De Brabantse Pijl 2022 [LAST 15 KM] (ladies)

April 13, 2022

De Brabantse Pijl 2022 WE – Sint-Pieters-Leeuw – Overijse : 141,2 km

Often falling just before the big three Ardennes Classics, this one-day race held in the Walloon and Flemish Brabant regions of Belgium offers riders one final chance to tune up their form ahead of one of the most action-packed racing periods of the year. First held in 2016 under the name the Pajot Hills Classic, this one-day race has quickly become one of the most prestigious and hotly contested events outside of the big Classics and has seen some of the sport’s biggest names take to the top step of the podium. In 2018 the race was upgraded from a 1.2 to a 1.1 event by the UCI, making it one of the highest ranked one-day races in Belgium outside of the Ardennes Classics. Its name and date were also changed in 2018 to align the race with De Brabantse Pijl – La Flèche Brabançonne. Now it takes place in early April under the new name, Brabantse Pijl Dames Gooik, and follows a similar route to that of the men’s race. Short, sharp hills are the flavour of the day and while none are too difficult in isolation, it’s the frequency in which they’re ridden over that really hurts the riders.

Demi Vollering (Sd Worx) won the women’s Brabantse Pijl with a dominant solo victory in the rain.

She was second in Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race and last year’s De Brabantse Pijl but raced aggressively on Wednesday to set up her solo victory.

She attacked with Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon-SRAM) at 30km to go and then as their gap grew on the hilly final circuit, Vollering took off alone and time trialled to the finish.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) attacked from the chase group and won the sprint for second place after Rooijakkers was caught, while Liane Lippert (Team DSM) was third.

How it unfolded
The mid-week Brabantse Pijl upgraded to 1.Pro this year and marked the final race of the Flanders Classics’ spring calendar. No less that 24 climbs set the scene for the 141.2km race that started in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and finished on circuits in Overijse. Each local circuit included the punishing climbs: S-Bocht Overijse, Hagaard, Hertstraat, Moskesstraat and Holstheide.

Anna Christian (Le Col-Wahoo) made an early solo attack but her efforts were short-lived and she was reeled back into the main field with 85km remaining. Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma) was the next to make her move over the Moskesstraat where she gained 22 seconds, but she too was caught with the field back together right before entering the 21.9km-long local circuits in Overijse.

Ten riders escaped the main field over the relentless ascents on the circuits but the reduced field reconnected with the breakaway on the penultimate lap.

Vollering, runner-up after a photo-finish last year was awarded to Ruth Winder, launched a seering attack that only Paulina Rooijakkers (Canyon-SRAM) could follow. Together the pair gained nearly 20 seconds as the cleared the S-Bocht inside the final 25km, and the start of the last lap of racing.

Sensing that it could be the winning move, Juliette Labous (Team DSM) attempted to bridge across, but never managed to close the gap.

Vollering dropped Rooijakkers on the last passage of the Moskesstraat with 10km to go and she pushed her lead out to 30 seconds, and then 45 seconds as she reached the final ascent to the finishline in S-Bocht Overijse and taking the victory.

Behind the day’s winner, chasers Niewiadoma launched her sprint to finish second place ahead of Lippert in third, while Marlene Reusser (also SD Worx) finished fourth, Labous in fifth and Rooijakkers in sixth.

Results :