Blaak wins Gent-Wevelgem Women
Brennauer second and Brand third
Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans) soloed to victory at Gent Wevelgem on Easter Sunday to assume the lead in the UCI Women’s WorldTour. The 26-year-old slipped away from a select group of around 20 riders with ten kilometres still to race. Gap gained, Blaak never looked back, eventually reaching the finish line 1:24 ahead of a seven-rider chase group. Lisa Brennauer (Canyon-SRAM) edged out Lucinda Brand (Rabo-Liv) in the small group sprint for second.
“It feels so good,” said Blaak in a post-race interview with Voxwomen. “I’m really happy to win this race.”
It’s a continuation of a stellar spring for Blaak, who finished second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to teammate Lizzie Armistead and won Le Samyn and Ronde van Drenthe. Blaak’s results are part of a dominate early season for Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team. The Dutch-registered squad has won every round to date of the inaugural UCI Women’s WorldTour. Armitstead opened the series with a win at Strade Bianche. Blaak won from a small group at Ronde van Drenthe. Armistead snagged a second victory in Italy with a late race attack at Trofeo Binda. And today Blaak won Gent Wevelgem.
“The plan was to have numbers in the front and we had,” said Blaak. “Then you have to finish it together. It was cool that we did it.”
The 2016 women’s edition of Gent Wevelgem covered 115 kilometres with the race’s five ‘hellingen’ grouped mid-course. By the time the race had reached the first ascent of the Kemmelberg at the 51-kilometre mark, the peloton had split into two distinct groups. Following the first passage of the Kemmelberg, and elite selection had been made. Twenty-seven riders formed the leading group, and Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team had the full squad of six amongst the leaders.
“It was a really windy race,” said Blaak. “It split already early. The Kemmelberg was really hard, and after the Kemmelberg, we were still with the whole team, so that was impressive. The girls did such a good job.”
The attacks came thick and fast over the cobbles and climbs that make the region of Flanders famous in the sport of cycling. The attacks softened the reduced bunch and caused a further selection following the second time up the Kemmelberg.
With the climbs completed and 30 kilometres still to race, world champion Lizzie Armistead attacked twice in quick succession. A counter-attack by Blaak followed Armistead’s catch. The Dutchwoman immediately opened up a small gap on three chasers – Lisa Brennauer (Canyon-SRAM), Emma Johansson (Wiggle High5) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Orica-AIS).
“We started to play with numbers,” said Blaak. “In the end, I have an attack and the confidence that the girls were behind me. It was really good teamwork today.”
The UCI Women’s WorldTour continues next Sunday with the Tour of Flanders. “Next week is Flanders,” said Blaak. “I’m really looking forward to starting in this [Women’s WorldTour] jersey at my favourite classic.”
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Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 2:56:00 |
2 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Canyon-SRAM | 0:01:24 |
3 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
4 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Wiggle High5 | |
5 | Carmen Small (USA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
6 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-AIS | |
7 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Liv-Plantur | |
8 | Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
9 | Emma Johansson (Swe) Wiggle High5 | 0:01:27 |
10 | Romy Kasper (Ger) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:01:32 |
11 | Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:02:23 |
12 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) Canyon-SRAM | |
13 | Jolanda Neff (Swi) Servetto Footon | |
14 | Sarah Roy (Aus) Orica-AIS | |
15 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | |
16 | Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) Bepink | |
17 | Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
18 | Jolien D'hoore (Bel) Wiggle High5 | 0:04:24 |
19 | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica-AIS | |
20 | Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
21 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
22 | Joelle Numainville (Can) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
23 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Zannata | |
24 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-AIS | 0:04:25 |
25 | Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Alé Cipollini | |
26 | Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | 0:05:15 |
27 | Anouska Koster (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
28 | Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon-SRAM | |
29 | Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
30 | Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle High5 | |
31 | Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana | |
32 | Elizabeth Williams (Aus) Orica-AIS | |
33 | Eileen Roe (GBr) Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team | |
34 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products | |
35 | Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
36 | Chanella Stougje (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
37 | Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
38 | Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
39 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAM | |
40 | Jip Van Den Bos (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
41 | Coryn Rivera (USA) UnitedHealthcare Women | |
42 | Kelly Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Etixx-Guill D'or | |
43 | Allie Dragoo (USA) Twenty16 - Ridebiker | |
44 | Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
45 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM | |
46 | Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
47 | Loren Rowney (Aus) Orica-AIS | |
48 | Janneke Ensing (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
49 | Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl) UnitedHealthcare Women | |
50 | Emilie Moberg (Nor) Hitec Products | |
51 | Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
52 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
53 | Valerie Demey (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Etixx-Guill D'or | 0:05:21 |
54 | Lauren Stephens (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 0:05:24 |
55 | Brianna Walle (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 0:05:40 |
56 | Natalie Van Gogh (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:07:02 |
57 | Alison Jackson (Can) Twenty16 - Ridebiker | |
58 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 | |
59 | Ann-Sofie Duyck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Etixx-Guill D'or | |
60 | Nina Kessler (Ned) Lensworld-Zannata | |
61 | Iris Slappendel (Ned) UnitedHealthcare Women | |
62 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Bepink | |
63 | Sara Mustonen (Swe) Team Liv-Plantur | |
64 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
65 | Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
66 | Esra Tromp (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
67 | Ganna Solovei (Ukr) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:10:45 |
68 | Jelena Eric (Srb) BTC City Ljubljana | |
69 | Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
70 | Diana Peñuela (Col) UnitedHealthcare Women | |
71 | Anna Plichta (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana | |
72 | Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Etixx-Guill D'or | |
73 | Clara Koppenburg (Ger) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
74 | Katia Ragusa (Ita) Servetto Footon | |
75 | Abby-Mae Parkinson (GBr) Servetto Footon | |
76 | Sofia Arreola (Mex) Twenty16 - Ridebiker | |
77 | Vita Heine (Nor) Hitec Products | |
78 | Dani King (GBr) Wiggle High5 | |
79 | Leah Thomas (USA) Twenty16 - Ridebiker | |
80 | Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) Twenty16 - Ridebiker | |
81 | Kaat Hannes (Bel) Lensworld-Zannata | |
82 | Jessica Cerra (USA) Twenty16 - Ridebiker | |
83 | Rossella Ratto (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
84 | Alison Tetrick (USA) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
85 | Lauren Komanski (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
86 | Louisa Lobigs (Aus) Australia | |
87 | Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:10:49 |
88 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Hitec Products | |
89 | Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Bepink | 0:11:20 |
DNF | Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
DNF | Kyara Stijns (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
DNF | Riejanne Markus (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
DNF | Jessie Daams (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Willeke Knol (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Charlotte Becker (Ger) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Nicole Brändli (Swi) Servetto Footon | |
DNF | Molly Meyvisch (Bel) Servetto Footon | |
DNF | Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Footon | |
DNF | Anna Trevisi (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
DNF | Martina Alzini (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
DNF | Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Alé Cipollini | |
DNF | Shelley Olds (USA) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Rachele Barbieri (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Annelies Dom (Bel) Lensworld-Zannata | |
DNF | Winanda Spoor (Ned) Lensworld-Zannata | |
DNF | Kaat Van Der Meulen (Bel) Lensworld-Zannata | |
DNF | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team | |
DNF | Sarah Rijkes (Aut) Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team | |
DNF | Lotte Van Hoek (Ned) Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team | |
DNF | Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team | |
DNF | Sarah Inghelbrecht (Bel) Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team | |
DNF | Gilke Croket (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Etixx-Guill D'or | |
DNF | Jessy Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Etixx-Guill D'or | |
DNF | Lenore Pipes (Gum) Bepink | |
DNF | Lex Albrecht (Can) Bepink | |
DNF | Tereza Medvedova (Svk) Bepink | |
DNF | Coral Casado Ortiz (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Roos Hoogeboom (Ned) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Paula Lanz Blazquez (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Nahia Leonet (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | |
DNF | Mia Radotic (Cro) BTC City Ljubljana | |
DNF | Ursa Pintar (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | |
DNF | Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 | |
DNF | Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 | |
DNF | Coralie Demay (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 | |
DNF | Victorie Guilman (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 | |
DNF | Lauren Hall (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
DNF | Emily Collins (NZl) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
DNF | Hayley Simmonds (GBr) UnitedHealthcare Women | |
DNF | Annie Ewart (Can) UnitedHealthcare Women | |
DNF | Shannon Malseed (Aus) Australia | |
DNF | Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Australia | |
DNF | Erin Kinnealy (Aus) Australia | |
DNF | Jessica Allen (Aus) Australia | |
DNS | Kimberley Wells (Aus) Australia |

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