Mirjam Melchers (Buitenpoort-Flexpoint) (Image credit: Jeff Jones, Bikeradar.com)
The second women's Ronde van Vlaanderen crowned a superb winner in Mirjam Melchers (Buitenpoort-Flexpoint), who rode with her teammate Susanne Ljungskog in the final 15 km to take a huge victory. The Dutchwoman was the strongest of the pair, after having attacked the bunch with 5 km to go to Geraardsbergen. She was joined by Ljungskog just over the top of the climb, and they could not be hauled back.
A chasing group, which contained World Cup leader Oenone Wood (Nurnberger), was holding the two leaders at 40 seconds when disaster struck, and their lead car took them the wrong way inside the final two kilometres. The group ended up coming up a side road into the finish and were all given "did not finish" by the race jury. No World Cup points were awarded because of the mistake, and Wood kept the jersey.
