Wiebes wins the Ronde van Drenthe

Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) has defended her Ronde van Drenthe, winning the sprint of a small peloton ahead of world champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) and Women's WorldTour leader Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx). 

After an aggressive race, the last attacker Anouska Koster (Team Jumbo-Visma) was only caught on the finishing straight, with the sprint launching immediately afterwards.

Wiebes had suffered a puncture with 20 kilometres to go and returned to the peloton just before the final ascent of the VAM-berg where the race split up in several small groups. 

Her teammate, British champion Pfeiffer Georgi, worked hard to bring the second group with Wiebes back to the front. Just when they had made contact, four riders attacked with 11 km to go and held a gap of up to 19 seconds on the reduced peloton where Team DSM and Trek-Segafredo were chasing hard. With the chasing peloton about to make the catch, Koster attacked one last time with 1.5 km to go, and she was only reeled in with 500 metres to go.

“It was hard after the puncture, but luckily I still had teammates in the group who worked hard in the final. After my teammates had been chasing down the break, I chose the wheel of Balsamo for the sprint. 

"I felt that I just had to go, and I started sprinting just a bit earlier than Balsamo and could use the space on the left side. I had to finish it off after the team had chased so hard, you never know, but I made it to the finish line,” said Wiebes after the race.

How it unfolded

One of the longest women’s races, the Ronde van Drenthe offered 156 km of racing with six cobblestone sectors totalling 14.3 km in the first half of the race as well as four double ascents of the VAM-berg in the second half, the last one only 13 km from the finish line.

Kerry Jonker (Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch) attacked after only 10 kilometres, but she was caught with just over 100 km to go. The race then stayed together until Teuntje Beekhuis (Team Jumbo-Visma) and Marta Jaskulska (Liv Racing Xstra) took off between the first and second climbs of the VAM-berg.

On a short crosswind sector, Team SD Worx pushed the pace and split the peloton in two, catching the two escapees in the process. After the third VAM-berg ascent with 40 km to go, there were about 30 riders left in the front group, and attacks started flying as the race headed to the finishing town of Hoogeveen for the first time.

A breakaway of five formed with 33 km to go when Jip van den Bos (Team Jumbo-Visma), Mischa Bredewold (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx), Alison Jackson (Liv Racing Xstra), and Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) joined forces. When the chase group was led the wrong way in a roundabout, their advantage increased to 35 seconds even though Georgi did not take turns.

On the way back to the VAM-berg, Trek-Segafredo and Canyon-SRAM chased hard and closed the gap just before Kopecky and then Wiebes had punctures, though both quickly returned to the peloton. On the final ascent of the landfill ‘mountain’, ten riders got away from the next group of twelve that included Wiebes, but Georgi closed the gap.

Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health), Koster, Christine Majerus (Team SD Worx), and Sarah Roy (Canyon-SRAM) attacked with 11 km to go, and as their advantage dwindled, Koster tried to get away solo twice. Her first attempt was quickly shut down by Roy, but Koster got away on the second try. The other three attackers resigned and were reeled in by the peloton while Koster continued, but she was also caught with 500 metres to go. Wiebes launched her sprint with 200 metres to go, quickly passing Balsamo and keeping the world champion as well as Kopecky behind her until the line.

After winning the Strade Bianche, Kopecky defended the lead in the Women’s WorldTour with her third place.

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Full Results
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM Women 4:03:31
2Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:00:01
3Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx
4Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
5Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
6Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-Sram Racing
7Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
8Nina Kessler (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
9Jip van den Bos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
10Sarah Roy (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing
11Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women
12Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
13Christine Majerus (Lux) SD Worx
14Nina Buijsman (Ned) Human Powered Health Women
15Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM Women
16Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing Xstra
17Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo Women
18Anouska Koster (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
19Lily Williams (USA) Human Powered Health Women
20Susanne Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
21Julia Borgström (Swe) NXTG by Experza
22Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
23Romy Kasper (Ger) Jumbo-Visma Women
24Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-Sram Racing
25Arianna Fidanza (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
26Marlen Reusser (Swi) SD Worx
27Stine Borgli (Nor) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
28Loes Adegeest (Ned) IBCT
29Elena Cecchini (Ita) SD Worx
30Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
31Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
32Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM Women
33Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
34Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
35Georgia Baker (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
36Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
37Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:00:43
38Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:01:41
39Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
40Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:01:48
41Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing Xstra
42Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo Women
43Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
44Roxane Fournier (Fra) SD Worx
45Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products 0:04:55
46Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
47Martina Fidanza (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
48Mylene de Zoete (Ned) NXTG by Experza
49Kaia Schmid (USA) Human Powered Health Women
50Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
51Ilse Pluimers (Ned) NXTG by Experza
52Franziska Koch (Ger) Team DSM Women
53Thalita De Jong (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
54Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Liv Racing Xstra
55Carolin Schiff (Ger) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
56Lisa Klein (Ger) Canyon-Sram Racing
57Mariia Novolodskaia (Rus) UAE Team ADQ
58Jessica Allen (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
59Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
60Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Human Powered Health Women 0:04:59
61Megan Jastrab (USA) Team DSM Women 0:06:58
62Eline Van Rooijen (Ned) NXTG by Experza
63Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service
64Franziska Brauße (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
65Sandra Alonso Dominguez (Spa) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
66Eugenia Bujak (Slo) UAE Team ADQ
67Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
68Maike Van der Duin (Ned) Le Col Wahoo
69Marissa Baks (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
70Anneke Dijkstra (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
71Amalie Lutro (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
72Kathrin Schweinberger (Aut) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
73Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
74Laura Tomasi (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
75Teniel Campbell (TTo) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
76Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
77Maaike Boogaard (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
78Lonneke Uneken (Ned) SD Worx
79Anastasia Carbonari (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
80Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
DNFLeah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM Women
DNFMaëlle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
DNFVittoria Guazzini (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
DNFMieke Kröger (Ger) Human Powered Health Women
DNFHenrietta Christie (NZl) Human Powered Health Women
DNFQuinty Ton (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
DNSRuby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
DNFElynor Backstedt (GBr) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNFLauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNFAnniina Ahtosalo (Fin) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
DNFHannah Barnes (GBr) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
DNFJulie Leth (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
DNFMichelle Andres (Swi) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNFFabienne Buri (Swi) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNSGeorgia Danford (NZl) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNFKerry Jonker (RSA) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNFFriederike Stern (Ger) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNFDaniela Campos (Por) Bizkaia-Durango
DNFEukene Larrarte Arteaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
DNFSofia Rodriguez Revert (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
DNFAileen Schweikart (Ger) Bizkaia-Durango
DNFCatalina Soto Campos (Chi) Bizkaia-Durango
DNFAlba Teruel Ribes (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
DNFMaria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
DNFClara Lundmark (Swe) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
DNFFemke De Vries (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
DNFDaniek Hengeveld (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
DNFMaud Rijnbeek (Ned) NXTG by Experza
DNFSenne Knaven (Bel) NXTG by Experza
DNFDemi De Jong (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNFSylvie Swinkels (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products
DNFMaria Apolonia Van 'T Geloof (Ned) Netherlands

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Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.

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