De Brabantse Pijl 2021 [FULL RACE] (ladies)

April 14, 2021

De Brabantse Pijl 2021 WE – Lennik – Overijse : 201,7 km

The cobbled Classics have come and gone, now it’s time for the peloton to head south-eastwards and make their way into the Ardennes for a quartet of hilly one-day races. Brabantse Pijl will kickstart this Ardennes Classics period this Wednesday, with a route that contains no less than 22 climbs and a startlist that features the likes of Annemiek van Vleuten, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak and Demi Vollering. With these kinds of names on the startline, plus a route that guarantees non-stop action, this is going to be a race that you won’t want to miss. Like last year, the race will set off from the town of Lennik before making its way south to Sint-Genesius-Rode, a small town that lies near the border between the Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant. The riders will tackle a small ‘warm-up’ loop around this town, testing their legs on 6 of the 22 climbs that make up the approximately 130km-long route. These climbs aren’t tough on their own, but when they fall one after the other in quick succession they can really start to sap the strength from a rider’s legs.

Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo) was awarded the victory at the mid-week Brabantse Pijl Dames after officials reviewed a photo-finish sprint against runner-up Demi Vollering (SD Worx). The two riders surged in the closing metres of the race over the top of the S-Bocht Overijse climb and crossed the finish line side-by-side in Overijse. Vollering celebrated after she thought she had won, however, moments later officials declared Winder the winner of the race. Elisa Balsamo (Valcar Travel & Service) finished third.

“I’m extremely surprised,” Winder said. “I came to this race wanting to be my best, and in the end, it played out really well for me. I thought Demi had it. We were sprinting and I threw my bike at the line, but she really celebrated, so I thought ‘congratulations’, because she is an amazing bike rider and just for me to be second, I was excited with that. To win is … it feels really good.”

A six-rider breakaway formed in the final 20km of the race that included Winder, Vollering, and Balsamo along with Joss Lowden (Drops), Juliette Labous (Team DSM), and Leah Thomas (Movistar).

Vollering led her rivals into the foot of the finale 1.3km climb S-Bocht Overijse at the end of the women’s 127km race. She looked over her shoulder at her five rivals behind and then allowed Lowden to follow through under the flamme rouge. The Drops rider attacked but Vollering almost instantly closed the gap with Balsamo on her wheel in third position and Winder just behind.

Balsamo started her sprint first over the crest of the climb but as her speed began to fade, Vollering and Winder swung off her wheel, one on the left and the other on the right, in a head-to-head sprint, crossing the finished line side by side.

Vollering celebrated too early only to find out moments later that officials awarded the victory Winder after reviewing images of the photo-finish sprint.

“Sometimes sprints can be so close,” Vollering said. “I felt good. It was a hard race and I knew that in the climb I would have something left, and I was happy that I was there, and the team did a good job to be alert. It was a nice race.”

How it unfolded

Brabantse Pijl Dames marked the end of the Flanders Classics’ one-day races. It was contested along a new 127.3km route between Lennik and Overijse. The race featured a total of 22 climbs, but the final two circuits included climbs over Hagaard (500m, 8 per cent), Hertstraat (300m, 8.4 per cent), Moskesstraat (800m, 6 per cent), Holtsheide (700m, 6 per cent) and S-Bocht Overijse (1,300 metres) at the finish.

A lead group of 12 riders formed over the Hagaard climb with 41km to go, following an attack by Sabrina Stultiens (Liv Racing) that also included, Leah Thomas and Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), Demi Vollering and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx), Lucinda Brand and Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo), Coryn Rivera (Team DSM), Arlenis Sierra (AR Monex), Georgia Williams (Team BikeExchange), Joss Lowden (Drops), and Eugenie Duval and Maëlle Grossetete (FDJ).

The move passed through the finish line, to see two local laps to go, but was shut down with 35km to go and regrouped ahead of the first time over the Moskesstraat climb.

Elisa Balsamo (Valcar) and Leah Thomas (Movistar) surged over the summit of the Moskesstraat, and with 31km to go a new lead group formed that also included Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx), Alena Amialiusik (Canyon-SRAM), and Tayler Wiles (Trek-Segafredo).

The move didn’t last and the race was all back together with 27km to go when another series of attacks saw the winning six-rider breakaway emerge with 23km to go. In that group were Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo), Demi Vollering (SD Worx), Joss Lowden (Drops), Elisa Balsamo (Valcar), Juliette Labous (Team DSM), and Leah Thomas (Movistar).

The six leaders quickly stretched their lead out to one minute with 12km to go, but with three climbs; Moskesstraat, Holtsheide, and S-Bocht Overijse, to go the race was still unpredictable.

In the main field behind, FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope, Liv Racing, and Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank, who did not have riders in the breakaway, pushed to try and close the gap. Once they realised that it was too late, several riders went on the attack over the final pitches in the closing kilometres, in their race for seventh place.

Inside the final three kilometres, the six riders raced toward the final climb S-Bocht Overijse, all working well together to keep the gap at a healthy 1:10 ahead of the peloton.

Vollering moved to the front at the base of the climb and the rest of the riders seemed content to let her set the speed, but the group broke apart when Lowden attacked with 1km to go. Vollering was quick to regain contact, as was Winder and Balsamo.

The Italian launched her sprint over the top but was outsprinted by the faster Winder and Vollering at the finish line.

Results :
1 Ruth Winder (USA) Trek-Segafredo 3:20:00
2 Demi Vollering (Ned) Team SD Worx
3 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
4 Leah Thomas (USA) Movistar Team Women
5 Joscelin Lowden (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
6 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team DSM 0:00:06
7 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Team SD Worx 0:00:57
8 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
9 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
10 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Liv Racing
11 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo
12 Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
13 Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Liv Racing
14 Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
15 Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Cub) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team
16 Thalita De Jong (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
17 Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
18 Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Movistar Team Women
19 Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) Team BikeExchange
20 Amalie Lutro (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
21 Letizia Borghesi (Ita) Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
22 Lone Meertens (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
23 Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing
24 Eider Merino Cortazar (Spa) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team
25 Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Team SD Worx
26 Amelia Sharpe (GBr) NXTG Racing
27 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx
28 Georgia Williams (NZl) Team BikeExchange
29 Vita Heine (Nor) Massi Tactic Women Team
30 Georgia Williams (NZl) Team BikeExchange
31 Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
32 Sarah Gigante (Aus) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
33 Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Liv Racing
34 Lizbeth Yareli Salazar Vazquez (Mex) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team
35 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange
36 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women
37 Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
38 Coryn Rivera (USA) Team DSM
39 Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
40 Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) Team SD Worx
41 Neve Bradbury (Aus) Canyon-SRAM Racing
42 Sara Van De Vel (Bel) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
43 Spela Kern (Slo) Massi Tactic Women Team 0:01:05
44 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Team BikeExchange
45 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
46 Esmée Peperkamp (Ned) Team DSM 0:01:09
47 Catalina Anais Soto Campos (Chi) NXTG Racing 0:01:11
48 Jelena Eric (Srb) Movistar Team Women
49 Sara Penton (Swe) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:01:18
50 Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
51 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:01:23
52 Ilse Pluimers (Ned) NXTG Racing 0:02:21
53 Olha Kulynych (Ukr) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
54 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing
55 Alice Sharpe (Irl) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
56 Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
57 Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
58 Inga Cesuliene (Ltu) Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
59 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM
60 Bryony van Velzen (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
61 Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
62 Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
63 Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Team BikeExchange
64 Fien Van Eynde (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
65 Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
66 Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:03:08
67 Julia Borgström (Swe) NXTG Racing 0:03:40
68 Abby-Mae Parkinson (GBr) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:05:24
69 Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
70 Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:07:49
71 Julie De Wilde (Bel) Plantur-Pura 0:11:11
72 Maaike Coljé (Ned) Massi Tactic Women Team
73 Maria Van ‘T Geloof (Ned) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
74 Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
75 Elise Vander Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
76 Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
77 Nathalie Bex (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
78 Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
79 Rosalie van der Wolf (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
80 Maria Vittoria Sperotto (Ita) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team
81 Fien Delbaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
82 Svenja Betz (Ger) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
83 Justine Ghekiere (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
84 Céline van Houtum (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
85 Hannah Ludwig (Ger) Canyon-SRAM Racing
86 Emily Newsom (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
87 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
88 Urska Zigart (Slo) Team BikeExchange
89 Anna Christian (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
90 Caroline Andersson (Swe) Team Coop Hitec Products
91 Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
92 Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
93 Silvia Magri (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
94 Marijke De Smedt (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
95 Victoire Berteau (Fra) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
96 Emilie Moberg (Nor) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
97 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
98 Anna Plichta (Pol) Lotto Soudal Ladies
99 Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
100 Elynor Backstedt (GBr) Trek-Segafredo 0:11:20
101 Julia Soek (Ned) Team DSM
102 Wilma Olausson (Swe) Team DSM
103 Demi De Jong (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
DNF Nikola Noskova (Cze) Team SD Worx
DNF Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Liv Racing
DNF Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women
DNF Omer Shapira (Isr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
DNF Jade Teolis (Fra) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team
DNF Olivija Baleisyte (Ltu) Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
DNF Giulia Marchesini (Ita) Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
DNF Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
DNF Minke Bakker (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
DNF Maria Martins (Por) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
DNF Emma Boogaard (Ned) Team Coop Hitec Products
DNF Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
DNF Ann Helen Olsen (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
DNF Christa Riffel (Ger) Team Coop Hitec Products
DNF Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
DNF Agua Marina Espinola Salinas (Par) Massi Tactic Women Team
DNF Mireia Trias Jordan (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
DNF Ann-Sophie Duyck (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
DNF Cathalijne Hoolwerf (Ned) NXTG Racing
DNF Britt Knaven (Bel) NXTG Racing
DNF Belle de Gast (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Antonia Gröndahl (Fin) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
DNF Mia Griffin (Irl) Team Rupelcleaning-Champion Lubricants
DNF Tanja Erath (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
DNF Katrijn De Clercq (Bel) Belgian Cycliing
DNF Ellen Feytens (Bel) Belgian Cycling
DNF Marthe Truyen (Bel) Plantur-Pura
DNF Gloria Van Mechelen (Bel) LVIV Cycling Team
DNS Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
DNS Hanna Nilsson (Swe) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNS Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura