As it happened: Italian champion has winning return at Brabantse Pijl Women 2025

Hello and welcome to the women's Brabantse Pijl 2025 in it's new slot on the calendar.

There is a list of very big names at this race including the return of Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) after her heavy crash in the Tour of Flanders a couple of weeks ago. 

Other big names on the start list today are Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) and the return of Olympic champion Kristin Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly).

The riders are all set for the neutral start in Lennik after sign on...

It is Anna van der Breggen's 35th birthday today. Can the SD Worx-Protime star get her first victory since her return today and make it a very happy birthday? 

The neutral start is due in 10 minutes. 

The battle of student vs master continues this weekend as The Ardennes Classics begin with the Amstel Gold Race...

>>> Anna van der Breggen vs Demi Vollering - An Ardennes face-off between the former master and her apprentice 

The amazing rapid recovery that Elisa Longo-Borghini has had since her concussion at the Tour of Flanders is great news for her and for the race today...

>>> 'Symptom-free' Elisa Longo Borghini cleared to return to racing from concussion at Brabantse Pijl 

Neutral start

The riders begin the neutralised zone. It is 3.8km long with the official start due in around five minutes as they leave the start town of Lennik.

125.7km to go

The official start is given and the riders are racing the 2025 Brabantse Pijl! 

No early moves going away as the riders are 5km from the first climb, the Beerselberg.

The pace is moderate in the peloton but there have been no attacks. 

Onto the Beerselberg and it is Cofidis leading the peloton. They are likely working for young French rider Julie Bego. 

One non-starter today 

Kim Cadzow (EF Education-Oatly)

A potential outsider for a day like this. A shame for the New Zealander. 

Abandon

Alessia Vigilia (FDJ-Suez)

Onto the next climb, the Bruineput. All the climbs today are very short and sharp with this one being just over a kilometre long with an average of 6.4% but it kicks up to over 10% at the last few metres. 

The next climb is the very gentle but superbly named Eigenbrakelsesteenweg.

100km to go

The race has been rather calm up to now with no attempted attacks being reported. 

The average speed so far after 40 minutes of racing is 40kph. The riders are heading to the Chemin dit le Bois climb. Another gentle ascent at 3.5% average over the 1.5km. 

Crash!

Riders down in the peloton on the descent of the Chemin dit le Bois.

90km to go

Everything is still together. 

Bike change

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)

She was one of the riders who came down in the recent crash. 

Bike change

Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Multiple teams on the front of the peloton including the British squad of Hess Pro Cycling. They have a rider who suits today very well, Alice McWilliam. 

The British rider recently won the East Cleveland Classic in the British National Series which is a race that is almost identical to this one.

Attack!

One of the Eneicat-CM riders with Hess and Volkerwessels leading the chase. And it is quickly brought back together again. 

Attack!

Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto)

And a rider from Hess launched. That was quickly brought back, also. 

Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto are clearly trying to force a move with some of the smaller teams. Lidl-Trek and FDJ-Suez are also now getting involved. 

80km to go

The riders now head to the Rue François Dubois climb with Uno-X Mobility leading the bunch alongside UAE Team ADQ. 

Claire Steels (Movistar) now on the front for Movistar. 

Attack!

Lore De Schepper (AG Insurance-Soudal)

This move is stretching the group out and has forced a split with about ten riders getting away. 

Mechanical

Carolina Vargas (Eneicat-CM)

That large group has, unsurprisingly, been dragged back as it had a lot of very dangerous riders involved. 

EF Education-Oatly, Movistar and SD Worx-Protime on the front of the bunch now with Visma-Lease a Bike moving up. 

Olympic champion, Kristin Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), comes to the front of the peloton. It doesn't look like she is going to be leading the American team today as she is doing plenty of work here. 

AG Insurance-Soudal, SD Worx-Protime, Visma-Lease a Bike and EF Education-Oatly leading the bunch now. 

The next climb is the kilometre long Holsheide climb which has an average of 4.9% but it has a steep kicker right at the start. 

The riders are now on the laps and onto the Holsheide. UAE Team ADQ have also moved up with their leader Elisa Longo-Borghini well placed. 

The first proper look at Kristen Faulkner on her new golden Cannondale...

Attack!

Amber Kraak (FDJ-Suez)

Multiple riders follow but thy aren't getting a huge gap. 

Elisa Longo-Borghini glides across the gap and that brings things back together again. 

Attack!

Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)

But she has several riders following and it comes back together again as the riders cross the finish line for the first time. 

Attack!

Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ)

She is flying down this descent with the riders really struggling to follow but it has forced a fracture in the bunch with about 15 riders clear. 

Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek), Susanne Anderson (Uno-X Mobility), Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) among others in this group. 

Onto the cobbled climb of the Hertstraat. 

Picnic-PostNL and Cofidis are chasing this group down and bringing it back togethr as Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek) closes everything down again. 

Attack!

Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly)

The former winner of Paris-Roubaix launches but isn't given an inch. 

The very steep cobbled climb of the Moskesstraat is up next with Lidl-Trek leading the way towards it with Riejanne Markus leading. 

UAE Team ADQ and SD Worx-Protime lead onto the Moskesstraat. 

50km to go

No attacks as they go over the top of the Moskesstraat. 

About 30 riders left in the peloton after that last climb. Several are chasing to get back on, though. SD Worx-Protime have taken control but aren't pushing hard. 

Attack!

Amber Kraak (FDJ-Suez)

Longo-Borghini jumps onto the move of the Dutch powerhouse and that is the signal to be dragged back immediately. 

Some groups of around 10 riders are coming back into the bunch as they start the Holstheide for the second time. 

Attack!

Mikayla Harvey (SD Worx-Protime)

She isn't given an inch, either. 

Attack!

Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)

She goes clear with Harvey with about five riders trying to bridge. 

Brodie Chapman makes it across to the leading duo with four more riders just off the back. 

Leaders:

Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-Protime)
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)
Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)

The four chasers are slowly coming across with 22" back to the peloton. 

Picnic-PostNL and AG Insurance-Soudal leading the chase in the peloton but the pace has stalled and the leaders have a big chance to get away. 

Leaders:

Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-Protime)
Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)
Jade Wiel (FDJ-Suez)
Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Anne Knijnenburg (Volkerwessels)
Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)

They have 35" on the Fenix-Deceuninck led peloton. 

On the S-Bocht Overijse climb for the second time as Flora Perkins is hammering the pace on the front of the peloton for her Fenix-Deceuninck teammates but the chase is breaking apart due to her high pace. 

There's a Picnic-PostNL rider trying to bridge the gap to the break with two laps to go. 

The peloton stalled a bit and are now 27" down on the leaders. 

The Picnic-PostNL rider bridging the gap is British rider Josie Nelson. She is doing well in coming across and is just 12" down. 

Onto the Hertstraat yet again. Nelson has lost time and is now 17" behind the leaders with the peloton at 25". 

Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) and Claire Stels (Movistar) leads the peloton and the gap drops to just over 20". Nelson has been caught. 

The gap goes back out to 42" and forces Uno-X Mobility leading. FDJ-Suez also on the front despite having a rider in the leading group. 

Knijnenburg and Van Agt aren't working in the break. 

Back onto the Moskesstraat and Knijnenburg is now leading the way. 

Attack!

Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez)

Th former French champion is trying to bridge the gap.

Crash!

Susanne Andersson (Uno-X Mobility)
Alice McWilliam (Hess)
Aileen Schweikart (BePink)

All three now running up the climb. 

All the big names are now in this new group that was started by Muzic. Marianne Vos, Elisa Longo-Borghini, Mischa Bredewold, Silvia Persico, Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek),  Letizia Paternoster (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and others and they are flying across the gap. 

Attack!

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)

She flies across the gap to the front of the race and she has dropped Marianne Vos and Anna Henderson. 

All the riders in the lead group have managed to stay with Longo-Borghini with the rest of the chase group still chasing. 

Chapman now comes through to push the pace and get this group away. 

Leaders:

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-Protime)
Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)
Jade Wiel (FDJ-Suez)
Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Anne Knijnenburg (Volkerwessels)
Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)

They have 24" on the SD Worx-Protime led peloton with Anna van der Breggen leading the way. 

Onto the S-Bocht yet again as Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez) on the front of the bunch. 

Chabbey brings the race back together again. That was a superb effort by the FDJ-Suez rider with a large peloton all together again. 

One lap to go! Kristen Faulkner goes to the front of the bunch. 

Attack!

Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek)

Superb TT rider goes solo into the final 20km of the race. A very dangerous rider to let go clear and she had a good gap here. 

UAE Team ADQ, EF Education-Oatly and SD Worx-Protime all chasing in the group behind. 

Onto the Hertstraat for the final time. 

Riejanne Markus has been caught by the Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime) peloton. 

Attack!

Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek)
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)

They are swiftly brought back. 

Attack!

Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly)

Everyone is alive to the danger of the Olympic champion as she isn't allowed any sort of gap. 

UAE Team ADQ are working very hard for Longo-Borghini now as they look to lead onto the final ascent of the Moskesstraat. Lidl-Trek are managing to dominate so far, though. 

Onto the Moskesstraat and Vallieres of EF Education-Oatly leading onto it. 

Attack!

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)

No-one can live with the Italian champion. She takes off with Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) on the front of the bunch as they go over the top. 

Still quit a big group coming over the top about 5" behind Longo-Borghini. 

9km to go and Longo-Borghini only has 9" on the peloton as Lidl-Trek lead the chase. This isn't over just yet. About 15 to 20 riders in this chase group. 

Back onto the Holstheide as the gap is now beginning to grow. 

Marianne Vos and Cat Ferguson are not in the first chase group. 

Into the final 7km and Longo-Borghini has 27" with Van der Breggen back on the front of what is left of the peloton. 

Marianne Vos has, somehow, managed to bridge back to the first chase group on the Holstheide. 

5km to go

Longo-Borghini has 22" on the chasing bunch led by Van der Breggen with no-one helping the former world champion. 

Liv-AlUla-Jayco and Lidl-Trek start helping in the chase but Longo-Borghini still holds 23" gap. 

Now the Italian champion has 2km to go and the gap is still 22" as she heads to the final climb up the S-Bocht to the finish in Overijse. 

Van der Breggen is done. She is dropped by the chasers and the pace stalls slightly. 

Flamme Rouge!

Onto the S-Bocht and Mischa Bredewold moves to the front for Femke Gerritse and the gap has dropped to just 12"!

Monica Trinca Colonel moves Letizia Paternoster to the front and is closing the gap rapidly to Elisa Longo-Borghini at the front. 

Just 500 metres to go but the gap is stalling slightly as Vallieres comes to the front again. 

Elisa Longo-Borghini of UAE Team ADQ wins De Brabantse Pijl 2025 and becomes to first rider to win the race twice! 

Marianne Vos of Visma-Lease a Bike and Femke Gerritse of SD Worx-Protime round out the podium. 

Top 10

1. Elisa Longo-Borghini (ITA) UAE Team ADQ 3:07'3"
2. Marianne Vos (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike +6"
3. Femke Gerritse (NED) SD Worx-Protime
4. Eleonora Gasparrini (ITA) UAE Team ADQ
5. Anna Henderson (GBR) Lidl-Trek
6. Evita Muzic (FRA) FDJ-Suez
7. Yara Kastelijn (NED) Fenix-Deceuninck
8. Elise Chabbey (SUI) FDJ-Suez
9. Cat Ferguson (GBR) Movistar
10. Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (POL) Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto all same time.

Have a read of the post race report in the link below... 

>>> De Brabantse Pijl Women: Elisa Longo Borghini goes solo to take second consecutive win