Opening Weekend Look Back

Feb 27
cyclical

A sequence of tough races and contrasting conditions to kick off the northern European season. The winners were a mix of big names and little surprises.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Christina Siggaard took the biggest win of her career … so far … with an upset sprint win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. She took the scalps of Chloe Hosking (Alé Cipollini), Coryn Rivera (Sunweb) and a very disappointed/disgusted Jolien D’Hoore (Michelton-Scott) among others.

A blistering opening salvo led to a star-studded nine-rider escape after the Berendries climb. What looked like the race-winning move suddenly evaporated over the Kappelmuur in Geraardsbergen, and the Bosberg saw a 25-strong group coalesce to fight for the win. Siggaard scored the win ahead of Alexis Ryan (Canyon-SRAM) and Mari Giulia Confalonieri (Valcar PBM).

 

Omloop van het Hageland

Day two of Belgium’s opening weekend saw another freezing cold day, with riders as wrapped up as possible. While the seasons roll on and change, Ellen Van Dijk can be relied upon to deliver regular masterclasses in power and precision. The veteran Dutchwoman (Sunweb) chose the perfect moment to accelerate, flying clear in the closing kilometres as the peloton caught a late escape, and kept it going to the line. She won alone, clear of Chloe Hosking and Jolien D’Hoore.

Setmana Ciclista Valenciana

One of those riders who is surely due to take a really big win, maybe even a Classic, after three or four years of steady progress is Hannah Barnes. The Canyon-SRAM rider took out the overall and two stages in the second Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, and she did it with clinical efficiency and

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Cervelo-Bigla) was on the attack and enjoying an early season hit out, taking Kasia Niewiadoma with her, but they were caught running to the finish of stage 1; Barnes took the escape group sprint. Marta Bastianelli won stage 2 for Alé Cipollini to take the overall lead, and Nicole Steigenga took a solo win on stage 3 for Swaboladies.Nl.

Stage 4 decided things, with another elite group escaping on a tough, hilly stage around Benidorm. With Bastianelli dropped, Niewiadoma and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot devoted themselves to the Canyon-SRAM cause, work clinically finished off by Barnes.

 

Le Samyn des Dames

The strong start for Alé Cipollini continued in sub-zero conditions at Le Samyn des Dames on Tuesday 27 February. After just over 100 kilometers of cobbles and hills, across a frozen southern Belgian landscape, Floortje Mackaij (Sunweb) started a big breakaway move that eventually morphed into a six-rider escape.

Despite only a small lead, they held out to the line, with Janneke Ensing powering clear to win ahead of Mackaij and Lauren Kitchen (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitane Futuroscope).