Dutch cyclist Lucinda Brand from the Lidl-Trek team secured a triumphant win in the evening time trial of the Baloise Ladies Tour, outpacing British competitor Anna Henderson of Jumbo-Visma by fourteen seconds. The seventeen-kilometre course around Knokke-Heist had experienced varying weather conditions, with dry spells followed by heavy rain leading to a half-wet, half-dry course. Thalita de Jong of Liv Racing TeqFind set an early competitive time, remaining unmatched for a significant period, with Lisa Klein (Lidl-Trek) and Jenny Rissveds (Coop-Hitec Products) falling short of her time.
Eventually, it was Henderson who overtook De Jong’s time, with Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) falling seven seconds behind the British rider. However, Brand’s performance was unstoppable, shaving thirteen seconds off Henderson’s time. Charlotte Kool from Team DSM-Firmenich, the previous race leader and winner of all earlier stages, failed to impact this change and dropped to 5th in the General Classification (GC), leaving Brand to claim not just the stage victory but also the overall lead.
Race photos
