The only surprise about Ellen Van Dijk powering to a solo victory in a Classic or a semi-Classic like Dwars Door Vlaanderen is that the tactic works so often. The Dutch TT specialist virtually posts an old-fashioned letter to opponents with her plans, and still … she pulls off such wins more regularly than she should.
It’s like Gary Player’s old adage about getting luckier the more he practised. Van Dijk tries the lone escape so frequently, her strike rate is high. Team Sunweb attempted to set up the same tactic in Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem, but Van Dijk’s burst in the last two kilometres then was undone by the wind and the strong representation of the sprinters’ teams.
An all Dutch podium in Dwars Door Vlaanderen this year! Congratulations Dutchies @ellenvdijk , @AmyPieters and @floortjemackaij 🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱 #DDV #DDV18 pic.twitter.com/c4A9N70Pl5
— Dwars door Vlaanderen (@DwarsdrVlaander) March 28, 2018
Today, the wet weather and harsh parcours worked more in her favour once the race flattened out beyond the late-race sequence of climbs and cobbles.
Van Dijk found her way into a small but powerful group that got away from the peloton after the Knokteberg, with about 33 kilometers to race. In miserable conditions, the escapees (Van Dijk and Mackaij (Sunweb); Pieters of Boels-Dolmans; Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM); Bujak from BTC Ljubljana; Van Vleuten for Michelton-Scott; Moolman-Pasio for Cervelo-Bigla; Jasinska for Movistar), gradually moved away from a large chasing group.
The Dutchwoman unleashed her attack with seven kilometers to go, and ripped out almost a minute by the line, knowing that Floortje Mackaij was getting a free ride behind her.
Although Amy Pieters hit the line for second, Mackaij made the podium to give Sunweb a very good day out. Just as well, as Van Dijk need a little team work on her champagne bottle skills.
Among the notable finishers, Susanne Anderson won the bunch sprint for ninth ahead of another young Scandinavian in former world champion Amalie Dideriksen, while Skylar Schneider came 15th for Boels-Dolmans, marking another step forward for the American talent.
https://twitter.com/WiggleHigh5/status/979071274285785093
With Coryn Rivera in the line-up to defend her Tour of Flanders crown on Sunday, who would be surprised if circumstances conspired to allow Van Dijk another roll of the dice with a solo attack?
Dwars Door Vlaanderen, 118 kilometers, Wednesday 28 March 2018
1 Ellen Van Dijk (Team Sunweb) 3 hrs 30’ 24”
2 Amy Pieters (Boels-Dolmans) + 55”
3 Floortje Mackaij (Team Sunweb)
4 Eugenia Bujak (BTC Ljubljana)
5 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Michelton-Scott)
6 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Cervelo-Bigla)
7 Malgorzata Jasinska (Movistar Women)
8 Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM)
9 Susanne Anderson (Hitec Products) + 1’ 47”
10 Amalie Dieriksen (Boels-Dolmans) same time