Emma Johansson scored another national championship double in Sollerön on Saturday. Soloing to victory, Johansson snagged national title number twelve –her fifth on the road. It was a dominant victory. Johansson won by 2:20 over silver-medallist Sara Mustonen-Lichan (Liv-Plantur). Hanna Nilsson rounded out the podium one second further back.
 

 
“It’s one thing to win the time trial,” said Johansson. “It’s something completely different to win the road race. There are more variables that come into play. I have to think more about tactics -the others and not only myself. There can be technical difficulties or bad luck.”
 
“I’m very, very happy,” Johansson added. “With all my other results, it might not make sense that the national title is so important to me, but it is. It means a lot to me to spend another year in the blue and yellow jersey. I’m very attached to it, and I’m quite relieved that I can continue to wear it for another year.”
 
The 31-year-old lined up as the outright favourite to win the road race. While results clearly suggest she’s the strongest, the lone ORICA-AIS representative lined up against several teams fielding large squads. Terribly outnumbered, Johansson knew she would need to play the 124km race smart.
 
The national championship course included three larger laps, each featuring a climb Johansson said played to her strength. Following the three large laps, the race concluded with four laps of a 6.4km circuit. En route to her victory, Johansson spent 100km up the road.
 

 
Johansson initiated a three-rider breakaway on the opening lap. Mustonen-Lichan and Nilsson joined Johansson in the escape that formed over the first ascent of the main climb.
 
“The three of us rode away the first time up the hill,” said Johansson. “It was me, Sara and Hanna –the three on the podium today and actually the three on the podium at the time trial, too. The move didn’t last very long. The peloton caught us back.”
 
Following the catch, a number of riders went on the attack. Moa Johansson was the only one to get a lasting advantage. She had stretched open her gap to nearly a minute with a second ascent of the large circuit climb looming.
 
“I attacked before the hill started,” Johansson explained. “Sara and Hanna were out of position. I think they were surprised that I attacked when I did because it was much earlier than I went on the previous lap.”
 
“I rode really hard up the whole hill, and I caught Moa before we reached the top,” Johansson added. “I rode with her from there.”
 
The third time up the climb, Johansson rode a steady pace. It was enough to distance her breakaway companion. There were still 50km left to race. Johansson rode them alone.
 

 
“Moa could not follow me on the hill,” noted Johansson. “I realized for myself to take the most time on the others, I needed to ride hard up the climb. I had 1:40 by the time I reached the top of the hill for the third time.”
 
“I rode alone from there,” Johansson continued. “It was about 25km to the finish line for the start of the small laps. They never caught any time on me. It was 1:40 or 1:50 all the way to the finish line, and I took more time on them in the small laps.”
 
“By the time I started the little laps, I felt confident I would win,” Johansson added. “Until then, I wasn’t totally sure.”
 
Johansson celebrated her win with her husband Martin, parents, brother Jonas and a big group of friends and supporters.
 
“To win with so many family and friends here is extra special,” said Johnasson. “I’m especially happy to have my parents and little brother with me today.”
 
Thanks to Edvard Wendelin of SCOTT Sweden for the images.