Johansson set to defend title at Boels Rental Hills Classic
World-class peloton reconvenes in the Netherlands
The world-class women's field will reconvene after a short hiatus at the UCI 1.1 Boels Rental Hills Classic held on May 29 in Sittard, Netherlands.
The classic-style races continue for the women with a series of one-day races in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Boels Rental Hills Classic will kick off those one-day races with a 131km course that ventures through the Dutch hills in and around Limburg. The parcours offers 1,500 metres of elevations gain over 15 bergs and two trips up the Cauberg climb before finishing up the Geulhemmerweg.
Last year, Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) stole the victory from a three-woman sprint. Mid-race, six riders went clear of the peloton that included Roxane Knetemann (Rabobank-Liv), Sabrina Stultiens (Rabobank-Liv), Ellen van Dijk (Boels-Dolmans), Katarzyna Pawlowska (Boels-Dolmans) and Amy Pieters (Giant Shimano).
The three podium finishers emerged from a series of attacks with 20km to go with Van Dijk, Pieters and Johansson, with the Swede taking the sprint at the finish line.
Johansson will return to defend her title with a strong Orica-AIS team that includes Gracie Elvin, Kartin Garfoot, Melissa Hosking, Chloe McConville and Rachel Neylan. After sustaining a broken collarbone in a crash at the Novilon Eurocup on March 15, she recovered and resumed racing in early April with strong performances at Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and Dwars door de Westoek.
Liv-Plantur's Pieters will also be looking to better her third-place performance from last year. She will have support from Sabrina Stultiens, who was sixth place last year, Floortje Mackaij, who won the final stage of the GP Elsy Jacobs, Sara Mustonen-Lichan, Willeke Knol and Kyara Stijns.
The team's director Hans Timmermans says that his riders are prepared for the Dutch race, particularly Pieters, Stultiens and Mackaij, who all recently finished a Dutch national team training camp in Italy.
"We will aim for a good result with Pieters and Stultiens. Both women have shown strong performances in previous editions of the Boels Rental Hills Classic. Mackaij is also able to play an important role in the finale."
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Tour de Suisse stage 6 live – A sprint expected in Neuhausen am Rheinfall
186.7km on the cards from Chur to Neuhausen am Rheinfall, with a flat finishes lending itself to the sprinters -
Join Cyclingnews for our complete Tour de France coverage
Unparalleled coverage of the biggest race on the cycling calendar, enjoy unlimited access with Cyclingnews -
UCI points update brings Women's WorldTour system in line with men's, designating women's Monuments and boosting Tour de France Femmes
Points allocations tweaked for men's and women's calendars, plus new rules on race restarts and new safety 'regulator' role -
'Less severe than first feared' – Tour de France start not ruled out for Jonas Abrahamsen despite collarbone fracture
Norwegian rider motivated to recover in time for July 5 Grand Départ after breaking collarbone in Baloise Belgium Tour crash