Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime) secured her one centesimal profession victory in a superbly timed assault to steer a spectacular bunch dash at Gent Wevelgem.
The Dutch rider launched her assault off the wheel of her teammate, world champion Lotte Kopecky, with 200m to go and outsprinted Elisa Balsamo (Lidl–Trek) to retain her 2024 title, with Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL) rounding off the rostrum shut behind.
Wiebes continued her dominant and close to unbeaten begin to 2025 in a crash-riddled race which stored the peloton in contact the entire time.
Talking after the milestone win, “I’m very blissful. You at all times wish to win and each time it really works out, it is implausible,” Wiebes stated. “Lotte was tremendous vital she may do no matter she needed on the climbs.”
The way it occurred
The race began quick with an early break at 161km to go, forming a trio with Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Well being Biking), Beatrice Caudera (BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni) and Britt de Grave (DD Group Professional Biking). They have been swiftly joined after 4km by Mia Griffin (Roland), Maaike Boogaard (VolkerWessels), Franziska Brausse (Ceratizit), and Cloe Kiekens (DD Group Professional Biking) to create a 7-rider robust lead pack.
From there, the seven riders managed nearly all of the race, extending their result in virtually 5 minutes in 27km.
However as they hit the open roads of De Moeren, the windy circumstances began to have an effect on the peloton as round 30 riders have been dropped, and now of their lighter formation, the chasers diminished the hole to the seven riders to solely 2 minutes 53 seconds as they crossed via 121km remaining.
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A crash within the bunch noticed Nienke Veenhoven (Visma–Lease a Bike) retire, and the peloton break up additional – into three teams starting from simply over 2 minutes to virtually 3 minutes in arrears of the leaders with 118km remaining.
The peloton swiftly regained formation and at last have been chasing by lower than 2 minutes for the primary in almost 60km as they crossed via 100km and with this newfound motivation bridged the hole with the leaders earlier than the Scherpenberg with 73km to go.
Kopecky led each assaults on two separate Kemmelberg ascents as she tried to interrupt up the peloton, with the primary assault at 56km to go, together with Wiebes and Balsamo and lots of extra and the second with 34km remaining. This second assault initiated a five-rider entrance group that included Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Group ADQ), Wiebes, Letizia Borghesi (EF Training-Oatly), and Chloé Dygert (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto).
And but, Longo Borghini was not taking turns, they usually have been solely 15 seconds forward of the peloton, who have been being led by the Lidl-Trek riders, and consequently, the 2 teams merged with 27km to go.
As soon as there and with no additional assaults, the group remained glued collectively as they headed towards Wevelgem though SD Worx–Protime teammates Elena Cecchini and Marta Lach tried to re-inject some tempo again into the proceedings.
And so with 2.5km collectively, the peloton began to organize for a bunch dash, with Kopecky main out Wiebes and Balsamo on her wheel.
With 200m to go, Wiebes launched the dash and held off the cost of Balsamo, who nudged forward of Kool with nothing between them and the remainder of the sector.
