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Van Vleuten earns second Tour of Flanders triumph a decade after her first

Dutch star also won Wednesday's Dwars door Vlaanderen

European champion Annemiek Van Vleuten followed up her victory in Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen with her first WorldTour triumph of the season in Easter Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, her accomplishment coming a decade after she first won the cobbled classic. The Dutch rider tore loose on the Paterberg to get her second win for new squad Movistar. Alison Jackson was top Canadian in 22nd.

Before Sunday the Women’s WorldTour had seen wins from four different teams: Tour of Flanders title-holder Chantal van den Broek-Blaak of SX Worx took Strade Bianche at the beginning of the March, Elisa Longo Borghini prevailed in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda to assume the WorldTour lead, Bike Exchange’s Grace Brown earned the Oxyclean Classic Brugge-De Panne trophy, and Marianne Vos bossed Gent-Wevelgem to get Jumbo-Visma its first triumph as a squad.

The Course

The riders had 13 “hellingen” to climb in 152 km. At the 50 km to go mark the race started with the decisive hills: the Berg Ten Houte, the Kanarieberg, the Taaienberg, and the Kruisberg, before the grand finale of the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg. The cobbled Kruisberg (2.5 km of 4.3 percent), Oude Kwaremont (2.1 km of 4.3 percent) and Paterberg (800 metres of 11.7 percent) were all within 13 km. After the Paterberg, there were 13 km to finish line in Oudenaarde.

There were a couple of early breakaways, with 50 km remaining and most of the climbs conquered, the field was together, although considerably whittled down.

Annemiek Van Vleuten it the fireworks on the Kanarieberg, and Vos, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Anna Van der Breggen all following. Van Vleuten put in another thrust but there was a reassembly soon after the hill.

Van Vleuten lit the fuse on the Kanarieberg.

Trek’s French champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot bolted with 43 km remaining and faced the Taaienberg solo. The chase was 25 riders strong. By the time she started the Kruisberg, Cordon-Ragot had a 49-second gap. Van der Breggen dragged along the chase.

Cordon-Ragot bumps up the Kruisberg with a useful gap.

The French champ couldn’t stay clear before the Oude Kwaremont. Van der Breggen hit the gas and created an octet containing Van Vleuten, Brown and Longo Borghini. WorldTour leader Vos was distanced.

Van der Breggen forces the gap on the Oude Kwaremont.

Brown and Van Vleuten tried to push away before the Paterberg. Van Vleuten attacked and almost came to a standstill, steadying herself on a barrier. She had only a small lead going down the other side.

Van Vleuten rid herself of the others on the Paterberg.

It was time trial versus team time trial in the final 12 kilometres, with SD Worx doing a lot of labour. With 2 km to race it was clear that Van Vleuten would prevail. Lisa Brennauer was the fastest out of the chase group.

2021 Tour of Flanders
1) Annemiek Van Vleuten (The Netherlands/Movistar) 4:01:11
2) Lisa Brennauer (Germany/Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling) +0:26
3) Grace Brown (Australia/Bike Exchange) s.t.
22) Alison Jackson (Canada/Liv Racing) +2:11
99) Leah Kirchmann (Canada/Team DSM) +9:59