Consonni wins Dwars door Vlaanderen Women

Image 1 of 16

Chiara Consonni (Valcar-Travel & Service) took one of the biggest wins of her career at Dwars door Vlaanderen. The Italian sprinted to the win ahead of Julie de Wilde (Plantur Pura) and Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM).

It was a chaotic final through the narrow twist and turns en route to Waregem. Time trial World Champion Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) launched multiple attacks to try and split the reduced field that was primarily held together by the efforts of Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) in the closing kilometres.

A bunch sprint ensued out of the last corner with Consonni, who launched off the of Marie Le Net's (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) wheel, was the fastest up the right-hand side of the road, crossing the line first from a reduced group of riders.

"At Gent-Wevelgem I didn’t feel great but I’m happy now. My big goal of the season is Paris-Roubaix and I’m working towards that. I didn’t think I’d won today because it was a super hard race," Consonni said in a post-race interview, dedicating the victory to her grandmother.

"I’d like to dedicate this win to my grandmother who is in hospital and is not too well. She’s always supported me and I love here.

"Detailing the sprint, Consonni said she knew the straightaway following the last corner was long and decided to start her sprint with 200 metres to go.

"As soon as I saw the 200 metre mark, I started my sprint. I got passed the rider from FDJ and won it," she said. "I have to thank my teammates who worked for me and protected me. They’re mostly climbers but worked hard for me, as did the staff. Thanks to everyone at the team."

How it unfolded

Dwars door Vlaanderen, largely viewed as the warm-up to Sunday's Tour of Flanders, offered the women's field a 120km race that started and finished in Waregem, and included 10 climbs: Nieuwe Kwaremont, Hotond, Kortekeer, Berg Ten Houte, Kanarieberg, Knokteberg - Trieu, Hotond, Ladeuze and the final two over the Nokereberg and Holstraat.

Following the ascent of the Berg Ten Houte with 67km to go, there was a split off the front of the field and the lead group included Jelena Erić (Movistar), Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo), Shari Bossuyt (Canyon-SRAM), Leah Kirchmann (Team DSM), Georgia Baker (Team BikeExchange-Jayco Women), BikeExchange-Jayco), Liane Lippert (Team DSM), Maaike Boogaard (UAE Team ADQ), Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X), Julie de Wilde (Plantur-Pura) and Anastasia Carbonari (Valcar-Travel & Service).

They held a slim 30 seconds on the main field but the groups merged back together during the next few kilometres.

Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) was the next to launch an attacked with 62km to go after the Kanarieberg and went solo. Several attempts to bridge across with counter attacks by Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segaredo), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) and Liane Lippert (Team DSM), but those attacks were neutralised by the reduced main field, and Chapman held onto her lead.

Baker and Juliette Labous (Team DSM) bridged across to Chapman after the Ladeuze ascent, but the field soon reeled in the three riders.

Foortje Mackaij (Team DSM) was the next to counter attack and cleared the field. Despite her earlier efforts off the front, Chapman had enough power left to bridge over to Mackaij, and the pair built their lead out to 30 seconds ahead of the Nokereberg.

A six-rider chase group briefly emerge behind the escapees that included Brand, Longo Borghini, Anouska Koster (Jumbo-Visma), Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM), Lippert and Hannah Barnes (Uno-X), but the chasing field was back together inside 15km to go, at 25 seconds behind the two breakaway riders.

Van Dijk attacked and split the field over the Herlegemstraat cobbles that reduced the gap to Chapman and Mackaij to just 15 seconds. Her teammate Longo Borghini was the next to go and she created a small lead on the field inside the last 10km, racing wide through a corner and briefly riding off road in her effort to stay away.

The peloton, led by van Vleuten ahead of the Holstraat, caught Longo Borghini along with the breakaway riders Chapman and Mackaij, with 8km to the finish line. Although Lippert attacked over the Holstraat, the final climb of the day, it wasn't enough to create a gap.

Van Dijk tried to split the field again with 6km to go without success as van Vleuten set the pace on the run-in to Waregem.

Van Dijk made one last attack with 2km to go with Bastianelli and van Vleuten stuck to her wheel. The time trial world champion continued to lead the small group into the final kilometre as the field set up for a bunch sprint with Consonni claiming the victory.

"On the climb, on the last section of cobbles, Trek were so strong, that I stayed back but made sure I was in the front group. Then in the finish I did my best and knew I was good in the sprint," Consonni said of the final.

"There was a lot of attacks in the last kilometres by Van Dijk and the Canyon team because they didn’t want a sprint finish. I stayed in the front group and tried follow the attacks, then I just did a good sprint."