As it Happened: Young French star launches explosive sprint to win Brabantse Pijl Women

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Brabantse Pijl Women 2026. We're in for a hilly day that bridges the gap between the Classics in Flanders and the Ardennes.

Last year, it was Elisa Longo Borghini who attacked solo with 11km to go to claim victory in Overijse.

The Italian is absent from the race today, and it's a very open start-list to find her successor.

Read our report from last year to refresh your memory of the race:

De Brabantse Pijl Women: Elisa Longo Borghini goes solo to take second consecutive win

The race is due to begin in just over 20 minutes.

Brabantse Pijl may not get the recognition of other one-day Classics, but this is one of the most relentless race days of the year. There are 19 climbs on the route, most of them short and sharp.

The Moskesstraat will be a key point of the race, and the riders will tackle the 500 metre climb three times. Longo Borghini used the 8% gradient last year to get away from her rivals.

Many of the biggest riders are sitting this one out, with one eye on the Ardennes Classics week, which begins on Sunday with Amstel Gold.

Franziska Koch is here for FDJ United-SUEZ, fresh off her spectacular victory at Paris-Roubaix Femmes.

As ever, SD Worx-ProTime look like they will dictate much of this race. The Dutch team has Lotte Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen on the start-list.

Others who may contend include world champion Magdeleine Vallieres, who has said that this next ten days of racing is her big focus for the first part of the year.

UAE Team ADQ is here with a strong squad, too. Dominika Włodarczyk will look to continue her strong season and has Karlijn Swinkels and Paula Blasi alongside her.

The riders will set off for the neutral start in five minutes, with the official flag-drop at 11:35 CET.

The bike of a world champion. Magdeleine Vallieres has been targetting this period of racing.

This race is almost a ceremonial passing of the baton from the cobbles of Flanders to the hills of the Ardennes. The race begins in Lennik, in Flanders to the west of Brussels, and concludes in Overijse, just to the Belgian capital's east, in Wallonia.

The teams have been announced to the crowds in Lennik and we're almost ready to begin.

Neutral Start

The riders are leaving Lennik.

The riders will begin by heading south towards the first few climbs of the day before heading east to Overijse where they will take on three local laps. The laps include four key climbs which will likely decide the race: Herstraat, Moskesstraat, Holstheide and S-Bocht Overijse.

125.9km to go

The flag has dropped. Time to race.

The opening climb of the day, the Beerselberg, comes after 12.5km of racing.

Franziska Koch must be on a high after her victory on Sunday. The German champion has had a remarkable season so far, even though she has mostly ridden in support of Demi Vollering.

The FDJ United-SUEZ rider has another opportunity to lead the team here and has to be counted among the top favourites.

120km to go

No attacks in the opening stages.

As always, plenty of support for former world champion Lotte Kopecky in Lennik this morning.

After victory at Milano-Sanremo, the Cobbled Classics didn't quite go to plan for the SD Worx-ProTime rider, just off the podium at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Can she get back to winning ways in the Ardennes?

Kopecky was not originally down to compete in this race, she has told reporters at the start in Lennik this morning. She was supposed to fly to Hong Kong this week to compete in the UCI Track World Cup, but the evolving situation in the Middle East prevented her.

"The tickets were no longer as flexible," Kopecky told Sporza. "So that has a lot to do with it. And the trip would also be incredibly tiring, so the decision to abandon that trip was quickly made."

Kopecky will not take part in the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday and will next be in competition at Liége-Bastogne-Liége. She expects a tactical race today.

"With our team, we can race aggressively here. That the others will be watching us? That is often the case, and today will be no different."

Beerselberg (0.5km at 6.4%)

Time for the opening climb of 19 on today's menu.

The riders are already on the way to the second climb of the day as they head south into Wallonia. No attacks yet.

There's just one former winner of this race on the start-list today. That's Italian Silvia Persico.

The UAE Team ADQ rider's career has tapered off somewhat since her victory in 2023 and she is part of a strong squad with multiple leaders. Will she have any freedom to chase her own result today?

Bruineput (1.1km at 6.2%)

The riders are already on climb number two. Could it be a springboard for an early attack?

It's a nice spring day in Belgium, with temperatures getting up to 18 degrees celsius. There's a very gentle tailwind for much of the day and no chance of rain.

A few riders have already been dropped on the opening two climbs. The pace is high, the big teams are not letting any attacks get away.

Axelle Dubau-Prévot is doing some of the work at the front for EF Education-Oatly team-mate Magdeleine Vallieres. Swiss champion Steffi Häberlin is driving things on too for SD Worx-ProTime.

Eigenbrakelsesteenweg (0.9km at 4.3%)

Another climb down.

100km to go

The peloton are ticking along at 42km/h average over these hills. It's going to be an attritional day if this keeps up.

Young Belgian Fleur Moors is a nice outside pick for today.

The Lidl-Trek rider has had a breakthrough spring, with second place at In Flanders Fields the highlight. The has another young star in Isabella Holmgren who could contend today.

Find out more about Moors, who could be the next star of women's cycling in Belgium

'She's a real go-getter' – Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?

Chemin dit le Bois (1.4km at 3.5%)

Just about the longest climb of the day, but it has a gentle gradient.

Brabantse Pijl Women is not a WorldTour race, so there is plenty of representation from third-tier teams, with 11 in attendance including British team DAS-Hutchison.

The first quartet of climbs is complete and the riders will soon turn north-east towards Overijse.

This is the longest period of the race without any climbs, with the Rue François Dubois coming up in 16 kilometres.

A group of 10 has attacked from the peloton and have a lead of 30 seconds. They are:

Alexandra Volstad (EF Education-Oatly)
Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Carina Schrempf (Fenix-Premier Tech)
Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek)
Talia Appleton (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Ella Wyllie (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Daniela Hezinova (Picnic-PostNL)
Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-ProTime)
Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ)
Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels)

A really interesting group there. All the big teams except FDJ United-SUEZ represented.

The riders are now on a long, flat section. That could be a good place for this group to build a lead.

Surely FDJ United-SUEZ will be hoping to bring this back. The team has some strong domestiques to work on the front such as Jade Wiel and Amber Kraak, but will be keen not to burn through resources too early.

90km to go

The group's lead remains around 30 seconds

The group's lead is up to 46 seconds.

The group has been caught by FDJ United-SUEZ. Loes Adegeest has launched a counter-attack and now has a 10-second lead.

The riders are approaching the first ascent of the S-Bocht Overijse, which they will tackle four times.

A shot of the breakaway, which was caught a few moments ago.

A bit of a lull now with the peloton happy to see Adegeest dangle out front.

60km to go

Adegeest has a lead of 15 seconds

S-Bocht Overijse (1.3km at 3.7%)

The riders are getting their first look of the climb to the finish

It's a gentle climb, winding through to the centre of Overijse. Adegeest is making her way through the finish line with three laps to go.

Eleonara La Bella of continental team Aromitalia Vaiano attacked on the climb but was caught. A group of five attacked near the top and has a small advantage.

Not long until the next climb. The ascents will be relentless from here on.

Just 13 seconds for Adegeest now.

Hertstraat (0.7km at 4.9%)

The first cobbled climb of the day.

This one starts out steeply, with a maximum gradient of 9%.

Riders are being tailed off the back of the peloton.

Djikstra has attacked and quickly caught Adegeest.

Dijkstra and Adegeest are working together with a lead of 8 seconds.

There is a big group off the back with many riders from the third-tier teams. There is also a gaggle of Picnic-PostNL riders distanced.

Moskesstraat (0.5km at 8.2%)

A first look at this race's most decisive climb. The Moskesstraat is cobbled and steep. Longo Borghini used the final ascent of this climb to make her winning move last year.

Adegeest and Dijkstra have 15 seconds.

All the big names have moved to the front on this climb. Not pushing on, just being ready and in position.

Kopecky moves to the front at the top of the climb and looks to test the peloton.

Kopecky is continuing on the front. It's possible that she is playing a team role for Van der Breggen today.

Holstheide (1km at 4.9%

Quickly onto the next ascent. The lead group has 16 seconds.

The leading pair is working well together.

UAE Team ADQ and SD Worx-ProTime are putting the pressure on during this climb behind.

Junior women's world time-trial champion Megan Arens is being distanced for Picnic-PostNL.

The leading pair now have 33 seconds.

Paris-Roubaix champion Franziska Koch is waiting in the peloton for now.

A rider from the third-tier Citymesh-Customm team is trying to bridge over to the lead.

It's Britt Knaven on the attack for Citymesh-Customm. She has around 35 seconds of a deficit to the front.

The leaders now have a minute on the peloton.

S-Bocht Overijse (1.3km at 3.7%)

Back onto the S-Bocht climb. Dijkstra and Adegeest are stretching their lead as the peloton pauses.

40km to go

1:20 for the leading pair now as the peloton hits the climb.

It's Dubau-Prévot working on the front in support of Vallieres on this climb. She has done a lot of the early pulling, so this could be her final effort.

The leaders have crossed the start-finish line in Overijse with two laps to go.

The peloton are not driving things on at the moment. No team is taking the initiative on the climb.

Knaven, whose sister Mirre is also in the race for EF Education-Oatly, is around a minute behind the lead now.

Britt and Mirre's father, Servais, won Paris-Roubaix 25 years ago in what's regarded as the race's muddiest edition.

A mud-bath, an over-inflated spare tyre, and a domestique holding the cobblestone trophy – Servais Knaven relives his iconic Paris-Roubaix victory 25 years on

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Hetrstraat (0.7km at 4.2%)

The leaders have 1:24.

UAE Team ADQ come to the front ahead of the Hertstraat alongside Lidl-Trek and Fenix-Premier Tech.

Koch is not far away from the front of the bunch. She is sitting on the wheel of Kopecky and Van der Breggen, with Vallieres nearby too as they hit the steep gradients at the start of this climb.

No major moves yet on the climbs.

Knaven has been caught on the Hertstraat.

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio has moved towards the front. The South African is taking on her final spring campaign in what will be her final season in the bunch.

There are still round 60 riders in this bunch.

EF Education-Oatly are raising the pace on the gentle descent off the Herstraat. This is the lead-out to the Moskesstraat, which is less than two kilometres away.

Kopecky goes to the front on a tight bend and accelerates out of it. You get the feeling that she is a coiled-spring ready to go at the moment.

Despite the raise in pace behind, Adegeest and Dijkstra still have 90 seconds.

Big lead out now by the big teams behind.

Moskesstraat (0.5km at 8.2%)

The Moskesstraat for the penultimate time. The lead is down to 1:08.

UAE Team ADQ get the box seat on the climb and are driving things at the bottom.

Now SD Worx-ProTime take over with Van der Breggen. The group is splitting behind.

Vallieres and Koch are sitting together just behind Van der Breggen on the climb. Moors is there too.

30km to go

Gap down to 50 seconds.

Van der Breggan is continuing now on this flat section. There are no more than 25 in this group left. The gap to the front in 45 seconds.

Holstheide (1km at 5.3%)

The leaders are on the next climb.

There are two riders in the group for Koch, with Gery sitting on the wheel and Kraak now moving to do some work on the front.

Attack by Koch with Gery on the wheel. Moors, Holmgren and Moolman Pasio are on the wheel, as is Vallieres.

The attack stalls now and riders are able to get back to the front. Kopecky was right at the back when Koch moved.

Now Van der Breggen goes. Not the rider you want to let slip away. It's Lidl-Trek chasing behind with Holmgren.

The gap to the front has shattered over the past 10km. It's now just 20 seconds.

2023 winner Persico is attacking over to Van der Breggen.

And the group stalls. No one wants to do the chasing.

25km to go

The riders are on a flat section now before the S-Bocht Overijse.

It's Koch now pulling the group with Gery on the wheel. Is the German champion working for her young French team-mate?

The chasing group is now 36 seconds behind Adegeest and Dijkstra. Van der Breggen is just 11 seconds behind the lead now, with Persico stuck in between.

Van der Breggen appears to be riding in an illegal position on this section. The old 'puppy paws' position carries with it a potential disqualification.

Van der Breggen has caught the leaders. They have an advantage of 44 seconds.

S-Bocht Overijse (1.3km at 3.7%)

On to the climb to the line for the penultimate time.

Not a great deal of intensity in the chase just yet. We've seen Van der Breggen win from this position may times before and things are looking good for the former world champion if she can shake Dijkstra and Adegeest.

20km to go

The leaders take the bell for the final lap

Two groups have come back to join the chasers, such is the lack of commitment to this pursuit.

The deficit for the chasing group is now over a minute.

Persico is closing in. She has 18 seconds to make up now.

Hertstraat (0.7km at 4.2%)

The penultimate cobbled ascent. 15 seconds now to Persico, with the chasers still over a minute behind.

Dijkstra appears to be struggling now. She has stopped taking pulls.

Van der Breggen is pushing on up the Hertstraat, but appears to want to keep at least one of her companions with her.

And all three make it over together.

The peloton hits the climb and have closed the gap back to 55 seconds.

Persico has dropped back to 24 seconds.

15km to go

On the way to the final ascent of the Moskesstraat now.

EF Education-Oatly is pacing in the chase group now. Evita Muzic is helping for FDJ United-SUEZ.

The leading three are all working well together again now. They have 48 seconds over the chasers.

Lidl-Trek are lurking near the front of the group looking to disrupt the chase with Adegeest out front. It's working. The gap is growing again.

Moskesstraat (0.5km at 8.2%)

Onto the final ascent of the hardest climb of this race. Van der Breggen leads them on.

Van der Breggen is pushing on now. Adegeest and Dijkstra are straining to keep up.

Dijkstra is dropped as they hit the steep section.

The gap to the chasers is down to 30 seconds as Persico is caught. It's Liv-AlUla-Jayco on the front.

Van der Breggen takes a couple of bike-lengths over Adegeest as they crest the climb, but the Lidl-Trek rider pegs her back on the descent.

10km to go

40 seconds for the chase group now.

The chasing group has split on that climb, which most likely means that there will be a dearth of domestiques to chase.

It's Vallieres pulling on the front of the chase group, with no team-mates left. She stops and the gap will go out to the front again.

Holstheide (1km at 5.3%)

Time for the penultimate climb.

8km to go

Ricarda Bauernfeind is attacking - curiously, as she has a team-mate up front.

Van der Breggen attacks on a small rise, but Adegeest is equal to it. What a ride today by the Lidl-Trek rider.

It's Moolman Pasio chasing now. She has no team-mates and is just pulling along the group of 25 riders behind her.

Van der Breggen goes again. Adegeest clings on.

The front duo now have 45 seconds on the chasers.

A 4km flat section now before the final climb to the finish.

Lidl-Trek is mobbing the front with four riders. They are doing a good job of discouraging the pursuit.

For the first time, the leaders are stalling. Van der Breggen doesn't want to come through to do any more work. She seems frustrated that she wasn't able to shake Adegeest off.

5km to go

UAE Team ADQ driving things on now. The gap is crumbling as the leaders fail to collaborate. It's suddenly less than 20 seconds.

Vallieres attacks now with Kastelijn and Holmgren on the wheel, but the world champion can't away.

Adegeest is still stuck on the front. The lead is just 13 seconds as Liv-ALUla-Jayco pull the chase group.

Dijkstra has been caught.

3km to go

Van der Breggen is still refusing to work. Adegeest is measuring her effort on the front and holds the lead at 15 seconds as they approach the final climb.

Liv-AlUla-Jayco are working for Paternoster.

Lidl-Trek lurk just behind with five riders including Moors who would be a favourite in the sprint.

2km to go

The gap is 13 seconds.

UAE Team ADQ takes over now. Swinkels would be their option in the sprint.

S-Bocht Overijse (1.3km at 3.7%)

Onto the final climb and the leaders have been caught.

1km to go

Lidl-Trek leading things out for Moors.

Van der Breggen is now leading the peloton, with Kopecky in perfect position. Bredewold is there too.

Van der Breggen swings over. Bredewold takes over.

Kopecky moving round to the front now. Gery is the first to kick off the sprint.

Gery goes long. Bredewold is on the wheel and tries to overcome the youngster in the final few metres.

Célia Gery wins Brabantse Pijl Women 2026

But the FDJ United-SUEZ rider holds on. A masterful sprint.

Bredewold was coming back at Gery with speed, but missed out by half a wheel. Persico was third for UAE Team ADQ.

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio was fourth after a strong race, just ahead of Fleur Moors, who rounded out the top-5.

It's a first career win on the road for Gery, who is viewed as a prodigious talent. It was her team-mate Franziska Koch who appeared to be the team's leader after her victory at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, but Gery sat primed and ready in the group all day.

The 20-year-old unleashed a destructive long sprint, which may have surprised the others. She showed her power-endurance to hold her speed all the way to the line and hold off Bredewold.

The story of the race leading up to the sprint was all about the leading breakaway. First Dijkstra and Adegeest held a strong lead before being caught by Van der Breggen. With Dijkstra distanced, it appeared that they remaining duo would fight for the win before Van der Breggen stopped pulling. In the end, their attack was for nothing, and the pair were caught at the bottom of the climb.

"I did my sprint really far on the finish, but it was good. So I'm really happy," Gery said to the TV cameras after the finish.

"The girls did a really, really good job to close the gap with the girls in front. So I'm really proud of them."

Here's our full report from a relentless day of climbing through Flanders and Wallonia.

De Brabantse Pijl Women: Breakthrough for Célia Gery as Frenchwoman clinches first pro win in small group sprint