In a neck-and-neck bunch dash, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) dashed to victory at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, including to her ever-growing palmarès.
The Dutchwoman beat former world champion Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) with a lunge over the road, taking her 76th profession win by the width of her tyre.
A number of tense minutes adopted, each riders huddling of their groups, because the commissaires dominated on the photograph end. For the second 12 months working, following Marlen Reusser’s heroics in 2023, SD Worx-Protime launched into celebration.
Afterwards, Wiebes mentioned she was “actually glad to lastly win” Gent-Wevelgem, a race she has began six, and having failed to complete within the earlier two editions.
“It took just a few years,” the sprinter smiled. “The group did a tremendous job. We made the race arduous, however ultimately it was anyway a bunch dash.”
The peloton splintered at factors over the 171.2km course, with a handful of riders making an attempt their luck on the run-in to Wevelgem. With 500m to go, world champion Lotte Kopecky wound up the lead-out for her team-mate Wiebes, unleashing her with the gantry in sight.
“I used to be actually proud of the legs and actually proud of the lead-out from Lotte,” Wiebes mentioned. Balsamo, the in-form rider, having received the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Basic Brugge-De Panne, darted up the within, however could not edge previous the Dutchwoman.
