After a relatively slow start to the season in March, Olympic Champion Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team) is now in top form. The Dutchwoman won the Amstel Gold Race with an impressive solo attack in the last ten kilometres, proving she will also be a main contender for the two upcoming UCI Women's WorldTour races in the Ardennes. Elizabeth Deignan took second place for the same team on home turf - just a few kilometres away from the headquarters of their main sponsors.
Just in time for the first full Ardennes week in the history of women's cycling, Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team seems to be back on top. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (WM3 Pro Cycling Team) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) shared third place after the finishing photo could not decide who was first over the line. Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb) finished sixth after just being dropped on the infamous Cauberg. She continues to lead the UCIWWT individual rankings.
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Wednesday, April 19: La Flèche Wallonne Fèminine (Belgium) Sunday, April 23: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes (Belgium)
After a strong start to the season, with second overall at the Santos Women's Tour in Australia, Janneke Ensing has been one of the most consistent riders this spring. The 30-year-old Dutchwoman was 9th at the Tour of Flanders and 14th at the Amstel Gold Race and collected a number of Top 10 and Top 15 finishes. A speedskater since the age of eight, Ensing started cycling as part of her training.
The qualified dietician started racing at top level with teams like Hitec Products, Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team and Parkhotel Valkenburg before moving to Alé Cipollini this winter. She was second at Gent-Wevelgem in 2014 and 2015. This year she attacked in the last kilometres in Wevelgem, but was caught back by the sprinting bunch.
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