Chantal van den Broek-Blaak takes solo win at the Tour of Flanders
Boels-Dolmans dominate in Oudenaarde with Amy Pieters second after a breathless and fascinating final 50km
Former world champion Chantal van den Broek-Blaak capped off a dominant Boels-Dolmans performance, winning the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.
The Dutch rider attacked a small group near the top of the Oude Kwaremont, with 17km remaining, soloing to the line in Oudenaarde.
The 2017 world champion crested the Paterberg, the day’s final climb, with a tenuous lead of only 15 seconds with 14km remaining, however, with two Boels-Dolmans team mates in the chasing group cooperation was in short supply.
There were though numerous attempts to close the gap, the Mitchelton-Scott pair of Annemiek Van Vleuten and Grace Brown the chief protagonists, but Van den Broek-Blaak eked out her advantage, entering the final 5km with 45 seconds’ lead.
Behind her team mate Amy Pieters won the sprint for second place, with local rider Lotte Koppecky (Lotto-Soudal) unable to become the first Belgian in ten years to win and settling for third.
How it happened
With four teams withdrawing from this year’s shortened edition, including the Alé-Cipollini squad of last year’s winner Marta Bastianelli, only 117 women rolled out of Oudenaarde for the 135.6km.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
For the first time in its 17 editions, the women’s event began in the afternoon, the peloton rolling out as the action was kicking off in the men’s race.
After some early attacks, a group of seven managed to get a gap, with former Irish champion Alice Sharpe (Ciclotel) joined by Teuntje Beekhuis (Lotto-Soudal), Gloria Rodriguez (Movistar), Mieke Kröger (Hitec Products), Adriana Trias (Massi Tactic), Heidi Franz (Rally Cycling) and Emily Newson (Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank).
With Trias soon dropped, and Manchester based Sharpe gapped when she punctured, the breakaway had built a lead of three minutes as the race tackled the Lippenhovestraat, the first of four flat cobbled sectors, with 35km done.
Though that gap came down on the Paddestraat, the advantage again grew to 3.40 as they approached the first of the day’s 11 climbs, the Kattenberg, where three riders who had tried to bridge, caught at the top.
As the climbs began to come more regularly the gap began to come down, dropping below two minutes as the race crossed sector four, Haaghoek, and heading onto the Leberg, 70km out.
Over the Berendries the race lit up, with some of the expected protagonists making moves, and, after a period of pressure from two Sunweb riders, Liane Lippert and 2017 Flanders winner Coryn Rivera made a move, with Kristen Faulkner hoping to make it two Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank women at the front.
Behind, the peloton allowed the trio only around 45 seconds, while the original breakaway’s lead once again extended, approaching two minutes.
With 50km to go Boels-Dolmans took command, coming to the front and upping the pace and bringing the three escapees back, while the five leading women dangled off the front. On the Kanarieberg world champion Anna van der Breggen hit the front, driving the pace, and splitting the bunch, reaching the top at the head of a smaller peloton and with three team mates on her wheel.
With the original break finally caught on the Taaienberg, inside the final 40km, a flurry of attacks followed. Riejanne Markus (CCC-Liv) and Alena Amialiusik (Canyon-SRAM) were allowed a small gap which grew to 45 seconds as they entered the closing 30km, climbing out of Ronse on the cobbled climb of Kruisberg.
Here, with the gap around 30 seconds, Van der Breggen returned to the front, thinning the group more, and setting the stage for team mate Van den Broek-Blaak to attack at the top.
This created a further selection as they continued to climb, now on the smooth drag that is the Hotond, where the leaders were caught and European champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) attacked, creating a gap.
With Van Vleuten so dangerous Van der Breggen followed, caught her compatriot stetting up the delicious prospect of the world's two best women fighting for the win. But she was clearly working for her Van den Broek-Blaak just behind, and in a bizarre twist she refused to ride, the two Dutchwomen sharing a joke before the group re-formed on the descent towards the penultimate climb, the Oude Kwaremont.
After a brief hiatus, near the top of the climb, Van den Broek-Blaak launched her winning move, powering off the front and emerging from the cobbled climb with a slim lead of 10 seconds. With team mates Van der Breggen and Pieters among the chasers and marking every move it Van den Broek-Blaak’s victory was all but assured.
Result
Tour of Flanders Women: Oudenaarde - Oudenaarde (135.6km)
1. Chantal van den Broek Blaak (Ned) Boels-Dolmans in 3-29-57
2. Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels-Dolmans at 1-01
3. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Lotto-Soudal
4. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT
5. Sarah Roy (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyoon-SRAM
7. Demi Vollering (Ned) Parkhotel-Valkenburg
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek Segafredo
9. Lauren Stephens (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
10. Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar Travel and Service all at same time
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Owen Rogers is an experienced journalist, covering professional cycling and specialising in women's road racing. He has followed races such as the Women's Tour and Giro d'Italia Donne, live-tweeting from Women's WorldTour events as well as providing race reports, interviews, analysis and news stories. He has also worked for race teams, to provide post race reports and communications.
-
I'm about to turn 40 - how can I keep riding fast?
Approaching a landmark birthday, Charlie Graham-Dixon explores how ageing affects cycling performance and what can be done to stay ahead of the curve
By Charlie Graham-Dixon Published
-
Life Time Grand Prix to have fewer riders and wild cards in 2025
The flagship US gravel series has confirmed the six races that will be a part of the competition next year
By Adam Becket Published
-
Elisa Longo Borghini pips Kasia Niewiadoma on the line to win second Tour of Flanders
In-form Italian praises Lidl-Trek team after repeating feat she achieved in 2015
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It's one of the hardest races I've ever done' - Mathieu van der Poel on his historic Tour of Flanders victory
World champion becomes seventh man in history to win the race three times
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel wins record-equalling third Tour of Flanders with 45km attack
Dutchman pulls off audacious long-range coup to claim Monument victory
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert’s Classics dreams go up in smoke, but all is not lost for Visma-Lease a Bike
Attention turns to another promising squad member after their talisman is ruled out of Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Amstel-Gold Race with 'several fractures'
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert 'in a good place' ahead of Tour of Flanders despite Visma-Lease a Bike illness and injury crisis
Loss of Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle 'a big blow' says DS Grischa Niermann as team builds for Monument double header
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Five things to look out for ahead of the Tour of Flanders
Lidl-Trek's impressive form and Mathieu van der Poel's explosive start to the Classics season could make for quite the contest this weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert gears towards career-defining fortnight in new, enlightened mindset
Belgian admits pressure has weighed heavily on his shoulders in the past as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix come around once more
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tour of Flanders, Giro d'Italia, Paris-Roubaix Femmes: Cycling Weekly's races of the year for 2023
Our writers pick their best moments from an enthralling 2023, what do you think?
By Adam Becket Published