MARIANNE VOS

Marianne Vos confirmed her status as the best female cyclist of her generation when she won the world road race championship for the second time on home turf in Valkenburg this afternoon. After winning in Salzburg in 2006, the first time she had competed as a senior, she came second five years in a row, so the title was overdue. On the third last ascent of the Cauberg, she was the only one of the favourites able to bridge up to a breakaway that included her Dutch teammate Anna van der Breggen. The break powered away, before Vos broke clear on the final ascent of the Cauberg and solo'ed home.

The world championships cap a great 2012 for the 35-year old. She won the overall World Cup, the women's Giro d'Italia (for the second time) and the Olympic road race in London. Not surprisingly, she is both ranked number one in the world and often compared with Eddy Merckx, the great Belgian cyclist who also won everything.

However, what really sets her apart from her contemporaries is her success at all forms of cycling. Most people specialise in one of track cycling, cyclo-cross or road racing, but Vos is world class at all of them. She has won the world cyclo-cross championship for the past four years, and five times in all; while on the track, she was world champion in the points race in 2008 and the scratch in 2011, plus Olympic gold medallist in the points race in 2008. No other female cyclist has won world championships in all three disciplines.

Vos is a superstar in her native Holland, but is not so well known outside. That should be corrected, and I am happy to oblige.

Walter Blotscher