Normally when a rider solos to a win, the major concern is zipping the jersey closed to make sure the sponsors get their publicity. Today, we had the sight of Annemiek Van Vleuten wrestling with her black, team issue gilet to unveil her world champion’s rainbow jersey as she rode to an imperious solo win.
The road world champ only needed 17 kilometers to impose her will today, as opposed to the 100+ kilometres she rode alone in Yorkshire last September, but it was a stylish win in brutal conditions.
Van Vleuten shattered a 21-rider leading group as it hit the midway point of the Muur van Geraardsbergen. Floortje Mackaij (Sunweb) was one of the nearest to her but couldn’t go with her compatriot, while Ellen Van Dijk (Trek Segafredo) was trying to take a smoother line on the pavement and was too far out of range to jump on easily.
Although the world champion looked to be struggling to stay on top of her gear, she was dragging herself further clear with every pedal turn as she approached the famous church atop the Kapel-Muur.
Once over the top, it was a time trial to the finish against – effectively – four riders. Even then, the odds were stacked in Van Vleuten’s favour and she didn’t even need to look back.
Earlier in the day …
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport through Nicole Hanselmann (who was held up to let the men pass when on the attack in 2019) and Marieke van Witzenburg in particular were active in the first hour of the race, before Femke Markus (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Maaike Boogaard (Ale-BTC Ljubljana) and Team Tibco’s Emily Newsom saw the head of the race, often in near-apocalyptic conditions of gusting wind and heavy rain.
Conditions improved, to a point, as the race wore on. While some riders were reluctant to discard their rainwear, Sara Roy (Australia/Michelton-Scott) simply smashed her way forward not bothering with arm- or leg-warmers.
A big group splintered away off the front, with most of the top riders represented, inside the final 40 kilometers. FDJ-Futuroscope tried to drive the chase, four riders including Emma Fahlin working, but they couldn’t get closer than 40 seconds. Once Van Vleuten ignited the race on the Muur, however, their hopes were gone.
Onto the Bosberg, Van Vleuten was still almost within reach of her chasers, hovering just ahead like an apparition on the cobbled lower slopes. Perhaps the chase could have been helped if Bastianelli’s Slovenian-champion team-mate Eugenia Bujak could have hung on but the Bosberg came too quickly after her effort to bridge up to the chase group.
Next, Lizzy Banks (Bigla-Katusha) just lost contact at the very top of the Bosberg as Van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) applied the pressure, taking Marta Bastianelli (Ale BTC Ljubljana) with her, forcing defending champion Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Boels-Dolmans) to chase back with Mackaij.
7kms to go and Van Vleuten was a tantalising 20” ahead, but she stretched her lead coming into the outskirts of Ninove. With just 2kms left, the race was won as the lead hit 35”
Bastianelli jumped away inside the final kilometre provoking a reaction from van den Broek-Blaak; the defending champion opened the sprint but Bastianelli and Mackaij nipped past on the line for the podium places.
Race MVP: not for the first time, Christine Majerus produced a monster performance for her Boels-Dolmans team, but this time without the reward to show for it.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2020
1 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned/Michelton-Scott) 3hrs 34’ 55”
2 Marta Bastianelli (Ita/Ale-BTC Ljubljana) + 42”
3 Floortje Mackaij (Ned/Sunweb) + 42”
4 Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak (Ned/Boels-Dolmans) + 42”
5 Ellen Van Dijk (Ned/Trek Segafredo) + 44”
6 Elizabeth Banks (GB/Bigla-Katusha) + 1’ 13”
7 Eugenia Bujak (Slo/Ale-BTC Ljubljana) + 1’ 13”
8 Chloe Hosking (Aus/Rally Cycling) + 1’ 30”
9 Jip van den Bos (Ned/Boels-Dolmans) + 1’ 30”
10 Aude Biannic (Fra/Movistar) + 1’ 30”