Just like the men, women in Ghent also started the Flemish cycling spring. For the past three years, Omloop has always been a prey for Dutch women, but now Lotte Kopecky – debuting with her new team SD Worx – has different thoughts on the subject.
The race didn’t really start until Leberg. Marilyn Rosser (SD Worx) launched an attack there. Elaine Van Dyck (Trek Segafredo), Lian Liebert (DSM Team) and Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma) made the call.
Some teams didn’t have pawns in the lead group so the work had to be done. In the service of Katia Nevadoma (Canyon-SRAM), her colleague Shari Bossuet took over. The Belgian has done an excellent job for her new team.
Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) are still hiding in the peloton, but have turned up in Kapelmuur. Van Vleuten immediately accelerated.
After climbing, Van Vleuten and Demi Vollering were able to connect with the leading group. In the background, Vollering’s teammate Lotte Kopecky tried to ride alone towards the top riders and succeeded.
Later on, Katia Neviadoma, Grace Brown and Elisa Longo Borghini also joined.
On Bosberg, Van Vleuten pressed the leading group. Only her compatriot Fullering dipped in her wheel. With 2 they headed towards the end in Ninove.
Van Vleuten took the lead, but Vollering was upset that she refused to take over. In the final kilometer, the SD Worx rider did it anyway, but was outdone by her 39-year-old compatriot.
Van Vleuten started the sprint from afar and Vollering could no longer outrun her. Movistar rider wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for the second time and completes the list of record holders.
Lorena Webbs completed the Dutch podium with a sprint victory from the chasers, not Lotte Kubicki (27) but Jesse Vandenbolke (20) as the best Belgian.
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