Giro Donne Stage 9 - Vos victorious

Vos at 24 is compared to Eddy
Merckx. The way things are
going, she's going to be even
better in another couple of years.

There were no surprises at the end of today's Giro Donne when Marianne Vos was the first to cross the finish line; in fact, with the stage ending near the summit of a 1620m high mountain, it would have been more a surprise had she not have done. But then why beat around the bush here? With the 24-year-old Dutch cyclist going from strength to strength it's a only a surprise when she doesn't win anything she enters.

Vos is that very rare thing: a cycling polymath. She excels in all disciplines, which has drawn comparisons to Eddy Merckx, including time trialing - and with tomorrow's final stage being a TT, which would be her 30th triumph this season alone, she's an easy favourite for the top spot on the podium. In addition to the overall General Classification, she also leads the Points and Mountains classifications.

Stage 9 Results:

1. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) Nederland Bloei           3:12:03  

2. Emma Pooley (UK) Garmin - Cervelo                   +0:00:12  

3. Judith Arndt (Germany) HTC Highroad Women     +0:00:22  

4. Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) SC MCipollini Giordana     +0:00:25  

5. Mara Abbott (USA) Diadora - Pasta Zara          +0:00:33  

6. Tatiana Antoshina (Russia) Gauss                           +0:00:50  

7. Ruth Corset (Australia) Bizkaia-Durango          +0:00:57  

8. Claudia Häusler (Germany) Diadora - Pasta Zara    +0:01:03  

9. Emma Johansson (Sweden) Hitec Products - UCK +0:01:33  

10. Elena Berlato (Italy) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo         +0:01:55

General Classification:

1. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) Nederland Bloeit              25:20:08  

2. Emma Pooley (UK) Garmin - Cervelo                       +0:02:48  

3. Judith Arndt (Germany) HTC Highroad Women        +0:08:07  

4. Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) SC MCipollini Giordana        +0:08:21  

5. Ruth Corset (Australia) Bizkaia-Durango              +0:11:48  

6. Tatiana Antoshina (Russia) Gauss                              +0:12:01  

7. Sylwia Kapusta (Poland) Gauss                                +0:12:18  

8. Mara Abbott (USA) Diadora - Pasta Zara             +0:13:47  

9. Emma Johansson (Sweden) Hitec Products - UCK  +0:14:20  

10. Shara Gillow (Australia) Bizkaia-Durango               +0:14:38