Canadian Olivia Baril in day’s breakaway at Tour of Flanders, Kopecky triumphs
Kopecky only the second Belgian to win in 19 editions
Canada’s Olivia Baril of Valcar-Travel & Service had a strong Tour of Flanders on Sunday as part of a small breakaway that spent most of the day on the front. By outsprinting the reigning champion Annemiek van Vleuten, Lotte Kopecky became only the second Belgian to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 19 editions and the first in 12 years. Kopecky also triumphed in March’s Strade Bianche.
? @LotteKopecky wins #RVVwomen after an impressive performance of the whole @teamsdworx! The belgian champion winning @RondeVlaanderen – what more could the flemish wish for today? #RVV22 pic.twitter.com/gO8iYbYnmp
— UCI_WWT (@UCI_WWT) April 3, 2022
The Course
The 158.6 km Ronde held 11 cobbled sections, 10 hills and six cobbled hills. The biggest moves would likely start on the Koppenberg with 45 km to go. The finale was the same as the men’s race: the pairing of Oude Kwaremont and the 400-metre, 13.5% Paterberg 12.5 km from the finish line in Oudenaarde.
#RVVwomen ??
The women’s peloton is now heading out of Oudenaarde ➡️
Here’s what awaits them over the next 159km at #RVV22 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3DUTYnvy1y
— Team Jayco AlUla (@GreenEDGEteam) April 3, 2022
Baril made a breakaway that formed soon after the flag was waved in Oudenaarde. Baril was one of three Canadians in the race, along with Sara Poidevin and Leah Kirchmann. Before the first cobbled section, Lippenhovestraat, a chase group snapped off the front of the field and lit out after Baril’s quartet.
Baril and Clara Honsinger left the others on the Wolvenberg climb and were 1:30 ahead of the peloton with 70 km remaining.
With the peloton closing in, Baril and Honsinger received a couple of reenforcements before the mighty Koppenberg (600 metres, 9.7 percent). DSM and Trek-Segafredo pulled the peloton. The remains of the breakaway were swept up by a strong chase group with 35 km to race and Baril finally faded on the Kruisberg/Hotond.
By the time of the Oude Kwaremont, Marlen Reusser and Brodie Chapman led reigning champ Annemiek van Vleuten, 2020 winner Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, Lotte Kopecky and five others by nine seconds. Only the Paterberg remained. There, Reusser left Chapman but she was caught. Van Vleuten attacked over the top.
Van den Broek-Blaak bounced clear with 11 km to race. Van Vleuten and Kopecky were the closest chasers, and Kopecky wouldn’t hunt down her SD Worx teammate. The trio came together and kept a good gap over Reusser and Chapman 6 km from the line.
Van den Broek-Blaak led under kite and then Kopecky finished off the race by outsprinting van Vleuten.
2022 Tour of Flanders
1) Lotte Kopecky (Belgium/SD Worx)
2) Annemiek van Vleuten (The Netherlands/Movistar)
3) Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (The Netherlands/SD Worx)
