Dwars Door de Westhoek is a mostly flat one-day race that, on paper, should be a nailed-on sprint every year. More often than not, that plays out – but occasionally it throws up a surprise. In 2023, Team DSM-Firmenich turned the race on its head, sending three riders clear and dominating the finale with Pfeiffer Georgi, Lea Curinier and Charlotte Kool all arriving solo, over a minute ahead of the bunch. Georgi took the win, arms aloft alongside her teammates.
Last year was another surprise turn. Kathrin Schweinberger claimed her first victory of the season with a well-timed sprint against Lauretta Hanson in a 2-up breakaway, sealing an important result for Ceratizit WNT that year. You have to go back to 2022 for the last sprint, when it was Chiara Consonni who led home a fast finish, outpacing Sofie van Rooijen from a group of over 50 riders.
There’s history for big-name sprinters too – Lorena Wiebes won in 2021, ahead of Jolien d’Hoore and Barbara Guarischi, after being pipped in both 2018 and 2019. Those years saw Elisa Balsamo take the honours in 2019, beating Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky, and Thi That Nguyen take a surprise victory the year before – one of the rare times Wiebes has been beaten in a straight sprint.
Now in its 16th edition, the Dwars Door de Westhoek has only missed one year, 2020, due to the pandemic. It remains a reliable fixture on the Belgian calendar as a UCI 1.1 race. Remarkably, in all that time, it’s never had a repeat winner. Kathrin Schweinberger can try to break that streak this season.
Previous Winners
2024
Kathrin Schweinberger
2023
Pfeiffer Georgi
2022
Chiara Consonni
2025 Dwars Door de Westhoek Race Profile
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Dwars Door de Westhoek 2025 Contenders
Kathrin Schweinberger returns to Dwars Door de Westhoek as the defending champion and will relish another opportunity to sprint on roads that clearly suit her. With top-10 finishes at both Scheldeprijs (5th) and Omloop der Kempen (7th) this year, she’s coming into the race with the sort of consistent form that makes her hard to overlook. Maggie Coles-Lyster has also been riding strongly across the spring – 3rd at Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx and 7th at Ronde de Mouscron – and has the sort of finish that thrives in aggressive, whittled-down sprints. Daria Pikulik lines up for her first race since February after injury. While she may need a stage or two to sharpen up, her top-end speed could be decisive if she’s anywhere near her 2023 form. Lily Williams should also feature prominently – she finished 3rd here last season and brings plenty of experience in chaotic finales. If Pikulik is still finding her legs, Williams may well become the go-to option in the final sprint.
Clara Copponi gets a rare chance to lead Lidl-Trek’s line and will want to make it count. The French rider has already won this year, taking victory at the Schwalbe One Day Classic back in January, and more recently finished 4th on a stage at the Vuelta Extremadura. With her usual lead-out duties put to one side, Copponi will be keen to deliver in a race that suits her punchy finishing style. A clean run-in could easily see her on the podium, especially with a squad likely built to support her outright.
Sofie van Rooijen has been a regular contender at this race and looks set to headline UAE Team ADQ’s challenge once again. She was 2nd here in 2022 and followed that up with 4th in 2024 – a clear sign that she reads the race well and has the sprint to match. She’ll likely be joined in the sprint by Tereza Neumanova, who has quietly put together a strong season with a 2nd place at Trofee Maarten Wynants, which bodes well if she is needed to be called upon. Both riders are more than capable of finding the front, particularly in a reduced bunch finish. Eilidh Shaw may not be the first option, but could come into play if things get messy – the young Brit is still developing but has the engine to get into the right move and stay there.
Julie de Wilde is the natural finisher for Fenix-Deceuninck and has the kind of power and resilience that makes her dangerous in a race like this. While her spring has been consistent without being explosive, this flatter, sprint-focused course should give her a strong shot. A top-5 is a realistic goal if she’s well-positioned in the finale, and her experience in the hectic Belgian one-day scene will serve her well on narrow, twisty local roads.
Nicole Steigenga and Ilse Pluimers offer AG Insurance-Soudal two very different ways to win. Steigenga is more likely to animate the race with a long-range attack – she’s had success in similar situations before – and with many teams heavily focused on a sprint, a well-timed move might just stick. Pluimers is more likely to hang in the bunch and sprint from a reduced field, though she hasn’t had a standout result in 2025 yet. With no obvious pure sprinter on the team, they’ll need to ride aggressively and force mistakes from the more favoured squads.
For Uno-X Mobility, Maria Giulia Confalonieri could be one of the most dangerous finishers in the field if the race stays together. A four-time top-10 finisher at Dwars Door de Westhoek, she also has a string of high-profile 2025 results – 2nd at Festival Elsy Jacobs Garnich, 4th at the Luxembourg race, and 6th at Paris-Roubaix – all indicators of excellent form. Backed by Susanne Andersen, who was 2nd on a stage at the Tour of Norway just a few days ago, Uno-X Mobility has two legitimate options for the finish. Andersen tends to do best when the bunch is thinned down and will relish any crosswinds or late climbs to soften the group.
Arianna Fidanza leads Laboral Kutxa and will have this race marked as a real opportunity. She took two 3rd-place finishes at the Vuelta El Salvador earlier in the season, and while she hasn’t quite been able to replicate that podium form since, this sort of race fits her strengths – not too long, mostly flat, and with a likely bunch sprint. Catalina Soto Campos is another who can sprint, but she’s often most useful as a lead-out or late-race attacker if the team needs to split the load. Laura Tomasi rounds out a trio that gives Laboral Kutxa plenty of tactical options depending on how the day unfolds.
Valentine Fortin is the standout sprinter for Cofidis and arguably one of the form finishers in this field. Her 2nd place at Festival Elsy Jacobs Luxembourg and 3rd at Omloop der Kempen show a rider who’s consistently in the mix. She has the raw speed and race sharpness to win here, especially if she gets a clean lead-out. Martina Alzini brings experience and the ability to surf wheels in tricky sprints, while Victoire Berteau is more likely to take on an attacking role – she’s the sort who thrives in late solo moves and can put pressure on the bigger teams if they hesitate.
VolkerWessels should animate the race from the front with Anne Knijnenburg almost guaranteed to go on the offensive. She’s built a reputation for aggressive racing this year and will likely try to shape the early action or sneak into a decisive late break. If things come back together, Scarlett Souren and Lonneke Uneken are both good options for a top-10 – Souren in particular, has shown flashes of speed and could thrive if the finale turns chaotic. It’s a versatile squad with a habit of being in the right moves.
St Michel’s Australian rider Lucie Fityus continues her steady rise in the European peloton. While a podium might be ambitious, she has the finishing speed to get into the top-15 in a fast run-in. Her best results have come in smaller fields, but this race presents a good test at a higher level and a chance to build experience in a more competitive sprint.
Photo Credit: Brecht SteenhouwerDwars Door de Westhoek 2025 Outsiders
Lotto Ladies will be hoping Katrijn De Clercq can convert solid spring form into a breakthrough result. She’s been consistently knocking on the door with a 9th at Trofee Maarten Wynants and 10th at Omloop der Kempen, both solid indicators that she can handle the punchy Belgian terrain and chaotic sprint finales. If she’s in the right position in the final kilometre, she has the legs to push well inside the top 10.
After two solid stage races on home roads, Barbora Nemcová is shaping up to be a reliable top-15 rider for Dukla Praha. She held her own across both Tour de Feminin and Gracia Orlova, showing endurance and race nous. While she’s yet to deliver a standout result, her consistency is valuable here – if the sprint opens up late and some favourites are boxed in, Nemcová could be the rider sliding into a strong finish just behind the headline names.
Momentum is on the side of Vera Tieleman, who’s been racking up quietly impressive rides all spring. Representing DD Group Pro Cycling, her 20th at GP Immo Zone is the headline, but there’s a pattern of finishing strongly in tough fields. She’s aggressive, often finds the right moves, and isn’t afraid to roll the dice in unpredictable finales like we often see at Westhoek. With the right support, she might finally convert those top-25s into something even better.
With a tidy 15th at Scheldeprijs this year, Elisabeth Ebras has shown she’s capable of getting involved in a hectic sprint finish. BePink don’t always get much spotlight, but the Estonian rider is quietly building a reputation as a dependable sprinter at this level. She’ll need the right wheel to follow and a clean run-in, but if those align, a top-10 here is not out of reach.
The experience of Jess Vandenbulcke always makes her worth watching. Riding for De Ceuster-Bouwpunt, she delivered a strong 2nd place at GP Immo Zone earlier this year and has the kind of strength that pays off in small moves and disrupted sprints. A late solo effort is always a possibility, but she also has the engine to survive the chaos and still sprint well from a reduced bunch.
Alli Anderson is a more unfamiliar name in this field, but her 7th at La Classique Morbihan shows she’s not far off the pace. Representing Black Magic p/b Tinelli, the Australian rider brings a mix of tenacity and unpredictability. Whether it’s getting in the early break or hanging tough when the pace lifts, Anderson could spring a surprise if things come back together in the final laps.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Sofie van Rooijen
⦿ Clara Copponi
⦿ Maria Giulia Confalonieri
