Lotta Lepisto wins Gent-Wevelgem

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Lotta Lepistö (Cervélo-Bigla) sprinted to victory in Wevelgem on Sunday to win the fourth round of the UCI Women's WorldTour. The Finnish champion bested Jolien D'hoore (Wiggle High5) and Trofeo Binda winner Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb) for the top step of the Gent-Wevelgem podium.

"This race was my goal," said Lepistö. "I was focused on winning it. It's a race that suits me and last year I was close but made a mistake. I told myself that won't happen again, so today I made sure I was in the front. Flanders is Flanders, and anything can happen but this was my goal. We agreed to target today and I got it. I am really satisfied."

The one-day Belgian classic, running over many of the same roads used by the men's race, ended in a bunch kick of more than 40 riders. The group formed over the hilly middle section of the 146km day. Despite relentless attacks during the final 40 kilometres, the reduced peloton remained tightly grouped.

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The race, now in its fourth running, had never ended in more than a three-rider move prior to Sunday.

"We had five girls in the front group," noted Lepistö. "They did an amazing job. Stephie [Pohl] did the lead outs to the Kemmelberg, Marie [Vilmann] our climber here in Flanders, attacked after the climbs to put pressure on the group, Cecilie [Uttrup Ludwig] waited for me in the climbs and brought me to the front because I wanted to ride them at my own pace. She covered a million attacks.

"Lisa [Klein] is my tandem, she is always with me," Lepistö continued. "Ashleigh [Moolman Paiso] coming back from injury and being in all the attacks and keeping me calm. She always has the right things to say, telling me to relax, it's not my turn to go into a group. [Team manager] Thomas [Campana] in the car had a really good tactic and believed in us. This is another team victory."

While Lepistö won Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, her victory on Sunday is a historic win for her Swiss-registered squad. The rejuvenated Cérvelo-Bigla team, launched three years ago under the direction of Campana, had never won a World Cup or Women's WorldTour race – until today.

"The success is overwhelming for me and the staff," said Campana. "We're very happy that the riders we've developed over the years are winning and our talent scouting is working. For us it's important to develop step by step. The talent we signed three years ago is starting to win big now, in front of some big riders."

How it unfolded

The fourth edition of Gent-Wevelgem started under sunny skies in Ieper. The peloton was relatively inactive during the four opening laps, and an intact bunch headed for the hills that were grouped together mid-race.

The first ascent of the Kemmelberg split the peloton slightly. The descent toward the Monteberg did further damage. Up and over the second climb of the day, three distinct groups had formed with 20 seconds separating the first two.

The splits were small enough for a re-grouping to occur before the Baneberg, the day's third climb. Around 50 riders hit the bottom of the second trip up the Kemmelberg together.

Although a few riders were unable to maintain contact over the Kemmelberg-Monteberg combination, the group largely stayed together. With the hills finished, the reduced bunch had only flat roads and some wind to contend with en route to Wevelgem.

Marie Villman, Lepistö's teammate, launched an attack with 25 kilometres remaining. She gained a maximum of 10 seconds before the peloton brought her back. Next, a group of six tried to slip away. They too were neutralised by the peloton.

Former winner Floortjej Mackaij (Team Sunweb) then escaped with Alice Barnes (Drops). Olympic road champion Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) and Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High5) were the next to go up the road. Neither pairing could gain more than 400 metres.

Fifteen kilometres from the finish, Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans) initiated a move that included UCI Women's WorldTour leader Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle High5), Ellen van Dijk (Team Sunweb) and Katrin Garfoot (Orica-Scott). The quartet succeeded in gaining 10-seconds over the bunch.

When Arlenis Sierra (Astana) and Marta Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini) bridged across, Majerus was told to stop working. As the Luxembourgish champion skipped pulls, the others did, too, quickly spelling the end of the move.

Janneke Ensing (Alé Cipollini) jumped four kilometres from the finish. Olga Zabelinskaya (BePink Cogeas) marked the move. The pair were caught with two kilometres still to race, and the reduced bunch readied for the sprint. Lepistö bided her time to come away with the win.

"The finish was hectic. There was headwind, and I was waiting, waiting, waiting," said Lepistö. "In the final 100 metres, I was just pushing as hard as I could. It hurt my lungs, my legs, everywhere."

The Women's WorldTour continues next weekend with the Tour of Flanders.

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