As it happened: Elisa Longo Borghini dominates De Brabantse Pijl Women

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of De Brabantse Pijl.

The cobbled classics are over for this year and it's on to the Ardennes starting with Brabantse Pijl   

Although this race isn't in the Women's WorldTour it's an important preparation race and an insight into who is on form going into the main Ardennes week. 

Last year's winner, Silvia Persico of UAE Team ADQ, will not be starting today but tripe Ardennes winner Demi Vollering will be on the start line in Sint-Kwintens-Lennik   alongside a strong SD Worx - ProTime squad. 

2024 Flanders winner Elisa Longo Borghini will also be racing alongside Lidl-Trek's Italian climber Gaia Realini as well as Shirin van Anrooij, Amanda Spratt, Ilaria Sanguineti, and Brodie Chapman. 

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio of AG Insurance Soudal - Quickstep will be racing for the first time since Strade Bianche in a squad that also includes Tour Down Under winner Sarah Gigante . 

Kristen Faulkner heads up a strong EF Education Cannondale team while Liv AlUla Jayco field Spanish champion Mavi Garcia. Movistar, dsm firmenich, FDJ SUEZ and Fenix - Deceuninck are all present with strong teams, too. 

The riders will roll out in ten minutes time (10:50am CEST) for a 3.8 km neutral start before the official start at 10:58 CEST. 

The neutral start has been given! 

The sun is shining in Belgium and Elisa Longo Borghini is happy about it. 

And they are gone for the official start, 134.9 km of racing lies ahead of the peloton. 

134.9km

It's been a fast start to the race so far as the peloton are still all together - no breakaway has been able to form just yet! 

129.5 km to go

Kristen Faulkner of EF Education - Cannondale is marked as a DNS today. Her team said Via X: "Kristen Faulkner is feeling unwell and will not start De Brabanste Pijl. She will head home to recover. Hope to see you at the races soon, Kristen." 

There has been a crash involving four riders, Nicole Frain and Grac Lister of Hess Cycling Team, Marit Raaijmakers of Human Powered Health and Josephine Péloquin of Team Komugi - Grand Est. All riders are up and back on their bikes, however! 

There have been no attacks so far in the race. The peloton are approaching the first climbs which come in quick succession, Bruineput (0.9 km at 5.9%), followed by Eigenbrakelsesteenweg (0.8 km at 4.6%).

124 km to go

Laura Molenaar of VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team attacks! 

119 km to go

Karin Söderqvist of Lifeplus Wahoo counters 

Coryn Labecki of EF Education Cannondale joins Söderqvist and Molenaar and the trio have a small gap as they approach the Eigenbrakelsesteenweg climb. 

Emily Watts of Chevalmeire joins the breakaway and the leaders have a 30 second gap. 

The gap for the four leaders is now one minute.

110 km to go

Two minutes now for the leading four as they approach the next climb, Rue de Nivelles (1.6 km at 4.3%)

The gap is up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds now.

97 km to go

Labecki is the most dangerous rider in this break. It's very early to say, but if the break were to make it, Labecki's fast finish makes her best placed to take the win. The chances are slim, however, with the calibre of the teams in the peloton behind. 

We have a counter attack from within the peloton from Sophie Wright (Fenix - Deceuninck) and Stina Kagevi of (Team Coop - Repsol) 

88 km to go

Wright and Kagevi have 15 seconds on the peloton who are three minutes behind the leading quartet 

Situation: 

Watts, Labecki, Molenaar, Söderqvist

+2:50

Wright, Kagevi

+3:10

Peloton 

82 km to go

Sophie Wright (Fenix Deceuninck) is back in the peloton.

Crash in the peloton, no details as to who is involved yet. 

We are half way through the race! 

67 km to go

Stina Kagevi (Coop - Repsol) has been caught by the peloton.

The peloton are not riding hard at the moment as the breakaway of four have a three and a half minute lead 

Demi Vollering attacks!

Gaia Realini (Lidl - Trek) jumps straight on the Dutch champion's move 

Vollering's pace has strung the peloton out 

Counter attack from Femke Gerritse 

The activity in the peloton has brought the gap to the break down to 2'54"

64 km to go

Gerritse has been caught by the peloton 

SD Worx are making this race as hard as possible with relentless attacks from their riders. Now it's Hungarian champion Blaka Vas who goes.

Vas is caught with Lidl - Trek doing most of the work to chase her down

The gap to the break is down to 2'33"

61 km to go

The break are on the S-Bocht Overijse climb

Another massive injection of pace from Demi Vollering on the S-Bocht Overijse climb. 

Vollering's pace has stretched the peloton out 

Blanka Vas takes over at the front of the peloton as they reach the top of the climb which will be the finish line in three lap's time. 

56.6 km to

Attack by a rider from UAE Team ADQ 

A group of four riders have chipped off the front including Mikayla Harvey of UAE Team ADQ and Mavi Garcia of Liv AlUla Jayco, 

The group has been caught 

Counter attack by Flora Perkins (Fenix - Deceuninck) on the Hertstraat 

Perkins is caught and Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx - Protime drives the pace on the front followed by Shirin van Anrooij of Lidl-Trek

The gap to the break of four is now down to just 1'26"

55 km to go

After a flurry of attacks the pace has slowed 

FDJ SUEZ are lined out at the front of the peloton on the approach to the Moskesstraat

51km to go

The break are on the Moskesstraat climb 

Coryn Labecki has attacked the breakaway at the top of the Moskesstraat!

Behind, Elisa Longo Borghini attacks from the peloton 

Longo Borghini continues her move over the top of the Moskesstraat and the remaining four riders behind her are struggling to hold on to her pace 

Labecki has been caught by her breakaway companions 

Longo Borghini is joined by her teammate Shirin van Anrooij, Demi Vollering of SD Worx - Protime and Amber Kraak and a teammate from FDJ SUEZ.

The gap between the breakaway and this chase group is now down to 48 seconds 

Mavi Garcia and Mischa Bredewold join the Longo Borghini group 

Longo Borghini and co are caught by the peloton.

Counter attack by Brodie Chapman of Lidl-Trek 

Attack from Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx - Protime

Femke Gerritse of SD Worx attacks, Elisa Longo Borghini chases her down  

37 seconds now for the breakaway 

After a flurry of attacks in the peloton the pace settles down but the break now has only 35 seconds on the peloton 

Attack from Tiffany Cromwell of Canyon//SRAM

A move from FDJ Suez and UAE Team ADQ. The chasers and the peloton have the breakaway in their sights now.

43 km to go

The two chasers are about to reach the early breakaway 

We now have a group of six at the front as the two chasers of Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) and Alessia Vigilia (FDJ - SUEZ) catch the breakaway riders. 

The leaders are approaching the S-Bocht Overijse 

15 seconds between the breakaway and the peloton 

41 km to go

Emily Watts is struggling to hang on to the front group on the climb

The pace in the peloton is much calmer this time around on the climb. 

Two laps to go!

40 km to go

Bertizzolo leads the breakaway down the descent 

The breakaway's margin is back up to 30 seconds now after the reinforcements from Bertizzolo and Vigilia. 

The peloton are on the Herstraat climb 

45 seconds now for the breakaway group 

36 km to go

Attack by Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) from the peloton. The American rider is a former winner of this race. 

The American rider is caught by the peloton.

Lidl-Trek come to the front of the peloton with FDJ SUEZ alongside them on the run-in to the Moskesstraat

The breakaway are on the Moskestraat 

Behind, teams are performing full lead-outs into the bottom of the climb 

Shirin van Anrooij is at the front of the peloton with Elisa Longo Borghini on her wheel 

Acceleration from Elisa Longo Borghini with Demi Vollering on her wheel 

Vollering passes Longo Borghini but the Italian follows 

The gap to the break is now only 20 seconds thanks to the activity behind 

Karin Söderqvist has been dropped from the breakaway 

Longo Borghini and Vollering have the breakaway in their sights 

Behind Vollering and Longo Borghini there is another small group including Mavi Garcia and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio 

28 km to go

Vollering and Longo Borghini have caught the breakaway!

Longo Borghini drives the pace 

The riders are approaching the penultimate ascent of the S-Bocht Overijse 

Vollering and Longo Borghini are sharing the work in the front group as the remainder of the breakaway riders continue to hold on 

26 km to go

8 seconds separate this leading group from the chase group 

The leading group are on the S-Bocht Overijse

Longo Borghini and Vollering are looking around. The gap is 15 seconds -- will one of them attack on this climb? 

Amber Kraak of FDJ SUEZ and Mavi Garcia of Liv AlUla Jayco lead the chase group 

A second group joins up with the chase group 

Longo Borghini is speaking into her radio as the chasers have the breakaway in their sights 

Vollering and Longo Borghini continue to work but the gap is only 11 seconds 

22 km to go

Huge attack from Demi Vollering!

Elisa Longo Borghini follows as Alessia Vigilia hangs on by a thread 

Vollering, Longo Borghini, and Vigilia have a gap. Vigilia is struggling to hold on as they pass through the finish line for the penultimate time. 

Sarah Gigante of AG Insurance Soudal leads the chase group 

The leading trio have a gap of 21 seconds 

Vollering, Longo Borghini, and Vigilia have 20 seconds as Vollering drives the pace.

18 km to go

28 seconds now for the leaders 

EF Education Cannondale lead the chase behind 

The leaders are on the Herstraat for the final time 

Attack from Sarah Gigante from the chase group!

15 km to go

Gigante is a strong time triallist, can she bridge to the leaders? 

The gap to the three leaders is 26 seconds 

The leaders are approaching the Moskesstraat 

Gigante still maintains a small gap 

On the long, straight stretch of road the chasers are able to see the leading trio but the gap is still 23 seconds 

11 km to go

Vollering leads on the Moskesstraat

Vigilia is struggling to hold on to the pace set by Vollering 

Longo Borghini comes past Vollering!

Longo Borghini leads over the top of the climb 

Vigilia has been distanced 

10 km to go

With less than 10 km to go it looks like this race is now between Longo Borghini and Vollering -- can the Flanders champion add another win to her successful 2024 season so far, or will the Dutch champion re-stake her claim on the Ardennes?

Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis) attacks from the peloton

The leaders are about to reach the Holstheide climb, the penultimate climb of the day 

8 km to go

Pauleina Rooijakkers (Fenix - Deceuninck) attacks followed by Ashleigh Moolman Pasio of AG Insurance -Soudal

Elisa Longo Borghini attacks and Demi Vollering looks to be struggling to follow the Italian! 

Vollering has been distanced!

Vollering is struggling to close the gap to Longo Borghini 

6.6 km to go

Longo Borghini now had 35 seconds on Vollering 

Vollering is holding off the chasers but Longo Borghini is long gone.

1.5 km to go

Longo Borghini reaches the bottom of the final climb 

The gap to Vollering is 39 seconds 

Longo Borghini goes under the Flamme Rouge 

Vollering has only just reached the bottom of the climb 

After winning Flanders just a few weeks ago, Elisa Longo Borghini adds her first Brabantse Pijl to her palmares! 

Demi Vollering takes second 

Alexandra Manly of Liv AlUla Jayco takes third 

Elisa Longo Borghini, winner of Brabantse Pijl 2024:

"It was a very strong team performance again and we showed it in Flanders and today we reakly wanted to have an open race. We planned to attack at 85km to go and then we did it again on the Mosketraat." 

"This victory is for my husband Jacopo Mosca, he is on Teide training and I hope to see him very soon."

"For a silly reason his surname is Mosca and because today we were going in the Moskestraat and we were a little bit joking." 

"As I said we planned it there, we wanted to attack with the team we had a really good lead out and it's a big credit today to my teammates, everyone was really committed to do well and we were relaxed but really determined to try to win this race and so we did our best and we succeeded." 

Was she surprised to drop Vollering?

"Yes she looked really strong and she did a very good race and she's a rider i have a lot of respect for. Today i was stronger, tomorrow she will be stronger, it's like this isn cycling, one day you are faster or stronger and another day they beat you today I was stronger but maybe tomorrow she beats me."

"I set a big goal in this winter and i've been training for this and that's liege but of course every race is different, every race is special and i will try to domy best there and for the ardennes i will be there for the team in Fleche for Gaia and Amstel for Shirin." 

Top-10

1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)

2. Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime) 

3. Alexandra Manly (Liv AlUla Jayco)

4. Femke Gerritse (SD Worx - Protime)

5. Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl - Trek) 

6. Amber Kraak (FDJ SUEZ)

7. Eleonora Ciabocco (team dsm firmenich PostNL)

8. Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance Soudal)

9. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix -Deceuninck)

10. Margot Vanpachtenbeke (VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team) 

Thanks for joining our live text coverage of Brabantse Pijl women 2024. You can read the full race report here. 

See you on Sunday for Amstel Gold Race!