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.
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"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."
Kirsten Frattini has been the Editor of Cyclingnews since December 2025, overseeing editorial operations and output across the brand and delivering quality, engaging content.
She manages global budgets, racing & events, production scheduling, and contributor commissions, collaborating across content sections and teams in the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia to ensure audience and subscription growth across the brand.
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.
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