Egmont Cycling Race: Elisa Balsamo rounds off a strong Lidl-Trek performance with victory in Belgium

Former world champion Elisa Balsamo took her first win of the summer on Tuesday, the Italian rider winning the Egmont Cycling Race in Belgium.

Her Lidl-Trek team had been aggressive throughout the race, attacking and controlling all day, creating a small group in the final. Eventually Balsamo escaped on the wheel of teammate Lucinda Brand, sprinting off her wheel to take the win well ahead of her rivals.

Hélène Hesters (Liv-AlUla-Jayco Continental) sprinted home in second place, with Solbjørk Minke Anderson (EF Education-Oatly) taking third place.

The race was frantic from start to finish, producing a tense final with a number of riders going clear on the closing 25km lap. The last of those was Lily Williams, the Human Powered Health rider looking for a first win with the team. However, she was caught by the Lidl-Trek led peloton with just 2km of the race to run.

As the final approached Brand went clear with Balsamo on her wheel, and the Italian sprinted clear, taking the win by a handful of seconds over Hesters.

The win is Balsamo’s first victory since she took four stages of the Giro d’Italia Women in early June, which were also the team’s most recent victories.

In only its fourth edition, the Egmont Cycling Race is held in and around the Belgian town of Zottegem, the 130.2km race covering five laps of a 26km circuit. Climbing well over 1,100m, each lap tackled three climbs, the Waesberg, Klemhoutstraat and De Vlamme, as well as dealing with the Lippenhovenstraat cobbled sector.

As a UCI 1.1 level race, the start list included five WorldTour teams racing alongside squads form all other levels, including five club teams.

Though riders were dropped of the back, a fast start ensured the front of the race stayed together late into the second lap, then Katja Verkerk (Minimax) and Tabea Huys, riding as a stragiaire for Lidl-Trek, got a small gap. They were joined by Aileen Schweikart (REMBE-rad-net) and they set about building a lead of just over one minute, the race by then inside the closing 75km.

As the lead grew Akari Kobayashi (Kasseien Fiets Huis) attacked the bunch in a vain attempt the reach the front, but after struggling alone for a few kilometres she was swallowed up by the bunch.

With around 55km to go and Schweikart dropped, Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) attacked the peloton, taking Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) and Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) with her. They soon brought the break back and a larger group formed, though that too was caught as the peloton split yet again.

Yet another group got away, this one of 16 riders, then went clear, but they too were brought back and the final lap started with the peloton all together. A late attack from Anne Knijnenburg (Volkerwessels) was brought back with 8km to go, before Williams made another move.

Results

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