Image 1 of 54 2013 elite women's world championship bronze medalist Rossella Ratto (Italy) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 2 of 54 A victory wave from Marianne Vos (Netherlands) (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 3 of 54 Emma Johansson (Sweden) outsprinted Rossella Ratto (Italy) for second (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 4 of 54 A sweet victory for Marianne Vos (Netherlands) (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 5 of 54 Repeat road race world champion Marianne Vos (Netherlands) (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 6 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) wins the road race world championship for the second straight year and third time of her career. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 7 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) wins the third road world chamionship of her career. Since her first road Worlds in 2006 she's never finished lower than second place. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 8 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) finishes alone on the streets of Florence, Italy for the third road world title of her illustrious career. (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 9 of 54 Emma Johansson (Sweden) takes the silver medal ahead of Rossella Ratto (Italy) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 10 of 54 Rossella Ratto (Italy) earns the bronze medal at the 2013 elite women's road race world championship (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 11 of 54 19-year-old Rossella Ratto (Italy) on the podium to receive the bronze medal for the elite women's road race world championship (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 12 of 54 Emma Johansson (Sweden) on the podium for her 2nd place result in the road race world championship (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 13 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) had a long time to relish her victory on the finishing straight (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 14 of 54 2013 elite women's world championship silver medalist Emma Johansson (Sweden) (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 15 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) adds another rainbow jersey to her collection, this time at the 2013 road world championships (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 16 of 54 Marianne Vos's remarkable road world championship performance streak continues with her third world championship and eighth straight podium finish (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 17 of 54 The Italian team rode a strong race culminating with Rossella Ratto (Italy) taking the bronze medal (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 18 of 54 After winning a cyclo-cross world championship in February, Marianne Vos (Netherlands) adds the 2013 road race world title to her palmares (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 19 of 54 2013 elite women's road race world championship podium (L-R): Emma Johansson, Marianne Vos and Rossella Ratto (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 20 of 54 Newly crowned road race world champion Marianne Vos is congratulated by teammate Anna van der Breggen (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 21 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) makes her way to the podium after winning the 2013 road race world championship (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 22 of 54 The elite women's peloton in action on the circuit in Florence, Italy (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 23 of 54 Plenty of climbing on tap on the city circuit in Florence, Italy at the world championships (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 24 of 54 Australia and Italy on the front of th elite women's peloton (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 25 of 54 Megan Guarnier (United States of America) rode a strong race in support of teammate Evelyn Stevens (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 26 of 54 Mara Abbott (USA) in action at the elite women's road race world championship in Florence, Italy (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 27 of 54 Joelle Numainville (Canada) grits her teeth on the taxing Worlds parcours in Florence, Italy (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 28 of 54 Elena Kuchinskaya (Russia) puts everything into the climb (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 29 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) launched a blistering attack on the final climb and soloed to her third road race world championship (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 30 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) en route to a solo victory in the 2013 road race world championship (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 31 of 54 Two-time road race world champion Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) awaits the start of the 2013 road Worlds (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 32 of 54 The elite women's peloton was reduced greatly in size on the demanding circuit in Florence, Italy (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 33 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) was the picture of calm throughout the elite women's road race world championship (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 34 of 54 Evelyn Stevens (USA) en route to a 5th place finish in the 2013 road race world championship (Image credit: Sirotti) Image 35 of 54 Double junior world champion Lucy Garner (Great Britain) in her first year as a pro and back at Worlds (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 36 of 54 The bunch reached the circuit and the USA team went to the front for a couple of times up the climb (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 37 of 54 A pre-race contender, Mara Abbott (United States) (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 38 of 54 Linda Villumsen (New Zealand) reaches for a bidon, it was very warm in Firenze during the race (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 39 of 54 Sofie De Vuyst (Belgium) in the bunch (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 40 of 54 A lone rider from Mongolia, Enkhjargal Tuvshinjargal (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 41 of 54 Tiffany Cromwell (Australia) and Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) go head to head on the steep climb (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 42 of 54 Previous double world champion Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) grimaces but stays in touch on the steep climb (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 43 of 54 Tatiana Guderzo (Italy), Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Emma Johansson (Sweden) in the break (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 44 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) looked comfortable and in control throughout the race (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 45 of 54 The hills hurt - Claudia Hausler (Germany) shows her effort (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 46 of 54 Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (France) leads the peloton on the steep climb (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 47 of 54 Nearing the finish line of the 2013 road race world championship, Marianne Vos (Netherlands) checks to see if any rivals are closing the gap (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 48 of 54 Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) on the wheel of Briton Lizzie Armitstead (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 49 of 54 Emma Johansson (Sweden), world champion Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Rossella Ratto (Italy) (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 50 of 54 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) on the top step of the podium in Florence, Italy having won the third road race world championship of her career (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 51 of 54 The elite women in action in Florence at the 2013 road race world championships (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 52 of 54 Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini attacks the lead group and is marked by Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 53 of 54 2013 elite women's road race podium (L-R): Emma Johansson (Sweden), Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Rossella Ratto (Italy) (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 54 of 54 Rossella Ratto (Italy) won the bronze medal in the elite women's road race (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Her rivals lined up to ask questions of her in the finale of the elite women's world championships road race, but Marianne Vos (Netherlands) provided an emphatic answer with a clinical attack the last time up the climb of Via Salviati.

Vos had a lead of just five seconds over Emma Johansson (Sweden) and Rosella Ratto (Italy) when she crested the summit with 3.5 kilometres to go, but that was all she needed to claim her second successive world road race title, and her third in total.

The Dutchwoman showed strength and poise to fend off the pursuers through the streets of Florence, and had time to savour her victory as she crossed the line, while Johansson out-sprinted Ratto for second place 15 seconds later.

"Of course it's great to defend the title. They say always it's hard to win one, but to do it two in a row it's even more difficult," Vos said. "It was especially with such strong competition, the Italians were very strong today, they made it a tough race."

It was perhaps the manner of Vos' single attack, rather than her margin at the top of the final climb, that broke the resistance of the elite group that had formed at the front on the penultimate lap of the demanding Florence circuit.

When Vos took the bell for the final lap, she had just Anna van der Breggen for company in a group that included the Italian trio of Rosella Ratto, Tatiana Guderzo and Elisa Longo Borghini, Emma Johansson (Sweden), Evelyn Stevens (USA), Tiffany Cromwell (Australia), Linda Villumsen (New Zealand), Claudia Hausler (Germany) and Tatiana Antoshina (Russia).

On the long haul up to Fiesole, the penultimate climb on the circuit, Guderzo and Longo Borghini took turns to attack for Italy, while Cromwell and later Stevens put in fierce digs closer to the summit. Seemingly unmoved, Vos simply feathered the pedals in the heart of the group, while her teammate van der Breggen diligently tracked the moves at the front.

Stevens tried again on the steep wall of Via Salviati, before Johansson – who had wisely allowed the Dutch, Americans and Italians dictate affairs for much of the afternoon – finally showed her hand midway up the climb.

Johansson's move shattered the leading group, but it also had the effect of stirring Vos into action. The Dutchwoman edged her way up to Johansson's shoulder and then kicked fiercely as the gradient stiffened. Vos immediately opened a small gap, but such was the purpose behind her move that it already seemed unbridgeable.

Behind, Johansson and Ratto had battled their way clear of the remnants of the leading group, which was now strewn across the hillside. Johansson, in particular, fought to breathe life into the chase, but with Ratto unwilling to contribute to the chase, she was reliant on an error from Vos if she was to have any hope of catching her.

No such error was forthcoming, and Vos even stretched out her advantage as she entered the final kilometre. By that point Johansson was resigned to her fate and, reluctant to tow Ratto to the silver medal, she sat up, all but confirming Vos' second consecutive world title.

While Italy had the greatest strength in numbers in the selection that ultimately decided the destination of the rainbow jersey, the Dutch had the greater strength in depth. Van der Breggen performed her supporting role to perfection – raising and lowering the pace as necessary, and dutifully tracking the vital moves – and she even summoned up the strength to jump clear for fourth place on the day, while Evelyn Stevens took fifth, just ahead of Villumsen, Guderzo and Longo Borghini.

How it unfolded

Low Autumn sunshine and pleasant temperatures greeted the peloton as it rolled out of Montecatini Terme, and the racing was similarly benign on the run-in to the finishing circuit in Florence, with most riders eager to save their legs for the five demanding laps around Fiesole and Via Salviati.

Once on the circuit, the American and Italian teams were conspicuous in controlling affairs at the head of the peloton. Their tempo was gradually dropping riders from the rear of the bunch every time the road went uphill and with three laps to go the leading group had been whittled down to 30 or so riders.

"They started already at beginning of the circuit, but then we knew this was going to be a hard five laps," Vos said of the American forcing. "But it was a really good race from the Dutch team. They gave me the opportunity to keep us as quiet as possible in the bunch until the last lap."

Tiffany Cromwell (Australia) ignited the racing in earnest on the third to last lap when she hurtled after Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) on the descent of Fiesole. Although she was pegged back shortly afterwards, Cromwell was undeterred and remained an aggressive presence every time the road plunged downhill.

On the penultimate lap the climb of Fiesole forced another selection, with Stevens and van der Breggen's pressing shedding a number of riders, including Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain) and Giorgia Bronzini (Italy), from the leading group. When Ratto followed up on Via Salviati, the leading group was whittled down to just eleven riders as they approached the final lap.

The three Italian riders deliberated on the front as they came through the finish line for the penultimate time, and they duly set about probing Vos as soon as the road climbed towards Fiesole. But as is so often the case, Vos had the final word.