Annemiek van Vleuten earns second Omloop Het Nieuwsblad title

Saturday was the start of the Spring Classics season, and at the women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a 1.Pro-rated race, Annemiek van Vleuten continued her early season domination by beating Demi Vollering in a sprint. Van Vleuten hoisted the Setmana Valenciana-Volta Comunitat Valenciana Fémines trophy earlier this month. It was the Dutch Movistar rider’s second Omloop Het Nieuwsblad title. Magdeleine Vallieres was the top Canadian.

You can watch the Spring Classics at FloBikes.

The riders faced seven cobbled sections, six hills and two cobbled hills over 128 km, with the same Muur-Kapelmuur-Bosberg finish as the men’s race, the Muur coming with 17 km to go and the Bosberg with 14 km left to race.

By the time the race hit the first cobblestones, a breakaway of 6 leaders had an advance on the peloton of 3:18. After the first breakaway was sopped up, a quartet containing Ellen van Dijk busted loose on the Berendries.

At the foot of the famous Muur, the quartet’s gap was 30 seconds. Van Dijk and Reusser led the way. Only Henderson dropped away on the wicked climb. Henderson was now in a chase trio with van Vleuten and Vollering.

The Bosberg

Van Vleuten’s chase made the junction before the Bosberg. SD Worx now had two riders in the sextet. The group slowed down and SD Worx received another reinforcement in Belgian champion Lotte Kopecky. Van Vleuten applied the pressure on the final hill and surged clear with Vollering.

The chase grew after a trio containing Elisa Longo Borghini reached van Dijk’s group. Vollering and van Vleuten hit the 10 km to go mark with 30 seconds over the nontet of pursuers.

With 5 km to the finish and a minute’s gap, it was clear the day’s winner would be Dutch. Van Vleuten attacked inside on the penultimate corner and then managed to hold off Vollering for the win.

Third place went to DSM’s Lorena Wiebes, creating an all-Dutch podium.

The Women’s WorldTour finally gets underway next Saturday at Strade Bianche.

2022 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
1) Annemiek van Vleuten (The Netherlands/Movistar) 3:28:15
2) Demi Vollering (The Netherlands/SD Worx) s.t.
3) Lorena Wiebes (The Netherlands/DSM) +0:25
35) Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) s.t.
72) Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Canada/Cofidis) +4:22