She also finished second in the road race world championships, conceding her title to Marta Bastianelli of Italy who broke away in the last 15 km of the race.[48]
In 2008, Vos added a track cycling world title to her list when she won the women's points race at the track cycling world championships. In doing so, she became the first woman to have held world championship titles on the road, track and cyclo-cross. Vos became Olympic points race champion at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[48]
In 2009, Vos started by winning the cyclo-cross world championships. She also had success on the road, as she won La Flèche Wallonne Féminine for the third time. Later that year, she finished second in the road world championships.[48]
2010s
editIn 2010, Vos became cyclo-cross world champion again and won the silver medal in the road world championships for the fourth time in a row.[48]
In 2011, Vos won the Giro d'Italia Femminile, winning 5 stages in the process as well as the points and mountains classifications.[48] Later that year, she captured her fifth consecutive silver medal at the road world championships. She won the scratch race in the track world championships, and the world cyclo-cross championship. Vos was appointed as a member of the inaugural UCI Athletes' Commission in 2011.[49]
In 2012, Vos won the world cyclo-cross championship again. On the road, she recorded wins at the Ronde van Drenthe and the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, but fractured her collarbone after colliding with a motorcycle during the Valkenburg Hills Classic on 25 May. Although she was still able to finish the race in second place and did not require surgery,[50] she did not resume racing until the Dutch national championships on 23 June in which she finished second, 3 seconds behind Annemiek van Vleuten.[51] She then raced in the Giro Donne, where for the second year running she won five stages and the general classification. On 29 July she won gold in the London Olympic Games road race winning the sprint from a 3-woman breakaway which formed following the final lap of the Box Hill, Surrey circuit on the return to London.[52] She finished 16th in the time trial. In September, Vos won her second road race world title in Valkenburg, Netherlands after five second places in a row (2007–2011).
In 2013, Vos started off her year with yet another dominant performance at the 2013 cyclo-cross world championships,[53] winning her fifth world championship in a row, and her sixth overall. Vos took little time off after her unprecedented fifth consecutive title, winning mountain bike races and then taking her first win at the Tour of Flanders by outsprinting Ellen van Dijk.[54] On 28 September Vos won another world road race championship after riding away from her challengers on a steep climb in the final lap of the course in Florence, Italy. She finished 15 seconds ahead of the second and third placed riders.
In 2014, Vos started the year with a record seventh world championship in cyclo-cross. Six of those titles were consecutive. Later in the year, she won the Giro d'Italia Femminile[55] and the first edition of La Course.[56][57] La Course took place on the last day of the Tour de France for men. The women's race was launched after a successful petition by Le Tour Entier, a group led by Marianne Vos, Emma Pooley, Kathryn Bertine and Chrissie Wellington.[58] She also won the first edition of The Women's Tour.[48]
In 2015, Vos started the year with a 3rd place in the cyclo-cross world championships. She then switched to mountain biking, with an eye on participating in that discipline in the Rio Olympics. She won her first race, but broke a rib preparing for a race in Austria.[59] The rest of her 2015 season was plagued by a persisting hamstring injury.[60] She later announced she was overtrained and would not participate in the 2015–2016 cyclo-cross season.[61]
In 2016, Vos recovered and won her first World Tour race in stage 3 of the Tour of California. She was one of four women selected for the Dutch national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics that same month. She finished in 9th place in the Olympic road race, which was won by her teammate Anna van der Breggen.[48]
In 2017, Vos won a silver medal at the cyclo-cross world championships. She also won the road race at the European championships in Herning, Denmark and the general classification in the Ladies Tour of Norway stage race.[48]
In 2018, Vos won a silver medal at the 2018 European championships in Glasgow. She also won two Women's World Tour events: the Open de Suède Vårgårda and the Ladies Tour of Norway for the second year running. Vos won all three stages, the general and the points classification of that race.[48]
In 2019, Vos started the year with a bronze medal at the cyclo-cross world championships in Bogense. In March, she won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda for the fourth time. She was now tied with Maria Canins for most wins in this race. In May she won the Tour de Yorkshire and in July she won La Course for the second time.[62] At the end of the year, Vos was the individual champion of the UCI Women's World Tour.
2020s
editIn 2020, Vos won the points classification at the Giro Rosa, as well as 3 stage wins.[48]
In 2021, Vos joined Team Jumbo-Visma. In the spring classics, Vos won Gent–Wevelgem and Amstel Gold Race. Later that year, she finished second at the Road World Championships road race in Flanders.[48]
In 2022, Vos started the year with an eighth cyclo-cross world championship title in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at the end of a fierce head-to-head battle with defending champ Lucinda Brand (Netherlands).[63] Vos participated in first edition of Tour de France Femmes. She won stage 2 to Provins, defeating Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Elisa Longo Borghini and Silvia Persico in the sprint.[64] This gave her the overall lead and made her holder of the yellow jersey. She also took the early lead in the points classification. She then won Stage 6 from Saint-Dié-des-Vosges to Rosheim, gaining a comfortable lead in the points classification and making Tour de France history by being the first woman to win a stage while wearing the yellow jersey.[65] As a result, she extended her lead to +0:30 over both Niewiadoma and Persico. She fell out of contention for the yellow jersey after stage 7, but still maintained the lead in the points classification. Even though she had led this classification for several stages, she would wear the green jersey for the first time on the final day of the race. Ultimately, Vos finished 26th in the general classification, 36 mins and 56 secs behind winner Annemiek van Vleuten.[66]
In 2023, Vos won the points classification at La Vuelta Femenina, as well as two stages. Vos abandoned the 2023 Tour de France Femmes after six stages in anticipation of the world road race championship – however she finished 47th, nearly 15 minutes behind the winner.[48]
In 2024, Vos won the Amstel Gold Race for the second time. At La Vuelta Femenina, Vos won the points classification for the second year in succession, as well as winning two stages. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games women's road race, Vos won a silver medal by beating Lotte Kopecky in a sprint for second place. At the Tour de France Femmes, Vos won the points classification for the second time.[48]
Outside sports
editPersonal life
editAt the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes, following her first stage win, Vos revealed she has been in a relationship with fellow Dutch cyclist Moniek Tenniglo.[67] They have been living together since 2017, and currently reside in Borne, Twente.[68]
Charity
editVos is an ambassador for the Dutch charity Jeugdsportfonds which financially supports children of poor families who want to join a sports club.[69] She is also an ambassador for Youth United for Sri Lanka (YU4SL), set up by young people to help underprivileged people in Sri Lanka. Speed skater Ireen Wüst and other Dutch celebrities joined Vos as ambassadors.[70]
Career achievements
editAwards
edit- Cyclingnews.com – Best female rider: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014[71]
- VeloNews.com – Women's Stage racer of the year: 2014[72]
- VeloNews.com – International Woman of the year: 2013[73]
- Dutch Sportswoman of the year: 2008, 2009, 2013[74]
- Dutch Female cyclist of the year: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013[75]
- Cycle Sport Magazine – "Best Cyclist in the World": 2013[76]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Cary, Tom (5 May 2014). "All-conquering 'Cannibal' Marianne Vos is still hungry for success". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ^ "Marianne Vos extends contract through 2025, says her "own development is still ongoing"". Cycling Weekly. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "OHN women report: You can't stop Marianne Vos". Escape Collective. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Athlete Biography – VOS Marianne". Beijing Olympics official website. Archived from the original on 1 September 2008.
- ^ "CCC-Liv Team Unveils Competition Kit". Liv Cycling UK. Giant UK Ltd. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ "Bertizzolo lands at CCC-Liv after Movistar contract problems". Cyclingnews.com. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "Jumbo-Visma Women Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "Marianne Vos to spearhead Jumbo-Visma women's team in 2021". Cyclingnews.com. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ Fotheringham, William (29 July 2012). "London 2012: Lizzie Armitstead strikes Olympic silver on a soggy Mall". The Guardian.
- ^ a b Persoonlijke gegevens Marianne Vos Archived 1 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine, mariannevos.nl
- ^ a b c d e Mountain bike results Archived 31 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, mariannevos.nl
- ^ NK NEDERLAND NIEUWELINGEN 2002, cyclebase.nl
- ^ NK NEDERLAND TIJDRIT NIEUWELINGEN 2002, cyclebase.nl
- ^ NK NEDERLAND TIJDRIT NIEUWELINGEN 2003, cyclebase.nl
- ^ Gieten, Cyclocross (V) 2004, dewielersite.net
- ^ NK NEDERLAND JUNIOREN 2004, cyclebase.nl
- ^ NK NEDERLAND TIJDRIT JUNIOREN 2004, cyclebase.nl
- ^ Surhuisterveen Centrumcross (V) 2004, dewielersite.net
- ^ Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Cyclocross (V) 2004, dewielersite.net
- ^ a b Vrooming Vos wins Junior crown, eurosport.com, 1 October 2004
- ^ a b Sport FM Verkiezing Archived 31 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, mariannevos.nl
- ^ NK NEDERLAND JUNIOREN 2005, cyclebase.nl
- ^ NK NEDERLAND TIJDRIT JUNIOREN 2005, cyclebase.nl
- ^ NK Cyclocross, Elite, Nederland (V) 2005, dewielersite.net
- ^ OMLOOP VAN BORSELE 2005, cyclebase.nl
- ^ 2005 Junior World Championships Day 6 (Road Races) Archived 26 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine, britishcycling.org
- ^ Harderwijk, Cyclocross (V) 2005, dewielersite.net
- ^ Suameer (Ned) 15 October 2005 Archived 31 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, mariannevos.nl
- ^ European Cyclo-Cross Championships 2005 Archived 25 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine, britishcycling.org
- ^ Gieten, Cyclocross (V) 2005, dewielersite.net
- ^ Loenhout, Cyclocross (V) 2005, dewielersite.net
- ^ Pétange, cyclocross (V) 2006, dewielersite.net
- ^ NK Cyclocross, Elite, Nederland (V) 2006, dewielersite.nl
- ^ Vos takes Cyclo-cross world championships at the line, cyclingnews.com, 29 January 2006
- ^ Gracia – Orlova (V) 2006, dewielersite.net
- ^ OMLOOP VAN BORSELE 2006, cyclebase.nl
- ^ Emakumeen Bira (V) 2006, dewielersite.net
- ^ NK NEDERLAND 2006, cyclebase.nl
- ^ Vos gekozen tot Talent van het Jaar, wielerrevue.nl, 28 June 2006
- ^ OMLOOP VAN VALKENBURG 2006, cyclebase.nl
- ^ EK op de weg, Beloften (V) 2006, dewielersite.net
- ^ Tour Féminin en Limousin 2006, dewielersite.net
- ^ Marianne Vos:Wielrennen Archived 31 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, mariannevos.nl
- ^ Vos with DSB for five years, cyclingnews.com, 7 August 2006
- ^ Trophée d'Or Féminin 2006, dewielersite.net
- ^ Vos takes her second rainbow in a year, cyclingnews.com, 23 September 2006
- ^ EC Cyclo-cross 2006 Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine, wielercomite-huybergen.nl
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Marianne Vos". www.procyclingstats.com. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Barry (5 March 2015). "UCI Athletes' Commission holds first meeting in Aigle". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
- ^ "No operation needed for Marianne Vos". cyclingnews.com. 30 May 2012.
- ^ Hazen, Bart (25 June 2012). "2012 Dutch National Road Championships: Elite – Women". Daily Peloton. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- ^ "Olympics cycling: Lizzie Armitstead wins silver medal". Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ "Vos Rides Away with the Gold, Compton in Second in 2013 Elite Women's Cyclocross World Championships". cxmagazine.com. 2 February 2013.
- ^ "2013 Cyclocross World Champion Marianne Vos Adds Ronde van Vlaanderen To Palmares". cxmagazine.com. 31 March 2013.
- ^ Owen Rogers (6 July 2014). "Marianne Vos sprints into pink at the Giro Rosa". www.cyclingweekly.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ "La Course: Marianne Vos wins Paris one-day race". www.bbc.com. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ "La Course by Le Tour de France: Vos crowned in Paris". www.letour.com. 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ Tom Cary (26 July 2014). "Women's cycling heads for new era as female cyclists embark on 'monumental' race at La Course". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ Owen Rogers (30 April 2015). "Marianne Vos breaks rib in mountain bike crash". www.cyclingweekly.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ Owen Rogers (25 February 2015). "Marianne Vos forced to delay season start due to injury". www.cyclingweekly.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ "Vos takes cautious steps to recovery from hamstring injury, leading her to start in only two road races". www.cyclingnews.com. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ "La Course 2019: Marianne Vos wins second title with stunning late surge". 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ^ "Marianne Vos wins a thrilling eighth CX World Championship title". 29 January 2022.
- ^ Dabbs, Ryan (25 July 2022). "Marianne Vos takes yellow jersey with Tour de France Femmes stage two breakaway victory: 'It's not a revenge, it's just beautiful'". CyclingWeekly. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "Tour de France Femmes: Marianne Vos consolidates lead with stage six success". The Guardian. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "2022 Rankings After Stage 8". letourfemmes.fr. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
- ^ van Ballegooij, Michael (26 July 2022). "Dit is de vriendin van Marianne Vos die ineens opdook in haar speech: 'Blijf liever in de schaduw staan'". De Stentor (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ Pinado, Danielle; Tuenter, Geertje (16 September 2022). "Marianne Vos beseft nu beter wat ze allemaal heeft bereikt". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Marianne Vos | Jeugdfonds Sport and Cultuur". jeugdfondssportencultuur.nl. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ Cooperation of our YU4SL ambassadors[permanent dead link], yu4sl.com
- ^ Cycling News (27 December 2014). "2014 Cyclingnews Reader Poll: Vos named best female rider". Cyclingnews.com.
- ^ "2014 Women's Stage Racer of the Year: Marianne Vos - VeloNews.com". VeloNews.com.
- ^ "Velo Awards: International Woman of the Year, Marianne Vos". VeloNews.com.
- ^ "Marianne Vos wins Sportswoman of the Year title for the third time". velonation.com.
- ^ "Marianne Vos and Bauke Mollema voted Riders of the Year in the Netherlands". velonation.com.
- ^ Giant Bicycles. "Cycle Sport:Marianne Vos "Best Cyclist in the World!"". giantdenver.com.
Further reading
editJeanine Laudy, Jan Willem Verkiel,: Strijd in het vrouwenpeloton: de Giro door de ogen van Marianne Vos en Ellen van Dijk (ISBN 9043916145), Tirion Sport (in Dutch). The story of Ellen van Dijk and Marianne Vos of the 2011 Giro d'Italia Femminile.
External links
edit- Official website
- Marianne Vos at UCI
- Marianne Vos at Cycling Archives
- Marianne Vos at CQ Ranking
- Marianne Vos at ProCyclingStats
- Marianne Vos at CycleBase
- Marianne Vos at Olympedia
- Marianne Vos at Olympics.com
- Marianne Vos at Olympic.org (archived)
- Marianne Vos at TeamNL (archive) (in Dutch)
- Marianne Vos at NOC*NSF (in Dutch) (English translation)