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As we mentioned earlier, thawing is blowing very hard out there and now it’s in the face of the riders the pace has really dropped, which is why the gap has grown so much.
Over six minutes now, such a gap is not a common thing.
All change at the front now.
Wrezin, Van Dam, Kolesava, Beekhuis, Mrugal and Von Berswordt now lead the peloton by well over five minutes, while Blanco, Seynave have been dropped by the break.
90km to go
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As a three time winner Lotte Kopecky started today as one of the favourites.
Bad luck meant she had a slightly rocky start to the season, but she’s had two big wins so far.
First she won at at Nokere Koerse then
The day’s first climb is not too far away now, so expect the peloton to become increasingly interested and increasingly quick.
It’s the Wolvenberg, which starats with 82km to go. It’s not a cobbled climb, but it has a maximum gradient of 17%!
It’s only short though, 645m averaging 7.9%.
After the Lippenhovenstraat and Paddestraat one-two the gap is coming down as predicted, the peloton are now only 3.41 down.
We’re told the leading quartet is Kolesava, Beekhuis, Mrugal and Von Berswordt, NOT Blanco, Seynave, Wrezin and Van Dam, who are the secnd group, still just over 30 seconds down.
100km to go!
Paddestraat now! This one is slightly longer and slightly down hill and clearly not the favourite place for Kolesava, who’s struggling to hold on.
Onto the Lipphovenstraat! It’s flat and about 1300m in length.
The peloton are now 4.08 behind the leaders.
The cobbled Lipphovenstraat is coming in the next few kilometres, by the end of that and the Paddestraat there’s little down our two groups will still be leading, but we could see their advantage beginning to drop as the fight for position comes in the peloton.
As it stands Blanco, Seynave, Wrezin and Van Dam continue to lead
Kolesava, Beekhuis, Mrugal and Von Berswordt by 35 seconds.
Meanwhile the peloton has really let the gap grow out and they now trail the leaders by 4.35!
110km left to race
American and Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner is racing in Europe for the first time this season.
She’s hopes her EF Education-Oatly team can get a result today by being “a little sneaky.”
This race and the sport at this time of year are known for cobbles and the Lange Munte was today’s first stretch for the peloton.
We’re getting reports of a crash for Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime). She’s back up and in the bunch, but almost every crash hurts so this could affect the team’s strategy, though of course, they still have Lotte Kopecky.
A weather update for you, the wind remains at almost 30km/h from the west. this is plenty strong enough to affect the race, but the route is such that you never go in one direction long enough for echelons to really break the race.
Our two breakaway groups remain 35 seconds apart, while the peloton are now 2.20 behind the front of the race.
We have two breakaways!
125km to go
The next obstacle for the race is the one-two cobbled sectors of Lipphovenstraat and Paddestraat. The first of those comes after 59.7km, so we have a way to go just yet.
With the Lange Munte behind us Blanco, Seynave, Wrezin and Van Dam (Citymech-Customm) lead the second group of
Kolesava, Beekhuis, Mrugal and Von Berswordt by 35 seconds with the peloton a further minute behind.
We have two groups off the front.
Iurani Blanco (Human Powered Health)
Ilken Seynave (Lotto-Intermarché)
Caroline Wrezin (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)
Yonna van Dam (Citymech-Customm)
lead the buch by 10 seconds while
Anastasiya Kolesava (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto)
Teuntje Beekhuis (UNO-X Mobility)
Alison Mrugal (Mayenne-Monbana-My Pie)
Sophie von Berswordt (VolkerWessels)
There’s a confused picture from the race at the moment, though we’re sure four women lead with a small gap.
30km raced
Our leading group is comprised of:
Anastasiya Kolesava (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto)
Teuntje Beekhuis (UNO-X Mobility)
Alison Mrugal (Mayenne-Monbana-My Pie)
Sophie von Berswordt (VolkerWessels)
We’ve had a few moves off the front but only now has anything stuck, we have four women with a small gap.
20km raced!
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is one of the superstars of cycle sport, with world titles across the disciplines.
The first of six cobbled sectors is the Lange Munte which comes after 29.3km. There are nine climbs too, the Wolvenberg, which opens the climbing after 82km, is one of only two bergs which is on tarmac, making the remaining seven very challenging indeed.
Despite plenty of attacking at the front of the race, the peloton is still together.
154km left to race
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) has proved herself over and again as not only the best sprinter but one of the world’s best riders.
The fight is already on for the breakaway!
As for the weather, it’s reasonably warm, with highs of 12ºC some light rain and high winds up to almost 30k/mh. That’ll be a tailwind on the final few kilometres, ideal for a breakaway.
The race is on!
164.1km to go!
One woman who could have a major influence on today’s race is Franziska Koch, the German champion who moved to FDJ United-SUEZ this year to support Demi Vollering.
While the first edition of the race in 2004, won by Zulfiya Zabirova, covered only 94km, this year we’ve got 164.1km, with plenty of cobbles and bergs on the menu.
Here we go! We’re rolling for 2.9km of neutral, riding out through Bevere before we finally get racing!
Kopecky might be the the record winner, but when she took her first title back in 2022 she was only the second Belgian to win the country’s most iconic race, with Grace Verbeke taking the honours way back in 2010.
Double winners include Mirjam Melchers, Judith Arndt, Annemiek van Vleuten and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), but only one woman has won three editions: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime).
Tour of Flanders Women: Lotte Kopecky makes history with record third victory.
The Tour of Flanders is one of the most coveted races each season and some of the biggest names of the sport have won over the years. Nicole Cooke, Ina Yoko Teutenberg, Marianne Vos, Coryn Labecki, Lizzie Deignan and Ellen van Dijk all grace the race palmarès.
Though Milan Sanremo was the first of the men’s Monuments to host a women’s race, way back in 1999, that only ran until 2005, by which time De Ronde women’s race was in its second edition.
While Sanremo disappeared for 20 years, Flanders has run continually since its inception, making it the longest running of all women’s Monuments.
Our most recent winner in these spring Classics was Movistar’s Marlen Reusser, the Swiss rider winning an enthralling edition of Dwars Door Vlaanderen.
How did she do it? Our report is here.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) is only one of more than 130 women on the start line today and though she’s in flying form with wins at Nokere Koerse and Milan-Sanremo, there are plenty of others hoping for success.
Our preview is here.
We’re in what has become the race’s spiritual home of Oudenaarde for the start this year. We roll out for 2.9km of neutral at 13:25 (local time) before the winner crosses the line back in Oudenaarde after 164.1km of what’s sure to be frantic racing.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of this year’s Tour of Flanders Women Elite. Always one of the most exiting, fascinating, entertaining and keenly anticipated races of the season!
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