In a neck-and-neck bunch dash, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) dashed to victory at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, including to her ever-growing palmarès.
The Dutchwoman beat former world champion Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) with a lunge over the road, taking her 76th profession win by the width of her tyre.
A number of tense minutes adopted, each riders huddling of their groups, because the commissaires dominated on the photograph end. For the second yr operating, after Marlen Reusser’s heroics in 2023, SD Worx-Protime launched into celebration.
Afterwards, Wiebes stated she was “actually glad to lastly win” Gent-Wevelgem, a race she has began six time, and failed to complete within the earlier two editions.
“It took just a few years,” the sprinter smiled. “The staff did a tremendous job. We made the race exhausting, however ultimately it was anyway a bunch dash.”
The peloton splintered at factors over the 171.2km course, with a handful of riders attempting their luck on the run-in to Wevelgem. With 500m to go, world champion Lotte Kopecky wound up the lead-out for her team-mate Wiebes, unleashing her with the gantry in sight.
“I used to be actually proud of the legs and actually proud of the lead-out from Lotte,” Wiebes stated. Balsamo, the in-form rider, having gained the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Traditional Brugge-De Panne, darted up the within, however could not edge previous the Dutchwoman.
The way it occurred
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Echelons ripped by the peloton because it crossed the fields of West Flanders early on Sunday afternoon. By the point the group reached the primary of seven punchy climbs, although, the race had come again collectively.
Kopecky, characteristically, was probably the most energetic riders over the steep, cobbled hellingen. The world champion led into the foot of the ultimate ascent, the Kemmelberg, towing her team-mate Wiebes over its 20% crest. Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL), dressed within the British champion bands, tagged alongside as an invited visitor, in what appeared to be the decisive transfer.
The tempo, nevertheless, was not excessive sufficient for the trio to remain clear on the highway into Wevelgem. A small chasing group containing Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) shortly caught up, earlier than the peloton reeled all of the leaders again in.
Into the ultimate 25km, Movistar did their finest to foil a bunch dash. Emma Norsgaard tried a flyer, lasting 5km out entrance, earlier than Floortje Mackaij too went on the assault. The pair then repeated their strikes, yo-yoing off the entrance within the finale, however nothing caught; SD Worx-Protime and Lidl-Trek patrolled the bunch.
With 2.5km to go, Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) put in a last-gasp dig for victory. The Australian, a formidable time triallist, leapt away from the bunch and led solo below the flamme rouge. Might she disrupt the inevitable dash? The reply, it transpired, was no.
Brown was caught with 500m to go, sufferer of a finely-tuned SD Worx-Protime practice that delivered Wiebes to triumph throughout the road. It was a standard race ending for biking followers, and a sight at which the Dutch super-team won’t ever develop drained.
Outcomes
Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Ypres > Wevelgem (171.2km)
1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 4:16:19
2. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Chiara Consonni (Ita) UAE Group ADQ
4. Charlotte Kool (Ned) dsm-firmenich PostNL
5. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Uno-X
6. Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Movistar
7. Puck Pieterese (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck
8. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Lotto Dstny
9. Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Fenix-Deceuninck
10. Maggie Coles-Lyster (Can) Roland, all at similar time
