Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) climbed to the top step of the podium following a nail-biting finale to the Women’s Tour of Flanders. The world champion edged out Emma Johansson (Wiggle High5) by a bike throw to the line in Oudennarde. Two seconds later, Armitstead’s teammate Chantal Blaak won the chase group sprint for third.
The Women's Tour of Flanders marked the fifth round of the new Women's WorldTour and it took place on April 3 in Belgium. The top 20 women's teams in the world were invited to compete in the 13th edition of the race including the number one ranked team Wiggle High5 with defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini, Boels Dolmans with the current world champion and WorldTour leader Lizzie Armitstead, Canyon-SRAM with Elena Checchini and Cervelo-Bigla with Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and Rabo-Liv with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Anna van der Breggen.
This year's edition took the women on a 140km trek beginning and ending in Oudenaarde. It boasted 10 climbs, including the Paterberg at a maximum grade at over 20 per cent, and six cobbled sections.
