Vos wins women's Olympic road race

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LONDON, July 29 (UPI) -- Veteran Marianne Vos of the Netherlands led a three-rider breakaway on wet roads and then won a closing sprint Sunday to capture the women's Olympic road race.

Vos won the world championship road race in 2006 and since then has been the runner-up in that event five straight times.

She ended that string of close calls by winning the gold medal in a race plagued by poor weather. Showers fell early, the sun came out briefly and the riders then reached the finish line as rain pelted down.

With about 15 miles to go, Vos pulled away from the pack along with Elizabeth Armistead of Britain, Olga Zabelinskaya of Russia and Shelley Olds of the United States.

Mechnical problems soon struck Olds, costing her a chance at victory.

The three riders left in the breakaway maintained an advantage of just under a minute until it became obvious they would be the medal winners.

Vos made sure her medal would be gold by launching her sprint with 200 yards to go. Armistead tried to stay with her, but had to settle for a silver medal that was the first of any kind for the host nation at the London Olympics.

Zabelinskaya did not try to match the closing speed of the other two riders and was satisfied with the bronze medal.