Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) won her third race of the year on Friday, this time at Veenendaal-Veenendaal Women on home roads. The Dutch rider jumped from the peloton in the final 500 metres to cruise across the finish line several bike lengths ahead of second-placed Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health) and Nienke Veenhoven (Visma-Lease a Bike).
Two solo attacks featured across the 134.3km race, the last by Helena Bieber (Carbonbike Giordana Sofré by Gen Z), who held the peloton at bay for nearly 20km. Visma-Lease a Bike were the main driver to shut down her effort in the final 3km to set up a bunch sprint.
The Dutch race returned for a fifth edition, having been absent from the calendar last year when it was cancelled due to police shortages. Visma-Lease a Bike was looking to hold the title, with Riejanne Markus last winning the one-day race in 2024 with a late solo effort.
Early on a hot day in central Netherlands, VolkerWessels Cycling had four riders in the front group, with five other teams each having a single rider, including Markus for SD Worx-Protime. The nine riders had gained an advantage from the peloton just 3km from the start of the first of two large 40km circuits.
Just before the first pass of the finish line, the breakaway effort faded for eight of the riders, and Markus surged away on a solo effort. She was able to carve out a 1:30 advantage on the next 25km.
Once through Veenedaal a second time for the pair of shorter circuits of 23km each, the pace in the peloton picked up, and splits began to form. With one lap to go, Markus had been reeled back, and her spot as a lone leader was taken over by Bieber, who attacked just before the bell lap began.
The final flat 23km seemed to be set up for the sprint teams to set up early, but Bieber had other ideas as she dashed off and continued to gain more seconds just outside of town.
The German time trial specialist remained steady at the front as the peloton streaked past the Lower Rhine river in Wageningen and made the 9km northern approach back to the finish for a final time, the gap still at 30 seconds. Visma-Lease a Bike and Fenix-Premier Tech moved riders to the front of the peloton in the chase.
With 2.5km to go, the Women's WorldTour teams took the upper hand in the catch of Bieber, with Kool dominating the final sprint.
Results
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