Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women 2023 - Kopecky wins in Ninove

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 2023 Women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad!

Despite all the early season racing in Australia, the Middle East and Southern Europe, for many, this cobbled classic is still the symbolic starting point for the road season. 

This year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the 18th edition of the women’s race and will be the first WorldTour race in Europe this season. 

The riders have been enjoying the team presentation in Gent at the 't Kuipke velodrome before taking the start.

Several riders are set to make their 2023 road debut at the Belgian classic including the SD Worx duo: Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering. Both are amongst the favourites for the race.

The men's race started earlier in the day and the riders have just past the halfway point. Check out Cyclingnews' live coverage of that race here.

132km to go

The 18th edition of the Women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is underway!

The women’s race, which has been upgraded to WorldTour level for the first time in its history, is 132km long, starting in Gent and finishing in Nionve. The first of five cobbled sections in Lange Munte comes 30km south of the start. 

Unfortunately Caroline Baur (Israel Premier Tech Roland) was unable to take the start today due to illness.

Defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) could become the second-ever woman to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in back-to-back years after Emma Johansson achieved the feat (2010 and 2011). This is her first WorldTour appearance in 2023, her final season as a professional.

She started her road campaign at the Setmana Cyclista Valenciana, but looked far from her best and on the queen stage was unable to drop Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and Amanda Spratt. She only managed a fourth-place finish overall. Bet against her at your own peril, however. 

Van Vleuten is backed up by a strong Movistar squad for this race, bolstered by new signings Liane Lippert and Floortje Mackaij who joined from Team DSM. They also have Emma Norsgaard for a sprinting option, she finished second in the 2021 edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Here are the five cobbled sectors in store for the riders...

Lange Munte (27.8km)

Holleweg (76km)

Kerkgate (82.2km)

Jagerij (84.8km)

Haaghoek (95.5km)

...and the eight climbs they'll have to face:

Edelareberg (73.8km)

Wollvenberg (78.6km)

Molenberg (91km)

Leberg (98.5km)

Berendries (102.6km)

Elverenberg-Vossenhol (105km)

Muur-Kappelmuur (116.5km)

Bosberg (120.4km)

Meanwhile, over in the Middle-East, stage 6 of the UAE Tour has just finished. To find out who won, read Cyclingnews' full report here.

115km to go

As it stands, signs of early action have come far and few between with the peloton all still together. It's all kicked off in the men's race already however, with a number of big names getting up the road.

After the familiar flat 13km run into the finish in Ninove, the riders will see a brand new finish on the Elisabethlaan, and with the weather expected to present a headwind the chances of a bunch sprint are more likely. 

Out of the last six winners, eight have arrived solo at the finish so a bunch sprint would be an anomaly. If it were to come down to a bigger group, Lorena Wiebes would certainly be the favourite. Wiebes had 23 victories last season, more than any male or female professional.

She’s at this race with her new team SD Worx after a surprise move in the summer. Alongside her is an incredibly stacked team with Demi Vollering, last year’s runner-up, and Lotte Kopecky, last season’s Tour of Flanders winner, also here as options.

The peloton is around 5km from the first cobbled sector in Lange Munte. They will have to wait 50km before facing the second in Holleweg.

Also amongst the favourites today is Italian national champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo). She started her 2023 season with a brace at the opening two stage of the Setmana Cyclista Valenciana and is one of the only riders who can live with Wiebes in a sprint. 

95km to go

We have passed the 100km to go mark and no attacks have been allowed, or decided to go as of yet.

The race situation is still tentative for now. Alyssa Polites (Jayco AlUla) crashed around a kilometre ago. A breakaway has still not managed to form.

In around 30km they will hit the foot of the first of eight climb, the Edelareberg.

World Champion Annemiek van Vleuten, Kasia Niewiadoma and Belgian national champion Kim de Baat on the start line earlier today. 

Take a look at Cyclingnews' key riders to watch at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women 2023 before the race reaches the business end of the parcours. 

75km to go

The peloton is still all together as the riders approach the halfway point and the start of the proper cobbled sections and climbs that will decide this race.

With little action so far, the riders seem happy to battle it out for the win on the Hellingen, the Flemish climbs. 

57km to go

The teams are waiting in anticipation for the cobbled climbs and trying to stay out of trouble.

We are 1.5km away from the Edalareberg.

Israel Premier Tech Roland are down another rider as Fien Delbaere has had to abandon the race.

The cobbled climbs will now come thick and fast until the finish line. After completing the Wolvenberg, the peloton will approach the fabled Molenberg which returns to the race this year. 

Three more riders have abandoned the race: Kaia Schmid (Human Powered Health), Maryanne Hinault (Arkéa Pro Cycling Team) and Melissa Hofman (Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Doltcini).

45km to go

Its heating up as the riders hit the hardest cobbled sectors, the peloton has finally started to thin out.

The peloton is now on the Molenberg. They've past the two and a half hours mark of racing.

The men's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2023 is now finished. To see how Dylan Van Baarle took victory in our growing report, click below.

Dylan van Baarle takes solo victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

After hours of stalemate, a group of 20 riders is now away from the peloton as we approach the later stages of the 18th women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

SD Worx are happy with the composition of the front group which is now 18 riders strong. Their three leaders for the day, Vollering, Kopecky and Wiebes all made it over the Molenberg with the other strongest riders.

A number of pre-race favourites reportedly in the front group.

28km to go

After completing the Leberg and the Berendries, we are now all back together. Zoe Bäckstedt is off the back of the peloton.

Arlenis Sierra attacks away from the peloton with only the Muur and Bosberg left to ride.

25km to go

UAE Team ADQ currently pulling on the front of the peloton.

Sierra's gap is out to 0'23" with 23km left to ride. She's taking the pressure off her Movistar teammates in the run into the Muur.

As Sierra's gap approaches the minute mark, the teams behind should be very wary of how much of a gap they allow how to have. The Cuban is very experienced and has taken WorldTour wins as recently as at last year's Tour de Romandie in October.

Experience road captain Christine Majerus is pulling on the front for SD Worx. Today is her Birthday. Happy birthday to her!

Lotte Kopecky has taken things into her own hands as she powers away from the peloton. She looks in fine touch on this her 2023 road debut. 

Georgi was the closest to Kopecky, but the former Belgian champion is now on her own in pursuit of Sierra. She has the Cuban in her sights on the Muur. 

16km to go

Elisa Longo Borghini is on the chase with Annemiek van Vleuten close behind her. The World Champion must not be on top form as you assume she wouldn't have let Kopecky go away on her own. 

SD Worx have the perfect situation set up for now. Kopecky is in the front group and would fancy her chances against Sierra, and Wiebes has made it into group two on the road. No one will want to drag her to the line for a sprint. 

The gap to the leading duo is 0'30" as we approach the final climb: the Bosberg. Grace Brown is leading the chase behind. 

12km to go

Kopecky looks incredibly calm as she removes her arm warmers. Ominous signs for Sierra as the Belgian seems to be on her best form. 

Kopecky attacks even before the cobbles. She blows Sierra out of the water and takes a huge gap going into the Bosberg. One shake of the head from the Cuban was enough for Kopecky to try and launch away solo. SD Worx playing it perfectly at the moment. 

If Kopecky can hold her lead and win she will become the first ever Belgian woman to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in its history.

Wiebes is doing a phenomenal job of defending as she sits on Liane Lippert's wheel up the Bosberg. The sprinter is showing her versatility amongst the punchiest riders in the pro peloton. 

10km to go

Kopecky has 48 seconds over the chasers. Sierra is back in the group and SD Worx seem to have played a blinder at the first European WorldTour race of the 2023 season. 

The 2023 women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad looks as though it's going to SD Worx. The numbers are there in the chasing group but they are running out of time and kilometres to catch Kopecky. 

Lotte Kopecky had the finest year of her career last year with wins at Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders.

If she survives the final 6km this will be her sixth WorldTour level win.

5km to go

Gap behind has reduced to 0'28". Multiple teams in group two have sprint options.

Kopecky is about to turn into the headwind section, can she stay away?

3km to go

Movistar and UAE Team ADQ have led the chase behind Kopecky whose gap is back out to 0'34". 

2km to go

Bastianelli, Bossuyt, Norsgaard and Wiebes are amongst the fastest finishers in the group behind. The gap is holding at around 30 seconds for Kopecky as she approaches Ninove. 

Kopecky only has 0'16" as we approach the flame rouge. Lippert has turned herself inside out in the chase. 

1km to go

The gap is closing to Kopecky in the final kilometre. She glances back and she can see the chasing group behind. Has she saved enough for the final.

Lotte Kopecky wins the 2023 Women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with an incredible solo victory.

She makes Belgian dreams come true as the first ever Belgian woman to win this race. 

Lorena Wiebes makes it a 1-2 for team SD Worx who played an absolute blinder with their team tactics.

It's all smiles for the Dutch team as their Belgian superstar takes her sixth WorldTour victory. 

She attacked in pursuit of Arlenis Sierra on the Muur and powered away from the Cuban just before the start of the Bosberg.

From then on she build her gap out, utilising her strong time trialling skills on the run into Ninove.

The gap was as small as 15 seconds at moments, but the chase ran out of steam before reeling in the reigning Tour of Flanders winner.

Wiebes, the current European Champion, eased to second place in the sprint behind.

Here was the moment Kopecky flew away from Sierra at the base of the Bosberg.

Lotte Kopecky held off the chasing group in a thrilling finale to the 2023 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women.

To read Cyclingnews' full race report and see our growing gallery, click below.

Lotte Kopecky holds off charging field to take solo win at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women

See the results in full below.

Post-race, Kopecky said: “I had a really good feeling during the race, also on the climbs, I really felt strong. It wasn’t really the intention to go on the Muur, but I started with my pace, and nobody could follow, and then I could not hesitate anymore and just tried to go.” 

It was unknown how the addition of Wiebes would aid or harm SD Worx's classics campaign, but today they played it perfectly.

Kopecky said: “I actually never did a solo myself, so it was hard for me to know how it feels and to pace it. But I think I did well. Of course, this year, we have Lorena Wiebes on the team, she’s the fastest sprinter in the peloton.

"I am fast at the finish, but I’m not a top sprinter. For me, it was a sign to try to become a different rider. I think it’s a good development.” 

Here is Kopecky crossing the line at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2023 after surviving the 13km flat run into Ninove. 

Lorena Wiebes takes the sprint for second as Demi Vollering celebrates in the background.

SD Worx had four riders finish in the top 20:
Kopecky 1st
Wiebes 2nd
Reusser 14th
Vollering 17th

Thank you for joining us today for our live coverage of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women 2023. Check back tomorrow for more coverage of Opening Weekend: Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.