Festival Elsy Jacobs: Emma Norsgaard wins stage 1

Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) took her first victory of the season at stage 1 of the Festival Elsy Jacobs in Steinfort. Norsgaard won the bunch sprint ahead of Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ceratizit-WNT) and Leah Kirchmann (Team DSM) in third.

Norsgaard has moved into the overall race lead ahead of the finale stage 2 on Sunday.

"When I crossed the finish line I actually felt more relieved than happy, I was like “finally”, the feeling that I’ve been waiting the whole season to this victory so first it was relief, but then I saw my teammates and then I was so happy, they did an amazing job for me today, they all sacrificed themselves for me today so I’m super proud of this team, it’s amazing to be part of Movistar Team," Norsgaard said.

After a short prologue the previous day, stage 1 offered the peloton a 125.1-kilometre race that started and finished in Steinfort on Saturday. 

The peloton raced a 44.7-kilometre loop followed by four laps of a 20.1-kilometre circuit that included a climb each lap and a rise to the finish line. There were also four GPM ascents for points along the route toward the mountain classification.

Two breakaway riders emerged over the second mountain pass - Thalita de Jong (Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire) and Kathrin Hammes (Ceratizit-WNT) - they initially built a lead up to one minute but that grew to nearly three minutes with 60 km to go.

The gap dropped but the duo still held 1:30 gap with 27km to go, approaching the final lap.

Jumbo-Visma led the chase from the main field along with teams Parkhotel-Valkenburg and Liv Racing, and the pair were reeled back into the main field on the last lap.

Trek-Segafredo’s Tayler Wiles pushed the pace at the front of the field to set up her teammates for a sprint, but last-minute attacks caused some disruption among the front of the peloton. 

Overnight leader and prologue winner Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM), who had crashed earlier in the race, was unable to contest the final.

Movistar, Jumbo-Visma, Valcar Travel & Service were all organised through the penultimate corner with with 900 metres to go, but Movistar proved strongest and led through the final bend and into the last few hundred metres.

Norsgaard started her sprint early and put a huge distance between herself and runner-up Confalonieri and Kirchmann to take her first win of the season.

"It was awesome, because we had a talk before the race about how it could be and they just did it perfectly. We almost didn’t talk about it in the moment and they came flying on the last corner and positioning me perfectly, I went on the wheel and everything was just perfect, I had the perfect finish, and this is what made the victory," Norsgaard said.

"I wasn’t calm during the stage, I felt I wanted to do something, I wanted to go in the break but Aude [Biannic] was really good at calming me down, she said: 'Emma, relax, you need to wait.' So I tried to wait but it was a bit difficult to be honest.

"I want to dedicate this victory to the whole team, at 100 per cent, they always go so hard for me, they always sacrifice and finally it’s not for a second place anymore."

The peloton will resume racing for the finale stage 2 to close out the Festival Elsy Jacobs with a 105.3-kilometre race that starts and finishes in Garnich on Sunday. 

The race will begin on a 61.3-kilometre loop, followed by five laps of an 8.8-kilometre circuit in Garnich. There are four GPM ascents for points during the race and it promises an explosive finale to the Festival Elsy Jacobs.

"We are going to try anything to defend my leader’s jersey, it can be super hard but now I have a lot of confidence, and I think the team is happy and confident, so tomorrow is going to be fun, as well as a 100 per cent effort," Norsgaard said.