Lorena Wiebes wins first Scheldeprijs Women

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Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) won the first edition of the women’s Scheldeprijs, using her aggression and fast finish to win the sprint.

Wiebes started her sprint at roughly 300 metres and edged clear to beat Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) and Elisa Balsamo (Valcar Travel & Service) in Schoten.

“Today was very chaotic but it was a nice race,” Wiebes said after celebrating with her Team DSM teammates. 

“There was wind in some parts but not enough to really make a difference. In the end, the sprint was also chaotic but it is nice to win this race.”

The peloton swept up the day’s solo breakaway rider Daniek Hengeveld (GT Krush Tunap) inside the last 10km, and then kept late-race attacker Letizia Borghesi (Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano) under control until setting up for the inevitable final sprint.

Teniel Campbell (Team BikeExchange) took the lead and set a fast pace through the final kilometres of the race, but she was taken over by Movistar’s lead-out with one kilometre to go. 

Sarah Roy (Team BikeExchange) appeared to have started her sprint too early, as did Lisa Brennauer (Ceratizit-WNT), only to be passed by Wiebes, Norsgaard and Balsamo, along with Emilie Moberg (Drops) and Lisa Klein (Canyon-SRAM) before the line.

How it unfolded

Flanders Classics launched the first edition of the women’s Scheldeprijs with a 136.2km race that started and finished in Schoten. The field completed one large loop of 75km before tackling three local finishing circuits that included a cobbled sector.

A group of 16 riders got away from the peloton early in the race that included Teniel Campbell (Team BikeExchange), Amalie Dideriksen (Trek-Segafredo), Alice Barnes and Lisa Klein (Canyon-SRAM), Maike van der Duin (Drops), Lisa Brennauer (Ceratizit-WNT) and Femke Markus (Parkhotel Valkenburg).

The split didn’t last long and the field was back together. However the first of several crashes took down Kelly Van den Steen (Bingoal Casino), Esmee Peperkamp (Team DSM) and Nora Jencusova (Bepink), causing the field to briefly separate into two groups. 

A second crash brought down Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo), Emanuela Zanetti (Isolmant), Spela Kern (Massi- Tactic), Marion Norbert (Rupel Cleaning), Alicia Gonzalez (Movistar), and Arlenis Sierra (AR Monex), and that was followed by another that resulted in Barnes and Georgia Danford (Andy Schlek-CP NVST) chasing to get back into the field.

Upon reaching the entrance to the local circuits at the 75km mark, Daniek Hengeveld (GT Krush Tunap) launched a solo move and gained 30 seconds on the field. She powered around the first lap and by the time she reached the start of the second circuit (35km to go), she had more than one minute in hand.

Trek-Segafredo set the chase from behind with Paternoster appearing to be working for Dideriksen, while other teams Valvar Travel&Service, Canyon-SRAM, AR Monex, Team DSM, Team BikeExchange and Ceratizit-WNT, all with strong sprinters, organised themselves at the front of the field.

The peloton slashed Hengeveld’s gap in half on the third and final circuit and with 17km to go she had just 30 seconds. Valcar Travel&Service appeared to have some trouble in the field as several riders stopped to assist sprinter Elisa Balsamo.

The peloton swept up Hengeveld inside the final 10km, just as Letizia Borghesi (Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano) launched a flyer. But she never gained more than a few seconds on a field intent to see a bunch sprint play out in Schoten.