The women’s peloton remained in Belgium for the fifth round of the UCI Women’s WorldTour. While the men raced the historic 100th edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the women lined up for the 13th edition of the iconic Spring Classic in Oudenaarde on Sunday. The 2016 Ronde van Vlaanderen covered 10 classified climbs and five categorised cobble sectors over 141.2 kilometres.
UCI World Champion Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) edged out Emma Johansson (Wiggle High5) by a bike throw to claim the top step of the podium. The Swedish Champion, who calls Zingem home during the spring season, had attacked between the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterbergm, and Armitstead was the only rider from the front group of around 15 capable of following the move.
Armitstead did the lion’s share of the work in the break to fend off what would become a chase group of eight by race end. Two seconds after Armitstead bested Johansson, Chantal Blaak won the chase group sprint for third to give Boels Dolmans Cycling Team two riders on the Ronde van Vlaanderen podium.
The victory at Ronde van Vlaanderen is Armitstead’s fourth win in the rainbow jersey. Boels Dolmans Cycling Team has won every round to date of the 2016 UCI Women’s WorldTour.
With 368 points, Armitstead again tops the UCI Women’s WorldTour rankings, swapping spots with Blaak, who led the classification between Gent Wevelgem and Ronde van Vlaanderen. Blaak trails the UCI World Champion by 25 points. Johansson remains third overall with 285 points.
Kasia Niewiadoma (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) and Floortje Mackaij (Team Liv-Plantur) continue to swap spots atop the Youth Ranking. Niewiadoma was the first wearer of the colourful blue jersey following the Strade Bianche. Mackaij moved into the lead of the classification at Ronde van Drenthe, then Niewiadoma took the jersey back at Trofeo Binda. Following Gent Wevelgem, Mackaij assumed the top spot in the youth rankings. Niewiadoma is back on top after Ronde van Vlaanderen with 18 points to Mackaij’s 12 points. Lotte Kopecky (Lotto Soudal Ladies) sits third overall with six points.
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With five rounds of racing done, the UCI Women’s WorldTour has covered 549.5 kilometres.
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine > Wednesday April 20th
Last year’s results – 2015 Flèche Wallonne Féminine
1. Anna van der Breggen (NED) 2. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) 3. Megan Guarnier (USA)
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La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
Following five straight weekends of UCI Women’s WorldTour racing, the women’s peloton will take a bit of a breather before the next race in the series. In mid-April, round six takes the women’s peloton back to Belgium for the mid-week Ardennes classic, La Flèche Wallonne. The women’s race at La Flèche Wallonne, like the women’s race at the Ronde van Vlaanderen, is held on the same day and the same roads as the men’s race.
Last year Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) emerged victorious from a spectacular finale to La Flèche Wallonne. The Dutchwoman soloed to victory atop the Mur de Huy. Twelve seconds later, Annemiek van Vleuten (then Bigla Pro Cycling Team, now ORICA-AIS) reached the uphill finish line. A late race attacker, Van Vleuten had managed to hold off all her chasers save Van der Breggen. Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) rounded out the podium.
The 19th edition of La Flèche Wallonne Féminine covers 137 kilometres, taking in 11 categorised climbs, including two ascents of the Mur de Huy. The finish line is at the top of the Mur or “the Wall”, an infamous climb that has become synonymous with this mid-week race. The 1.3 kilometre ascent, with an average grade of 9.6 percent, tops out at a massive 26 percent gradient. Last year, race organisers introduced the Côte de Cherave (1.3 kilometres at 8.1 percent) into the finale. The new penultimate climb remains for 2016.
Annemiek van Vleuten has had a quietly consistent spring. The Dutchwomen moved from the Swiss-registered Bigla Pro Cycling Team to the Australian-registered ORICA-AIS at the start of the season. While she’s yet to challenge for the top step of the podium in 2016, she’s a regular fixture in the top ten at the classics. She was seventh at Strade Bianche and Ronde van Vlaanderen, eighth at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and ninth at Ronde van Drenthe.
A Classics specialist who excels in short time trials, particularly prologues, van Vleuten turned professional in 2008 with Vrienden van het Platteland. She rode for Dutch teams for seven years, including three years with Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team, before trading national ties for international flavour. The 33-year-old serves as a leader, mentor and proven winner on her current squad.
Key results
1st – Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile prologue (2014, 2015) 1st – Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile stage three (2014) 1st – Dutch National Championships, time trial (2014) 1st – Lotto Belisol Tour (2014) 1st – Dutch National Championships, road (2012) 1st – UCI Women Road World Cup overall (2011) 1st – Ronde van Vlaanderen (2011) 1st – Open de Suède Vargarda (2011) 1st – GP de Plouay-Bretagne (2011) 1st – La Route de France (2010)
Additional prologue victories include: Euskal Emakumeen Bira (2015), Festival Luxembourgeois du cyclisme féminin Elsy Jacobs (2013, 2012), Premondiale Giro Toscana Internazionale Femminile (2012)
On the 4th of April we are 122 days from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
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