Lest there be any doubts, Amber Neben's solo foray off the front of the women's road race at the World Championships in Doha was not some sort of valedictory lap of honour. After claiming the time trial title in midweek, Neben revealed that she will be scaling back her racing commitments next season, but riding for USA at the 2017 Worlds remains resolutely in her plans.
"Winning Worlds in the TT gets me an automatic spot for next year so I can focus on that and I will," Neben told Cyclingnews after Saturday's elite women's road race, where Amalie Dideriksen (Denmark) claimed the gold medal.
"As far as the road races goes, if I'm in condition and still in a position where I can help the team, I'd love to be able to do that again. I don't want to be taking a position from somebody who would be better off and I haven't seen the course yet. But for sure it's on the table."
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The USA team at these Worlds was built around the fast-finishing Coryn Rivera, with Neben delegated to go on the offensive with more than three laps remaining in a bid to force the hand of the principal sprinters' teams. Neben had initially hoped for some company on her raid, but stuck gamely to her task when no reinforcements arrived. She established a maximum lead of almost a minute, but she was reeled in at the bell as the Netherlands wound up the pace in the bunch.
"I went hoping one of the Dutch riders would come and nobody did. At that point you have to commit one way or another and I did," Neben said. "It took the pressure off in terms of setting up the sprint for Coryn. I knew what was going to happen, so I just tried to hold it out there as long as possible and get them set for the final lap. It worked, but it just didn't come together in the finish."
Rivera could only manage 16th at the end of a race where Neben's lone attack and Olga Zabelinskaya's disqualification for an illegal bike change were among the few highlights ahead of that dramatic finishing sprint. Unlike the men's race on Sunday, the women's event did not incorporate a lengthy loop into the more exposed desert roads in Doha's hinterland, though Neben was not convinced that such an addition would have altered the race significantly.
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