Verbeke becomes first Belgian winner of Flanders
Lotto rider takes emotional win ahead of bunch
Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies Team) continued her good run of form with the biggest win of her career in Sunday’s women’s Tour of Flanders. The Belgian was one of the main aggressors, attacking on the fourth of nine climbs and then dropping her breakaway companion, Adrie Visser (HTC-Columbia), on the final climb of the Bosberg, with 12 of the 120km remaining, to score a popular solo win in Ninove.
The race was doubly significant for 25-year old Verbeke, being the biggest win of her career and also the first home win in the seventh edition of the women’s race. Her tactics were strongly influenced by the conditions, she explained at the finish.
“On the Molenberg [the fourth climb, after 74km] I forced it, and went hard,” said Verbeke. “It was not the plan - I wanted to go on the Muur [-Kapelmuur, the eighth and penultimate climb, 16km from the finish] but it was very muddy and very tricky, so I just wanted to be first up. I forced it and when I looked back I had a nice gap, which was a surprise.
“On the Muur the atmosphere was fantastic,” continued Verbeke. “Everyone was chanting my name, and I didn’t even feel myself pedalling - I couldn’t feel my legs, it was as though I was being pushed. When I got away on my own I felt I had the legs to stay away.
“I was very strong today. It’s a race I worked very hard for so I was in good shape. It means so much to me, in the first place because I’m a Belgian girl in a Belgian race. This is Flanders, so it’s very big for me and big for the sponsor of my team. It’s amazing.”
Marianne Vos, who was one of several crash victims, recovered to win the sprint for second from a small chasing group in Ninove.
1 | Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | 3:09:27 |
2 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:00:03 |
3 | Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervelo TestTeam | |
4 | Emma Johansson (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team | |
5 | Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC Columbia Women | |
6 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
7 | Noemi Cantele (Ita) HTC Columbia Women | |
8 | Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | |
9 | Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo TestTeam | 0:00:08 |
10 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:00:51 |
11 | Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara | 0:01:47 |
12 | Monia Baccaille (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
13 | Brooke Miller (USA) TIBCO | |
14 | Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
15 | Andrea Bosman (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
16 | Angela Hennig (Ger) Noris Cycling | |
17 | Iris Slappendel (Ned) Cervelo TestTeam | |
18 | Carla Swart (RSA) MTN Energade | |
19 | Sjoukje Dufoer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | |
20 | Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Cervelo TestTeam | |
21 | Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | |
22 | Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
23 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
24 | Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team | |
26 | Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
27 | Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
28 | Nicole Cooke (GBr) Great Britain | |
29 | Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
30 | Irina Molicheva (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
31 | Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | |
32 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australia | |
33 | Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | |
34 | Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam | |
35 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
36 | Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl) HTC Columbia Women | |
37 | Elena Berlato (Ita) Togo | |
38 | Trixi Worrack (Ger) Noris Cycling | |
39 | Alona Andruk (Ukr) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
40 | Edwige Pitel (Fra) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox | |
41 | Ruth Corset (Aus) TIBCO | |
42 | Karin Aune (Swe) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
43 | Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:04:27 |
44 | Andrea Dvorak (USA) United States Of America | |
45 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Netherlands | |
46 | Amber Neben (USA) United States Of America | |
47 | Loes Markerink (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
48 | Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | |
49 | Janneke Kanis (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
50 | Petra Dijkman (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team | |
51 | Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) TIBCO | |
52 | Uenia Fernandes Da Souza (Bra) Acs Chirio - Forno d'Asolo | |
53 | Marissa Van Der Merwe (RSA) MTN Energade | |
54 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
56 | Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australia | |
57 | Martina Corazza (Ita) Team Valdarno | 0:06:24 |
58 | Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | 0:06:32 |
59 | Alessandra D'ettorre (Ita) Togo | |
60 | Marta Vila Josana Andreu (Spa) Team Valdarno | |
61 | Martina Zwick (Ger) Germany | |
62 | Tania Belvederesi (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
63 | Corine Hierckens (Bel) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
64 | Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) HTC Columbia Women | 0:08:17 |
65 | Robyn De Groot (RSA) MTN Energade | 0:08:54 |
66 | Sigrid Corneo (Slo) Togo | |
67 | Valentina Carretta (Ita) Togo | |
68 | Giada Borgato (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
69 | Lylanie Lauwrens (RSA) MTN Energade | |
70 | Marie Lindberg (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team | |
71 | Isabelle Söderberg (Swe) Hitec Products UCK | |
72 | Alessandra Borchi (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
73 | Sophie Creux (Fra) ESGL 93 - GSD Gestion | |
74 | Jessie Daams (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | 0:11:03 |
76 | Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | |
77 | Olena Oliinyk (Ukr) Acs Chirio - Forno d'Asolo | |
78 | Lotte Van Hoek (Ned) Netherlands | |
79 | Emma Trott (GBr) Great Britain | 0:12:07 |
80 | Laure Werner (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team | |
81 | Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
82 | Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
83 | Katie Colclough (GBr) Great Britain | |
84 | Janel Holcomb (USA) United States Of America | |
85 | Martina Ruzickova (Cze) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox | |
86 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Togo | |
87 | Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products UCK | |
88 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox | |
89 | Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team | |
90 | Edita Unguryte (Ltu) Acs Chirio - Forno d'Asolo | |
91 | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
92 | Trine Schmidt (Den) MTN Energade | |
93 | Anne Eversdijk (Ned) Netherlands | 0:12:35 |
94 | Sinead Miller (USA) United States Of America | |
95 | Bridie O'donnell (Aus) Team Valdarno | |
96 | Kristine Saastad (Nor) Hitec Products UCK | 0:12:53 |
97 | Winanda Spoor (Ned) Netherlands | 0:13:04 |
98 | Dani King (GBr) Great Britain | 0:13:47 |
99 | Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | |
100 | Tetyana Mykhaylova (Ukr) Acs Chirio - Forno d'Asolo | |
101 | Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
102 | Fröydis Waerstad (Nor) Hitec Products UCK | |
103 | Monica Holler (Swe) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
104 | Nadia Triquet-Claude (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
105 | Tone Hatteland (Nor) Hitec Products UCK | 0:18:51 |
106 | Hannah Welter (Ned) Netherlands | |
107 | Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) Kuota Speed Kueens | 0:19:57 |
108 | Hannah Mayho (GBr) Great Britain | |
109 | Bettina Barbara Tesar (Aut) Kuota Speed Kueens | |
110 | Laura Dittmann (Ger) Germany | |
111 | Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Acs Chirio - Forno d'Asolo | |
112 | Dorleta Zorrilla Braceras (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
113 | Giulia Lazzerini (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox |
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