Brugge-De Panne 2022 [FULL RACE] (ladies)

March 24, 2022

Brugge-De Panne 2022 WE – Brugge – De Panne : 162,8 km

Unlike the other Belgian classics on the women’s racing calendar however, Exterioo Classic Brugge-De Panne is pan-flat and features only one small sector of cobblestones. What makes this race so brutal is the wind, particularly the crosswinds that tend to whip up along the Belgian coast between the start in Brugge and finish in De Panne. For the last four years the race has started in the city of Bruges before heading west along Belgium’s wind-battered northern coastline. It’s here where the riders have to deal with the constant threat of crosswinds and the looming possibility of echelons – conditions that are great for us fans watching on from the comfort of our own homes, but not so great for those actually racing. The final third of the 150km-long race takes place on a circular circuit around the seaside town of De Panne, where riders complete two laps before facing off on a long, pan-flat finishing straight in the centre of the town.

Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) has won the Classic Brugge-De Panne. With little to no wind, the peloton was reduced only by several crashes. The last crash in a corner with 2.4 kilometres to go only took down two riders but split the peloton into several groups that only came together again on the finishing straight.

Barbara Guarischi (Movistar Team) tried a late attack but was closed down by Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx), leading out her teammate Lonneke Uneken.

Balsamo launched her sprint 175 metres from the line and held off Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) and Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ) to win her second consecutive Women’s WorldTour race.

“It is a total surprise,” said the world champion after the sprint. “I was working for Chloe Hosking, but in the last kilometres she told me that there was a crash and that I have to sprint.”

With no teammates left to lead her out, Balsamo had to find her own way. “I had to try to find the best position. I did a good sprint, and I am very happy. Winning in the rainbow jersey is amazing, very emotional, and my parents are here too. I want to enjoy this jersey from the first day to the last,” she finished.

How it unfolded
Like the men the day before, the women’s race started in Brugge. After 55.5 kilometres, the peloton hit the 45.1-kilometre finishing circuit near Veurne, following it to the finish on the Veurnestraat in De Panne from where they would do two full laps of the circuit for a total distance of 162.8 km – the longest race in the Women’s WorldTour.

There were several attacks early in the race, but no breakaway held a lead that was significantly bigger than a minute. The longest-lived break of Nicole Steigenga (Team Coop-Hitec Products), April Tacey (Le Col-Wahoo), Antonia Gröndahl (IBCT), Hannah Ludwig (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team), Kirstie van Haaften, and Marith Vanhove (both Parkhotel Valkenburg) just made it to the start of the live broadcast before being caught with 75 km to go.

A four-rider breakaway of Sara Van de Vel (IBCT), Senne Knaven (AG Insurance-NXTG), Fien Delbaere (Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team), and Danique Braam (Bingoal-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck) soon took over.

With 62km to go, Katia Ragusa tried to move up in the peloton in the gutter but hit a pothole that caused her to crash, also taking down Georgia Williams (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Léa Curinier (Team DSM), and Marjolein van’t Geloof (Le Col-Wahoo), though all four could continue the race. From the breakaway, Braam won the prize sprint 59.8 km from the finish, and four kilometres later, the break was reeled in.

Entering the final lap with one large peloton and with very little wind, a mass sprint was on the cards. Team SD Worx tried to force a selection on the long, exposed road through De Moeren and succeeded in creating small gaps, but things quickly came back together. Alice Sharpe (IBCT) then launched a solo attack with 29 km to go, her gap hovering around 15 seconds for a while. Ten kilometres later, Mieke Kröger (Human Powered Health) powered past a faltering Sharpe.

The former time trial champion, held a nine-second advantage over the peloton when there was a huge crash in the peloton as it was navigating a traffic island, with riders and bikes landing on top of each other or getting stuck in roadside hedges. Fewer than 50 riders remained in the peloton when it caught Kröger 14.4km from the finish. A last attack initiated by Mieke Docx (Lotto Soudal Ladies) was brought back by Team DSM.

In the run-in to the sprint finish, Anna Trevisi (UAE Team ADQ) cut a corner too close with 2.4km to go and crashed, also taking down Wiebes’ lead-out woman Charlotte Kool and splitting the peloton into several small groups.

Bastianelli closed the gap to the first group, and 23 riders entered the finishing straight together. Coming out of the corner in fourth position, Guarischi launched her last-ditch attempt to anticipate a sprint, and Kopecky’s effort to reel her in split the group, leaving only ten riders to sprint for the win, with Balsamo having the upper hand.

With her second consecutive Women’s WorldTour victory after the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the world champion also defends her lead in the Women’s WorldTour ranking while her teammate Shirin van Anrooij continues to lead the Women’s WorldTour U23 ranking.

Results :
1 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women 3:52:11
2 Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM Women
3 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
4 Lonneke Uneken (Ned) SD Worx
5 Maria Martins (Por) Le Col Wahoo
6 Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Den) Movistar Team Women
7 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
8 Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-Sram Racing
9 Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx 0:00:03
10 Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
11 Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products
12 Susanne Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
13 Maaike Boogaard (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
14 Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
15 Arianna Fidanza (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
16 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women
17 Lily Williams (USA) Human Powered Health Women
18 Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
19 Julie De Wilde (Bel) Plantur-Pura
20 Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:00:07
21 Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar Team Women 0:00:10
22 Elisa Serné (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team 0:00:12
23 Sylvie Swinkels (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products
24 Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
25 Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies
26 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing
27 Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
28 Christine Majerus (Lux) SD Worx
29 Mieke Docx (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
30 Makayla Macpherson (USA) Human Powered Health Women
31 Maria Van ‘T Geloof (Ned) Le Col Wahoo
32 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
33 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women
34 Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:00:19
35 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM Women
36 Laura Süßemilch (Ger) Plantur-Pura
37 Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura
38 Julie Stockman (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
39 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) UAE Team ADQ 0:00:22
40 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
41 Marit Raaijmakers (Ned) Human Powered Health Women
42 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team Women
43 Mieke Kröger (Ger) Human Powered Health Women
44 Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Human Powered Health Women
45 Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:00:31
46 Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
47 Henrietta Christie (NZl) Human Powered Health Women 0:00:42
48 Rosalie van der Wolf (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:00:51
49 Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:00:53
50 Elena Cecchini (Ita) SD Worx 0:01:16
51 Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:01:06
52 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:01:16
53 Charlotte Kool (Ned) Team DSM Women 0:01:51
54 Anna Trevisi (Ita) UAE Team ADQ 0:01:53
55 Jelena Eric (Srb) Movistar Team Women
56 Mylene de Zoete (Ned) NXTG by Experza 0:02:00
57 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
58 Kristyna Burlová (Cze) Lotto Soudal Ladies
59 Hannah Buch (Ger) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad 0:02:01
60 Nina Kessler (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
61 Minke Bakker (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport 0:02:03
62 Fien Delbaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
63 Hannah Ludwig (Ger) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
64 Haylee Fuller (Aus) IBCT
65 Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
66 Yuli Van Der Molen (Ned) NXTG by Experza
67 Lena Charlotte Reißner (Ger) IBCT
68 Caren Commissaris (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
69 Sara Van De Vel (Bel) IBCT
70 Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Trek-Segafredo Women
71 Georgia Williams (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
72 Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Plantur-Pura
73 Teniel Campbell (TTo) BikeExchange-Jayco Women 0:02:09
74 Rachele Barbieri (Ita) Liv Racing Xstra
75 Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing Xstra 0:02:57
76 Julie Hendrickx (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
77 Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing Xstra
78 Sara Maes (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
79 Josie Nelson (GBr) Team Coop-Hitec Products
80 April Tacey (GBr) Le Col Wahoo
81 Kathrin Schweinberger (Aut) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
82 Maike Van der Duin (Ned) Le Col Wahoo
83 Lara Vieceli (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
84 Roxane Fournier (Fra) SD Worx
85 Eluned King (GBr) Le Col Wahoo
86 Eva Buurman (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
87 Antonia Gröndahl (Fin) IBCT 0:03:03
88 Sofie van Rooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:03:08
89 Linda Zanetti (Swi) UAE Team ADQ
90 Rebecca Koerner (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
91 Wilma Olausson (Swe) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
92 Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo Women
93 Eefje Brandt (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
94 Katrijn De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:03:47
95 Claudia Jongerius (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
96 Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women
97 Senne Knaven (Bel) NXTG by Experza
98 Leonie Bos (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
99 Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra 0:04:00
100 Tamara Dronova (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
101 Diana Klimova (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad 0:04:01
102 Nora Tveit (Nor) Team Coop-Hitec Products
103 Kiona Crabbé (Bel) Plantur-Pura
104 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
105 Emma Boogaard (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products
106 Caroline Andersson (Swe) Team Coop-Hitec Products
107 Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
108 Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
109 Céline van Houtum (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
110 Eline Van Rooijen (Ned) NXTG by Experza
111 Stine Borgli (Nor) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
112 Gaia Masetti (Ita) NXTG by Experza
113 Julie Leth (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
114 Georgia Baker (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women 0:08:26
115 Danique Braam (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
116 Bente Van Teeseling (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
117 Alice Sharpe (Irl) IBCT
118 Jessica Allen (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women 0:08:28
119 Sandra Alonso Dominguez (Spa) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
120 Franziska Brauße (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
121 Megan Jastrab (USA) Team DSM Women
122 Léa Curinier (Fra) Team DSM Women
123 Julie Van De Velde (Bel) Plantur-Pura
124 Esmée Peperkamp (Ned) Team DSM Women 0:08:33
125 Katia Ragusa (Ita) Liv Racing Xstra
DNF Léa Stern (Swi) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
DNF Ines Van De Paar (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Le Col Wahoo
DNF Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-Sram Racing
DNF Barbara Sniezynska (Pol) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
DNF Gulnaz Khatuntseva (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
DNF Karolina Kumiega (Pol) Valcar-Travel & Service
DNF Ditte Lenseclaes (Bel) IBCT
DNF Maud Rijnbeek (Ned) NXTG by Experza
DNF Marith Vanhove (Bel) Parkhotel Valkenburg