In the end, it wasn’t even close. Anna Van der Breggen soared to a glorious solo win at the Women’s Tour of Flanders as her checklist of career goals comes ever closer to being filled.
The Dutch Olympic champion put a world-class field to the sword, coasting home over a minute clear. As with QuickStep’s strength in the men’s edition, so Boels-Dolmans confirmed themselves as the pre-eminent women’s squad.
They lined up with six potential winners (Van der Breggen, Guarnier, Dideriksen, Pieters, Blaak and Majerus) and claimed the win, as well as Amy Pieters grabbing the chase group sprint for 2nd. Blaak was 5th, and Guarnier 10th in the same group. Dideriksen took 18th and Majerus in 26th in the main peloton. A formidable showing.
It was a pretty quiet start to the 151-kilometer course, with nothing serious sticking in terms of a breakaway. It was the iconic Muur van Geraardsbergen which prompted the race to catch fire … for good and ill.
In poor conditions, the rain-soaked road markings caused a huge pile-up heading towards the base of the climb. Riders screamed in pain and howled in agony: it seems that everyone avoided serious consequences but Chloe Hosking (Alé-Cipollini) and FDJ’s Roxanne Fournier ended up in hospital.
https://twitter.com/FournierRoxane/status/980527648442146818
Over the top of the climb, six riders got a gap (Majerus; Jolien D’Hoore from Micheltpn-Scott; Kasia Niewiadoma from Canyon-SRAM; Wiggle-High5’s Lisa Brennauer; Sunweb’s Ellen Van Dijk; and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio for Cervélo-Bigla).
Things regrouped with a much-reduced peloton, but by the time things reached the Kanarieberg, it was Boels-Dolmans through Majerus and Dideriksen who ramped up the pressure.
Elena Cecchini tried for Canyon-SRAM, shadowed by Dideriksen, but the Kruisberg was tackled by about 35 contenders. This time, it was Amy Pieters who turned up the dials shredding the leading group.
This was the cue for van der Breggen to explode clear. Despite attempts to make something happen in the chase behind, especially Moolman-Pasio on the Oude Kwaremont, Boels-Dolmans were so well-represented that Van der Breggen’s lead grew and grew.
The Dutchwoman had plenty time to savour another fine win, made sweeter when Pieters took the sprint for second ahead of Michelton-Scott’s Annemiek van Vleuten. AVV’s result was stunning in itself – she was caught in the huge Geraardsbergen crash, dislocating her shoulder. Opting to carry on, she managed to get it back in place before finishing on the all-Dutch podium. In fact, the Netherlands placed five riders in the top ten.
After very hard crash before the Muur did continue with dislocated shoulder but it got back in. Hard to use my arm so happy to sprint to 3rd place. Adrenalin is the best painkiller. 😁😉 https://t.co/UtvxjXX0cN
— Annemiek van Vleuten (@AvVleuten) April 1, 2018
The Women’s World Tour takes a two-week break until the Amstel Gold on 15 April.
Ronde van Vlaanderen Vrouwen, 151 kilometers, Sunday 1 April 2018
1 Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) 4hrs 08’ 46”
2 Amy Pieters (Boels-Dolmans) + 1’ 08”
3 Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott)
4 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Cervelo-Bigla)
5 Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans)
6 Malgorzata Jasinska (Movistar)
7 Ellen van Dijk (Sunweb)
8 Lisa Brennauer (Wiggle-High5)
9 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM)
10 Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) + 1’ 11”