Mackaij wins women's Gent-Wevelgem

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Floortje Mackaij (Team Liv-Plantur) won the Gent-Wevelgem women's race on Sunday in Belgium. The Dutch rider beat compatriot Janneke Ensing (Parkhotel Valkenburg) and Chloe Hosking (Wiggle-Honda).

"It is an amazing feeling and coming across the line I couldn't quite believe that I had won such a race," Mackaij said in a team statement.

"With 25-30km to go Amy [Pieters] crashed in the break and was back in the chase with us. We decided to put it in the gutter and after this Amy and I got away - she was so strong today.

The 19-year-old attacked the leading group of nine-riders three kilometres from the finish with Ensing and Hosking the only two who could respond but neither rider was able to catch Mackaij before she raised her arms in victory.

"We got across to the front and from there we just kept attacking as there were some fast sprinters still there. This was great and with 3km to go I got clear and just went full gas to the line. It was amazing and I still can't quite believe it," Mackaij added.

"It's great to get this win after feeling really good recently. My training has been going really well and I've had a lot of contact with the coaches and trainers which really helps in getting everything right."

It didn't start so well for Liv-Plantur who lost Claudia Lichtenberg to injury, her afternoon ending with a visit to the hospital, with the peloton nervous before the first of the day's bergs. As the thinned down peloton of 50 riders made its second approach to the Kemmel and Monteberg, it was further splintered with the pace proving too high for over half of the front group.

Over the Monteberg for the final time, a group of six riders - Hosking, Susanna Zorzi, Iris Slappendel, Ensing, Knetemann and Pieters - quickly built a 30 second advantage over the chasers but it wasn't long as the attacks came thick and fast inside the final 10km of the race. Sensing her moment, Mackaij launched the race winning move to ride off and claim her first professional win.

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