Tour of Flanders 2022 [LAST 10 KM] (ladies)

April 3, 2022

Tour of Flanders 2022 WE – Oudenaarde – Oudenaarde : 158,6 km

The Ronde van Vlaanderen is one of the most prestigious one-day races on the Women’s WorldTour, win here and you’ll no doubt enter the Classics Hall of Fame. It’s shorter than the men’s race but arguably just as hellish. With the leg-breaking cobbled climbs of the Muur van Geraardsbergen, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg all featuring on the route, this is easily one of the toughest races the riders will face all year. The race first started out in 2004 and originally followed a short, 94km-long route. Since then it has been extended to around 160km, with more and more difficult climbs added every year. In total, the route now includes 11 gruelling cobbled climbs and five sectors of bone-rattling cobblestones. The route may be 100km shorter than the men’s but with a similar amount of climbs there is a lot less distance between each one, meaning riders are offered close to zero respite as they fly from the summit of one to the foot of the next. The climbing also begins a lot earlier in the day, meaning attacks can fly almost from the gun. In all it makes for one incredibly aggressive and therefore entertaining race.

Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) has won the women’s Tour of Flanders wearing the Belgian champion’s jersey.

Playing their numbers well in the final, Team SD Worx had Chantal van den Broek-Blaak attack with 11 kilometres to go, forcing Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) to close the gap with Kopecky on her wheel. Van den Broek-Blaak did the lion’s share of work on the run-in to the finish, and Kopecky beat Van Vleuten in the sprint.

“It’s quite overwhelming,” said Kopecky who was almost lost for words. “I am very thankful to my teammates, this victory is not only for me but for them. Chantal in particular was fantastic.”

Going into the sprint, Kopecky was quietly confident that she could win: “I know that normally I am faster than Annemiek, but she is also fast after a hard race. You cannot be too confident. But when she couldn’t drop me on the climbs, I knew that I could trust myself. Thanks to Chantal who kept riding, then I could win the sprint,” the Belgian champion said.

How it unfolded
On the 159.8-kilometre course with 11 hills and six flat cobblestone sectors, a break of four got established early in the race: Clara Honsinger (EF-TIBCO-SVB), Sofie van Rooijen (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Olivia Baril (Valcar-Travel & Service), and Maria Martins (Le Col-Wahoo) established an advantage of up to four minutes before entering the hilly zone.

On the cobbles of the Kerkgate, Honsinger and Baril distanced their two companions and continued as a duo. As their advantage dwindled, Camilla Alessio (Ceratizit-WNT), Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health), and Maike van der Duin (Le Col-Wahoo) bridged to the front, and the gap to this break of five went up to two minutes again as the peloton did not race hard until the foot of the Koppenberg, a new addition to the women’s race.

Here, an acceleration by Van Vleuten cut the breakaway’s advantage to under a minute while Van der Duin emerged as the strongest rider in the break and finally dropped her companions on the Taaienberg with 36 km to go before sitting up as the peloton was very close behind.

Three kilometres later, an attack by Arlenis Sierra (Movistar Team) led to a front group with Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ), Christine Majerus (Team SD Worx), Anna Henderson (Team Jumbo-Visma), Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ceratizit-WNT), Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) that was soon joined by Raaijmakers, Van der Duin, Baril, and Alessio who hadn’t had enough after their previous break.

Van Vleuten tried another attack on the Kruisberg/Hotond, taking Kopecky and Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) with her and Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx) joining them soon afterwards. Reusser then bridged the 20-second gap to the front group on her own.

Advertisement
Reusser took charge on the Oude Kwaremont, blowing up the group coming out of the climb first with only Chapman on her wheel. Niewiadoma and Sierra were next, followed by Confalonieri and Bertizzolo. Then came Van Vleuten who had attacked from the peloton with Kopecky and Van den Broek-Blaak on her wheel and picked up Henderson.

These chasing groups all united before the Paterberg where Reusser dropped Chapman but was herself caught by Van Vleuten who came past the Swiss champion just before the top as well as Kopecky. Van den Broek-Blaak, Niewiadoma, and Chapman came back up after the climb, prompting an attack from Reusser that Van Vleuten quickly closed down.

Van den Broek-Blaak immediately counterattacked, catching Van Vleuten off-guard for a moment before she took up the chase with Kopecky on her wheel. Having been caught, Van den Broek-Blaak then led Van Vleuten and Kopecky to the line where Kopecky won the sprint.

Further behind, Sierra, Brown and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) bridged to the second group, and Sierra won the sprint for fourth place.

Results :
1 Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx 4:11:21
2 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women
3 Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) SD Worx 0:00:02
4 Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Cub) Movistar Team Women 0:00:40
5 Marlen Reusser (Swi) SD Worx
6 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
7 Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
8 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-Sram Racing
9 Brodie Chapman (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:00:42
10 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ 0:01:10
11 Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
12 Sarah Roy (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing
13 Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Den) Movistar Team Women
14 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM Women
15 Christine Majerus (Lux) SD Worx
16 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) UAE Team ADQ
17 Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx
18 Alexandra Manly (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
19 Maaike Boogaard (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
20 Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
21 Elizabeth Holden (GBr) Le Col Wahoo
22 Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
23 Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
24 Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Plantur-Pura
25 Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:01:13
26 Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
27 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women
28 Anna Henderson (GBr) Jumbo-Visma Women 0:01:15
29 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women
30 Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:01:18
31 Soraya Paladin (Ita) Canyon-Sram Racing
32 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women 0:01:37
33 Amanda Spratt (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women 0:02:12
34 Susanne Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women 0:03:44
35 Maike Van der Duin (Ned) Le Col Wahoo
36 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
37 Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM Women
38 Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
39 Julia Borgström (Swe) AG Insurance-NXTG Team
40 Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
41 Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
42 Alice Towers (GBr) Le Col Wahoo
43 Veronica Ewers (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
44 Camilla Alessio (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:03:46
45 Marit Raaijmakers (Ned) Human Powered Health Women
46 Olivia Baril (Can) Valcar-Travel & Service
47 Georgia Baker (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
48 Elena Cecchini (Ita) SD Worx 0:03:51
49 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo Women
50 Julie De Wilde (Bel) Plantur-Pura 0:04:09
51 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
52 Marta Lach (Pol) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
53 Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing Xstra
54 Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
55 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing
56 Marthe Goossens (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
57 Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Liv Racing Xstra
58 Mareille Meijering (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
59 Tamara Dronova (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
60 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
61 Spela Kern (Slo) Massi Tactic Women’s Team
62 Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
63 Letizia Borghesi (Ita) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
64 Romy Kasper (Ger) Jumbo-Visma Women
65 Sara Poidevin (Can) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
66 Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-Sram Racing
67 Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
68 Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Plantur-Pura
69 Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
70 Julie Van De Velde (Bel) Plantur-Pura
71 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
72 Coryn Rivera (USA) Jumbo-Visma Women 0:08:01
73 Ilse Pluimers (Ned) AG Insurance-NXTG Team 0:09:49
74 Mylene de Zoete (Ned) AG Insurance-NXTG Team
75 Maria Van ‘T Geloof (Ned) Le Col Wahoo
76 Anne Van Rooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
77 Julie Leth (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
78 Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
79 Danique Braam (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
80 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM Women
81 Lily Williams (USA) Human Powered Health Women
82 Arianna Fidanza (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
83 Clara Honsinger (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
84 Lone Meertens (Bel) AG Insurance-NXTG Team
85 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Human Powered Health Women
86 Charlotte Kool (Ned) Team DSM Women
87 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) UAE Team ADQ 0:12:34
88 Hannah Buch (Ger) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad 0:12:55
89 Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies
90 Mijntje Geurts (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies
91 Fien Delbaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
92 Nathalie Eklund (Swe) Massi Tactic Women’s Team
93 Lotte Claes (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
94 Mieke Docx (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
95 Corinna Lechner (Ger) Massi Tactic Women’s Team
96 Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
97 Amalie Lutro (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
98 Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women
99 Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar Team Women
100 Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra
101 Emma Langley (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
102 Rachele Barbieri (Ita) Liv Racing Xstra
103 Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women
DNF Alena Ivanchenko (Rus) UAE Team ADQ
DNF Leah Thomas (USA) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNF Gaia Masetti (Ita) AG Insurance-NXTG Team
DNF Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) BikeExchange-Jayco Women
DNF Gulnaz Khatuntseva (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
DNF Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura
DNF Diana Klimova (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
DNF Kim De Baat (Bel) Plantur-Pura
DNF Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM Women
DNF Maud Rijnbeek (Ned) AG Insurance-NXTG Team
DNF Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women
DNF Anniina Ahtosalo (Fin) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women
DNF Sophie Wright (GBr) UAE Team ADQ
DNF Tanja Erath (Ger) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
DNF Kristyna Burlová (Cze) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Le Col Wahoo
DNF Eefje Brandt (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Maria Martins (Por) Le Col Wahoo
DNF Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-Sram Racing
DNF Lotte Popelier (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
DNF Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spa) Massi Tactic Women’s Team
DNF Naomi De Roeck (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
DNF Kaia Schmid (USA) Human Powered Health Women
DNF Elisa Serné (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
DNF Makayla Macpherson (USA) Human Powered Health Women
DNF Mireia Trias Jordan (Spa) Massi Tactic Women’s Team
DNF Sofie van Rooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
DNF Martina Moreno Monteys (Spa) Massi Tactic Women’s Team
DNF Jessy Druyts (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
DNF Céline van Houtum (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team
DNF Katrijn De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
DNF Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Human Powered Health Women
DNF Laura Asencio (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
DNF Léa Stern (Swi) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad
DNF Minke Bakker (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport
DNS Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM Women