American Katie Compton (Planet Bike) took her 11th win of the season on Sunday at the Superprestige race, winning in Gavere for the third year in a row.
World Champion Marianne Vos was second at just 56 seconds while another favorite, Daphny Van Den Brand (ZZPR.nl) was third at 1:43.
The opening round of the women's Superprestige series tested the riders with thick mud all along the undulating course. Van Den Brand took the lead on the first lap as Compton, Vos and Belgian Sanne Cant formed the chasing group.
Cycling's recent nighttime anti-doping wake-up calls highlighted concerns that micro-dosing is fuelling an ever-accelerating peloton. Further concerns arise from the similar biological footprints left by hypoxic adaptation and artificial EPO. Is modern-day cycling as clean as we hoped? Cyclingnews investigates…
All the ways you can watch or stream the 2026 Tour de France, on TV, on your devices and more from wherever you are in the world, including free options
My best guess would be that social media has accelerated the glorification and fetishization of the Alpe d’Huez atmosphere, and more and more people are heading up with the primary focus of seeking out the hot-spots where the music is loudest, and the costumes are wildest.
