Elisa Balsamo (Lidl Trek) continued her stellar early-season kind on Thursday with victory on the Traditional Brugge-De Panne.
The former world champion outsprinted Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) to take her fourth win of 2024 thus far, and her second in 5 days after triumphing within the Trofeo Alfredo Binda on Sunday.
“I am very blissful and I’m feeling good. For me, that is an important factor,” Balsamo stated afterwards.
Final summer season, the Italian spent two months sidelined after breaking her jaw and wrist in a crash on the RideLondon Classique. She has now tallied extra victories within the final two months than within the entirety of final season.
“After final yr, it was actually not simple to return again,” she stated. “I really feel just like the staff actually trusts me and I am actually blissful.
“My staff did a tremendous lead-out they usually put me in the perfect place behind Kool. After I noticed [the] 200m [to go sign], I simply went full gasoline.”
Balsamo’s victory got here within the absence of SD Worx-Protime and their sprinter Lorena Wiebes, who was one title on an in depth record of rider accidents that compelled the Dutch staff to drag out forward of the race.
The way it occurred
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
On an uncharacteristically nonetheless day in northern Flanders, the peloton raced a 155km route from Bruges, heading west, to the coastal city of De Panne. There, on some other day of the week, the principle attraction is the Plopsaland theme park. These on the beginning record strapped in for their very own rollercoaster.
Inspired, maybe, by Pfeiffer Georgi’s (dsm-firmenich PostNL) 7km solo victory final yr, riders tried to pressure themselves free from round 60km to go. First went Letizia Borghesi (EF-Training Cannondale), then Gladys Verhulst-Wild (FDJ-Suez) sprung clear, using forward of the peloton like a carrot on a string down the lengthy, uncovered De Moeren street.
The Frenchwoman’s teammate, Nina Buijsman, obtained her name to assault shortly after. She gained over a minute on the bunch, too. However, regardless of aggressive racing from FDJ-Suez, in addition to EF-Training Cannondale and Fenix Deceuninck, the peloton saved coming again collectively.
As anticipated, dsm-firmenich PostNL and Lidl Trek took up the cost into the final 5km, towing the race favourites Kool and Balsamo to the finale. Fenix-Deceuninck’s Christina Schweinberger tried to foil their plans with a late assault, however the Austrian was shortly reeled in.
Within the dash, Kool and Balsamo launched in tandem with 200m to go, the latter proving the quickest. Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Well being) completed third.
Outcomes
Traditional Brugge-De Panne 2024 (155km)
1. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Lidl Trek, in 3:49:56
2. Charlotte Kool (Ned) dsm-firmenich PostNL
3. Daria Pikulik (Pol) Human Powered Well being
4. Chiara Consonni (Ita) UAE Workforce ADQ
5. Georgia Baker (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco
6. Chloe Dygert (USA) Canyon-Sram
7. Emma Norsgaard (Den) Movistar
8. Anniina Ahtosalo (Fin) Uno-X
9. Kim Le Courtroom (Mus) AG Insurance coverage – Soudal Workforce
10. Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) FDJ-Suez, all at identical time
