Birthday girl Jolien D’Hoore (Wiggle Honda) won the bunch sprint to take victory in the 2015 Boels Rental Ronde van Drenthe in the Netherlands. The Belgian National Champion got the better of Amy Pieters (Team Liv-Plantur) and Ellen van Dijk (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team).
The 138-km race was the first round of the 2015 UCI Women Road World Cup starting and finishing in Hoogeveen. Some 120 riders took to the start of the 2015 edition of the race, in dry but cold and foggy conditions.
The race started in cagey fashion with many of the favourite riders marking each other, mindful of their overall standing in the World Cup as well as their chances in the race on the day.
A strong Boels Dolmans team set the pace as the race entered the cobbled sections, with Christine Majerus doing most of the work at the front into a headwind. But the Rabo-Liv Women Cycling team know these cobbled roads too well and it was just a matter of time before they took their turn at the front of the race, causing damage and shedding further riders.
An attack from Belorussian Champion Alena Amialiusik (Velocio-Sram) caused further breaks in the bunch. Even though her gap only built up to 15 seconds, her efforts were still rewarded with the intermediate sprint win, ahead of Ellen van Dijk (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team ) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda).
With 75km to go and the last and most certainly hardest cobbled section almost over, the bunch had whittled down to 40 riders with Valentina Scandolara (Orica-AIS) lining out the bunch.
With two ascents of the VAMberg still left in the last 36km, it was time for last year’s Women World Cup winner Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) to take matters in her own hands. She attacked, taking Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda) on her wheel.
Although this move was predicted, it broke the race further. The front group was now down to 20 riders including many race favourites such as Amy Pieters (Liv-Plantur), Chloe Hosking (Wiggle Honda), Elena Cecchini (Lotto Soudal Ladies), Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team), Jolien D'Hoore (Wiggle Honda), Kirsten Wild (Hitec Products) and Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS).
Less than 30km from the finish, Armistead attacked again on the last accent of the VAMberg, this time taking Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-Sram) with her. The twosome was soon caught.
The pace was high with back to back attacks. All breakaway attempts were reeled in by the last 5km, and it was clear the win would be decided in a sprint, but who would still have the legs to pull this off?
As the pace was calming down before the imminent bunch sprint, Wiggle Honda positioned their lead out train in the last kilometre. Chloe Hosking was last to surge, launching Jolien D’Hoore to the line to take the race on her 25th birthday.
“We were well represented in the last kilometres of the race so we decided that I could win the sprint,” said D’Hoore on local television.
Jolien D’Hoore (Wiggle Honda) now leads the overall Women Road World Cup standings, ahead of Amy Pieters (Team Liv-Plantur) and Ellen van Dijk (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team).
Full results
Watch the best moments on tv.uci.ch and selected networks. A 26-minute highlights programme will be available from 17h00 (GMT) on Friday March 20.