Ronde van Drenthe 2022 [FULL RACE] (ladies)

March 12, 2022

Ronde van Drenthe 2022 WE – Assen – Hoogeveen : 155,9 km

The Ronde van Drenthe is one of the longest-standing one-day races on the women’s WorldTour calendar and has regularly opened up the Spring Classics season ever since its inception in 2007. Built off the back of the eponymously-named men’s race, the Ronde van Drenthe burst onto the calendar in 2007 and almost immediately established itself as a prestigious semi-Classic. The race typically takes place in early March. Its route features a mix of challenging pavé sectors and smooth expanses of tarmac, both of which are regularly battered by crosswinds blowing in from the North Sea. The route also contains several ascents of the infamous VAM-berg, an artificial climb that has been made on top of an old landfill site. These features make the Ronde van Drenthe a perfect dress rehearsal for other big one-day races.

Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) has defended her Ronde van Drenthe, winning the sprint of a small peloton ahead of world champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) and Women’s WorldTour leader Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx).

After an aggressive race, the last attacker Anouska Koster (Team Jumbo-Visma) was only caught on the finishing straight, with the sprint launching immediately afterwards.

Wiebes had suffered a puncture with 20 kilometres to go and returned to the peloton just before the final ascent of the VAM-berg where the race split up in several small groups.

Her teammate, British champion Pfeiffer Georgi, worked hard to bring the second group with Wiebes back to the front. Just when they had made contact, four riders attacked with 11 km to go and held a gap of up to 19 seconds on the reduced peloton where Team DSM and Trek-Segafredo were chasing hard. With the chasing peloton about to make the catch, Koster attacked one last time with 1.5 km to go, and she was only reeled in with 500 metres to go.

“It was hard after the puncture, but luckily I still had teammates in the group who worked hard in the final. After my teammates had been chasing down the break, I chose the wheel of Balsamo for the sprint.

“I felt that I just had to go, and I started sprinting just a bit earlier than Balsamo and could use the space on the left side. I had to finish it off after the team had chased so hard, you never know, but I made it to the finish line,” said Wiebes after the race.

How it unfolded
One of the longest women’s races, the Ronde van Drenthe offered 156 km of racing with six cobblestone sectors totalling 14.3 km in the first half of the race as well as four double ascents of the VAM-berg in the second half, the last one only 13 km from the finish line.

Kerry Jonker (Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch) attacked after only 10 kilometres, but she was caught with just over 100 km to go. The race then stayed together until Teuntje Beekhuis (Team Jumbo-Visma) and Marta Jaskulska (Liv Racing Xstra) took off between the first and second climbs of the VAM-berg.

On a short crosswind sector, Team SD Worx pushed the pace and split the peloton in two, catching the two escapees in the process. After the third VAM-berg ascent with 40 km to go, there were about 30 riders left in the front group, and attacks started flying as the race headed to the finishing town of Hoogeveen for the first time.

A breakaway of five formed with 33 km to go when Jip van den Bos (Team Jumbo-Visma), Mischa Bredewold (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx), Alison Jackson (Liv Racing Xstra), and Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) joined forces. When the chase group was led the wrong way in a roundabout, their advantage increased to 35 seconds even though Georgi did not take turns.

On the way back to the VAM-berg, Trek-Segafredo and Canyon-SRAM chased hard and closed the gap just before Kopecky and then Wiebes had punctures, though both quickly returned to the peloton. On the final ascent of the landfill ‘mountain’, ten riders got away from the next group of twelve that included Wiebes, but Georgi closed the gap.

Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health), Koster, Christine Majerus (Team SD Worx), and Sarah Roy (Canyon-SRAM) attacked with 11 km to go, and as their advantage dwindled, Koster tried to get away solo twice. Her first attempt was quickly shut down by Roy, but Koster got away on the second try. The other three attackers resigned and were reeled in by the peloton while Koster continued, but she was also caught with 500 metres to go. Wiebes launched her sprint with 200 metres to go, quickly passing Balsamo and keeping the world champion as well as Kopecky behind her until the line.

After winning the Strade Bianche, Kopecky defended the lead in the Women’s WorldTour with her third place.

Results :
1 Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM Women 4:03:31
2 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:00:01
3 Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx
4 Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
5 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
6 Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-Sram Racing
7 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
8 Nina Kessler (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
9 Jip van den Bos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
10 Sarah Roy (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing
11 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women
12 Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
13 Christine Majerus (Lux) SD Worx
14 Nina Buijsman (Ned) Human Powered Health Women
15 Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM Women
16 Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing Xstra
17 Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo Women
18 Anouska Koster (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
19 Lily Williams (USA) Human Powered Health Women
20 Susanne Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
21 Julia Borgström (Swe) NXTG by Experza
22 Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
23 Romy Kasper (Ger) Jumbo-Visma Women
24 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-Sram Racing
25 Arianna Fidanza (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
26 Marlen Reusser (Swi) SD Worx
27 Stine Borgli (Nor) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
28 Loes Adegeest (Ned) IBCT
29 Elena Cecchini (Ita) SD Worx
30 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
31 Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
32 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM Women
33 Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
34 Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
35 Georgia Baker (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
36 Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
37 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:00:43
38 Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:01:41
39 Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
40 Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon-Sram Racing 0:01:48
41 Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing Xstra
42 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo Women
43 Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
44 Roxane Fournier (Fra) SD Worx
45 Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products 0:04:55
46 Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
47 Martina Fidanza (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
48 Mylene de Zoete (Ned) NXTG by Experza
49 Kaia Schmid (USA) Human Powered Health Women
50 Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
51 Ilse Pluimers (Ned) NXTG by Experza
52 Franziska Koch (Ger) Team DSM Women
53 Thalita De Jong (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
54 Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Liv Racing Xstra
55 Carolin Schiff (Ger) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
56 Lisa Klein (Ger) Canyon-Sram Racing
57 Mariia Novolodskaia (Rus) UAE Team ADQ
58 Jessica Allen (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
59 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
60 Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Human Powered Health Women 0:04:59
61 Megan Jastrab (USA) Team DSM Women 0:06:58
62 Eline Van Rooijen (Ned) NXTG by Experza
63 Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service
64 Franziska Brauße (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
65 Sandra Alonso Dominguez (Spa) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
66 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) UAE Team ADQ
67 Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
68 Maike Van der Duin (Ned) Le Col Wahoo
69 Marissa Baks (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
70 Anneke Dijkstra (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
71 Amalie Lutro (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
72 Kathrin Schweinberger (Aut) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
73 Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
74 Laura Tomasi (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
75 Teniel Campbell (TTo) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
76 Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
77 Maaike Boogaard (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
78 Lonneke Uneken (Ned) SD Worx
79 Anastasia Carbonari (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
80 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
DNF Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM Women
DNF Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
DNF Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
DNF Mieke Kröger (Ger) Human Powered Health Women
DNF Henrietta Christie (NZl) Human Powered Health Women
DNF Quinty Ton (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
DNS Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
DNF Elynor Backstedt (GBr) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNF Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNF Anniina Ahtosalo (Fin) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
DNF Hannah Barnes (GBr) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
DNF Julie Leth (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
DNF Michelle Andres (Swi) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNF Fabienne Buri (Swi) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNS Georgia Danford (NZl) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNF Kerry Jonker (RSA) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNF Friederike Stern (Ger) Andy Schleck-CP Nvst-Immo Losch
DNF Daniela Campos (Por) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Eukene Larrarte Arteaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Sofia Rodriguez Revert (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Aileen Schweikart (Ger) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Catalina Soto Campos (Chi) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Alba Teruel Ribes (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
DNF Clara Lundmark (Swe) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
DNF Femke De Vries (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
DNF Daniek Hengeveld (Ned) GT Krush Tunap Pro Cycling
DNF Maud Rijnbeek (Ned) NXTG by Experza
DNF Senne Knaven (Bel) NXTG by Experza
DNF Demi De Jong (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Sylvie Swinkels (Ned) Team Coop-Hitec Products
DNF Maria Apolonia Van ‘T Geloof (Ned) Netherlands