Vollering takes solo De Brabantse Pijl victory

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Demi Vollering (Sd Worx) won the women’s Brabantse Pijl with a dominant solo victory in the rain.

She was second in Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race and last year’s De Brabantse Pijl but raced aggressively on Wednesday to set up her solo victory.

She attacked with Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon-SRAM) at 30km to go and then as their gap grew on the hilly final circuit, Vollering took off alone and time trialled to the finish.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) attacked from the chase group and won the sprint for second place after Rooijakkers was caught, while Liane Lippert (Team DSM) was third.

How it unfolded

The mid-week Brabantse Pijl upgraded to 1.Pro this year and marked the final race of the Flanders Classics' spring calendar. No less that 24 climbs set the scene for the 141.2km race that started in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and finished on circuits in Overijse. Each local circuit included the punishing climbs: S-Bocht Overijse, Hagaard, Hertstraat, Moskesstraat and Holstheide.

Anna Christian (Le Col-Wahoo) made an early solo attack but her efforts were short-lived and she was reeled back into the main field with 85km remaining. Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma) was the next to make her move over the Moskesstraat where she gained 22 seconds, but she too was caught with the field back together right before entering the 21.9km-long local circuits in Overijse.

Ten riders escaped the main field over the relentless ascents on the circuits but the reduced field reconnected with the breakaway on the penultimate lap.

Vollering, runner-up after a photo-finish last year was awarded to Ruth Winder, launched a seering attack that only Paulina Rooijakkers (Canyon-SRAM) could follow. Together the pair gained nearly 20 seconds as the cleared the S-Bocht inside the final 25km, and the start of the last lap of racing.

Sensing that it could be the winning move, Juliette Labous (Team DSM) attempted to bridge across, but never managed to close the gap.

Vollering dropped Rooijakkers on the last passage of the Moskesstraat with 10km to go and she pushed her lead out to 30 seconds, and then 45 seconds as she reached the final ascent to the finishline in S-Bocht Overijse and taking the victory.

Behind the day's winner, chasers Niewiadoma launched her sprint to finish second place ahead of Lippert in third, while Marlene Reusser (also SD Worx) finished fourth, Labous in fifth and Rooijakkers in sixth.