The women’s Dwars Door Vlaanderen has quietly become one of the most unpredictable races on the spring calendar. Since joining the UCI calendar in 2017, it’s seen everything from full-bunch sprints to long solo wins, and there’s rarely a clear favourite style of rider.
Marianne Vos took the win last year in a sprint finish from a large group, while the 2023 edition went the other way entirely, with Demi Vollering attacking solo and holding off the chase by nearly 40 seconds. In 2022, it came back for a reduced group sprint taken by Chiara Consonni, and the 2021 edition was defined by a perfectly timed two-up move from Annemiek van Vleuten and Kasia Niewiadoma. These differing scenarios reflect what makes Dwars Door Vlaanderen so compelling—there’s more than one way to win it.
The 2025 route builds on that same uncertainty, packing multiple opportunities into the second half of the race. The real racing begins after the halfway point, with the Knokteberg (or Côte de Trieu) at 55km to go acting as the trigger for attacks. The Hotondberg follows soon after, then it’s into a series of cobbled and punchy efforts: Mariaborrestraat, Eikenberg, Doorn, and Huisepontweg all arrive in rapid succession before the peloton hits the Nokereberg with 22km remaining.
The final 20km of Dwars Door Vlaanderen Women features two passes of Herlegemstraat, a section that’s narrow, twisting and technical—perfect for riders looking to force a split before the finish in Waregem. If there’s no team willing or able to control things, this is where the winning move could be made. But if the pace stays high and the group stays together, it still sets up a reduced sprint where positioning is everything.
The timing of the race—just days before Sunday’s Tour of Flanders—adds another wrinkle. Riders are either sharpening form, testing legs or eyeing a result before the biggest race of the spring. As ever with Dwars Door Vlaanderen, flexibility is key: it suits those willing to adapt to how the race unfolds rather than trying to dominate it from the start.
Previous Winners
2024
Marianne Vos
2023
Demi Vollering
2022
Chiara Consonni
2025 Dwars Door Vlaanderen Women Race Profile
Live TV Coverage
Wednesday 2nd April 2025
Live on Discovery+/Max/TNT Sports Online across most of Europe
Live from 15:00-17:30
All times in BST
Twitter: #DDV25 or #DDVwomen
Startlist: FirstCycling
2025 Dwars Door Vlaanderen 2025 Contenders
SD Worx will line up with a strong duo in Lotte Kopecky and Blanka Vas and this is a race Kopecky knows inside out. With three top-10s in addition to last year’s 4th, she’s always been a threat here — and now she gets her first full shot at a major classic win in 2025 with Wiebes not racing. Expect her to be aggressive on the climbs or wait to unleash her sprint from a reduced group to test the legs before Sunday. Van der Breggen, by contrast, makes her first-ever appearance at Dwars Door Vlaanderen. She’s still building back into form in her comeback season, but given her race sense, don’t be surprised if she finds herself marking key moves and potentially in the mix should the opportunity arise. I was surprised Blanka Vas wasn’t on the original startlist as she would be a great partner with Kopecky to work in tandem here. Kopecky can attack, see if she gets a gap and if not then Vas is still a legit option in a sprint, especially if it’s been a hard race. 2nd at Trofeo Alfredo Binda already this year, this is the first time she’s lining up at Dwars Door Vlaanderen Women.
As defending champion, Marianne Vos returns to the start line with a clear sense of how to win this race. Her textbook sprint from a small group last year was another reminder of just how good she is at positioning and timing. She’s coming into form after top rides at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Sanremo Women and will no doubt be one of the most closely watched riders once the race hits the climbs. She won’t be going long here but will be a threat in the final sprint.
No one has a better track record at Dwars Door Vlaanderen than Chiara Consonni, who took the win in 2022, finished runner-up in 2023, and added 7th last year. She’s been just behind the very best sprinters all spring and will love the punchy, sharp climbs and flat finish here. If the race becomes a sprint edition again, she’s going to be a major favourite. Backing her up could be Zoe Backstedt, who lives right on the route in Waregem and knows these roads better than most. She finished 13th in her debut last year and has been steadily improving all spring – a strong second option or late attacker, depending on the day’s scenario. Canyon SRAM zondacrypto has also added Kasia Niewiadoma to the startlist at the last minute. The Pole was 2nd behind Annemiek van Vleuten in the 2021 edition, losing the sprint-a-deux between the two riders. She can go with the riders looking to make the climbs hard and will get a decent hit out before this weekend’s Tour of Flanders. She’s never failed to finish in the top-10 at Dwars Door Vlaanderen in 4 editions.
It’s hard to ignore the strength of Lidl-Trek at this year’s edition. Shirin van Anrooij came agonisingly close to the win in 2024, finishing 2nd after going all-in on a late attack. She was also 9th here in 2023 and clearly knows the parcours well. A rider who can climb, attack and time a sprint from a reduced group, she’ll be key again. Elisa Balsamo returns to the race for the first time since 2019, and although her only previous result is 20th from 2018, this is a race where a fast finisher can still do well if they survive the climbs. With no Lorena Wiebes here, the sprint win will be the Italian’s for the taking if she can step up. British rider Anna Henderson makes her debut here, but the profile should suit her. She’s been riding impressively through the spring, and if she’s let off the leash, she could get into the winning move.
Photo Credit: GettyUAE Team ADQ have plenty of cards to play. Elisa Longo Borghini knows how to be active here — with 6th last year and 8th in 2019 — and is expected to animate the race on the climbs. She was unlucky to miss out on a result at Sanremo Women after her late break and looks ready to test the legs ahead of Flanders. Karlijn Swinkels could be the beneficiary if things regroup late on; she was 10th in 2022 and 13th last year and has been quietly putting together a strong spring campaign, including a win at Trofeo Oro in Euro. Silvia Persico may also get the nod, though she was well down in 35th here in 2024 — the nature of this course could make it a tough ask unless she’s climbing and sprinting at her absolute best.
After her podium last year, Letizia Paternoster will be aiming to return to the front of the race. She’s had a mixed spring — with 5th at Trofeo Alfredo Binda a highlight, but also disrupted by crashes at Sanremo Women and the UAE Tour. This race suits her strengths though, with a repeat of last year’s 3rd well within reach. Support will come from Quinty Ton, who is quietly having her best season to date. She was 7th at GP Oetingen and followed that up with solid rides at Brugge-De Panne (23rd) and Gent-Wevelgem (17th), all while working for Paternoster. She could get her own chance if Paternoster is caught out — or go on the attack with her trademark diesel engine.
FDJ-Suez bring a mix of reliable top performers and potential surprise packages. Elise Chabbey, who was 3rd here in 2022, is always a threat when the climbs start coming thick and fast. She’s likely to try something solo or as part of a move to avoid a bunch finish. Vittoria Guazzini has twice finished 4th at Dwars Door Vlaanderen (2021 and 2023) and is a solid pick if the race comes back together. She can do a strong lead-out but also sprint for herself if given the green light. Meanwhile, Marie Le Net could be a useful third option. Often overshadowed in this team, she still gets her chances — like at Nokere Koerse this year, where she finished 5th. She was also 7th here in 2022 and has the kick to challenge for the top-10 again if the opportunity arises. Ally Wollaston is a late addition that kinda affected the sprinting likelihood of Guazzini and Le Net above. She’s the clear defined sprinter given she is now on the startlist. 8th in Gent Wevelgem shows she’s coming back into road form nicely and will surely improve on the 40th place she took in the 2023 edition here.
Fenix-Deceuninck will be hoping to go one better than their 2022 result, when Julie de Wilde finished 2nd. She also took 10th here last year and is coming off a strong spring with a win at GP Oetingen. Brugge-De Panne was a misfire, but the tougher terrain here suits her better. Puck Pieterse, who took 5th in last year’s race, is another big threat. Her power on short climbs is well known, and if she’s in the front group late on, she could launch a stinging attack or sprint for the win from a small bunch.
Photo Credit: GettyIf Movistar bring numbers late into the race, they could be everywhere. Marlen Reusser, always a threat from long range, returns after finishing 7th in 2023 and is riding into form just in time for the northern block. Floortje Mackaij is probably the most reliable top-10 bet in this race if we go with previous history after six career finishes inside the top-10, including a near-miss in 2015 when she was 2nd. She looked sharp on the attack again at Gent-Wevelgem, and her experience will be invaluable. Liane Lippert has been in that top-10 too – 8th in 2023 and 9th in 2019 – and if she’s allowed to race aggressively, she could be a danger on the climbs or in a small group.
Cofidis will once again look to Victoire Berteau, who’s building a consistent relationship with this race – 11th in 2024 and 14th the year before. She’s been around the top-10 in multiple races lately, including Nokere Koerse and GP Oetingen, and is always there when the racing gets tough. Nadia Quagliotto could be an option if things come back for a sprint; she hasn’t raced this one recently but could pop up in the mix if it’s a more tactical day.
Majo van’t Geloof continues to ride a career resurgence with 4th at Gent-Wevelgem this past weekend. Her last time at Dwars Door Vlaanderen was back in 2019, when she finished 15th, and the confidence boost from her recent results makes her a compelling outside podium shout. She’s in the best form of her career and will be a threat in any reduced group finish.
At VolkerWessels, Scarlett Souren comes in with a win already under her belt at the Midwest Cycling Classic and will want to build on her 43rd here last year. Her teammate Anne Knijnenburg is more likely to feature – she was 25th in 2024 and has been increasingly active in the breakaways. A strong Sanremo Women performance and 4th at Trofeo Oro in Euro underline her capabilities.
Gladys Verhulst-Wild has quietly put together a consistent spring campaign and will relish a race like Dwars Door Vlaanderen, where selection often happens late. She was 31st here in 2023 and brings strong recent form, including 4th at Le Samyn. Marthe Goossens and Justine Ghekiere have both raced this event before too, with Ghekiere’s 39th two years ago her best so far. She’s been under the radar lately but is a rider capable of hanging tough in selective races and might be used to cover dangerous moves. Goossens has often raced in support roles but brings grit and experience to a team that will look to animate the race rather than control it.
After a very strong Gent-Wevelgem ride that saw her finish 7th, Lily Williams is starting to put herself in conversations for deeper results in the classics. Dwars Door Vlaanderen will be new to her, but the selective nature and gritty profile might be the perfect place to back up that top-10 with another. Human Powered Health has often looked to get riders up the road, but Williams may be their best option for a reduced sprint.
Team Picnic-PostNL will be pinning their hopes on Rachele Barbieri, who was 6th here in 2022 and has the speed to contend in the right finish scenario. Josie Nelson hasn’t raced Dwars Door Vlaanderen before but has shown promise on tough terrain, so if things split late and the pace is high, she may well find herself in a good position to chase a top-15.
Maria Giulia Confalonieri brings the experience to Uno-X Mobility with four previous participations and a best result of 24th in 2019. She’s been waiting for the right race to get stuck into, and this could be it. Marte Berg Edseth has shown potential too – she finished 18th here in 2024 and is always close enough to threaten. If Uno-X get a rider into the right move late on, either of these two can turn it into a top-15 result.
Finally, Team Coop-Repsol has a variety of cards to play. Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset is proving reliable in Belgian conditions, finishing 16th at GP Oetingen and showing strong legs all season. India Grangier is their other strong bet, with her 9th on the final stage of Vuelta Extremadura this year highlighting her finishing speed. Eline van Rooijen was 8th at Vuelta CV Feminas but has yet to show the same form on the cobbles, though she has raced here before. Laura Lizette Sander switched teams late after the collapse of Hess Cycling and is still finding her rhythm – her early-season chances were affected by getting stuck behind the crashes at Brugge-De-Panne, but she’ll look to reset here.
2025 Dwars Door Vlaanderen Women 2025 Outsiders
Lucy Lee took a domestic win this past weekend at the Kennel Hill Classic in the UK and continues to build form for DAS-Hutchinson. Her best UCI result this year is 22nd at Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx, and if she can survive the fast start and stay with the main group, a solid result here would be another sign of her upward trajectory.
Romina Hinojosa will be one of the outsiders to watch for Lotto Ladies. The Mexican rider took a 25th place at Le Samyn and is still finding her feet in this level of racing. If the pace isn’t too explosive over the climbs, she could hold on and finish well inside the top-30 again.
Lucie Fityus has been quietly consistent for St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93. She took 17th at Brugge-De Panne and was in the front group at Gent-Wevelgem until the splits reformed. Her form suggests she could push for a top-20 finish here, especially if the race doesn’t completely blow apart.
Aurela Nerlo has already caught attention this spring with 2nd at Omloop het Nieuwsblad as part of that infamous long-range break. She’s added 21st at Nokere Koerse and 37th at Gent-Wevelgem since then. The Pole might not be known by most, but she’s racing smartly and Dwars Door Vlaanderen could be another step up the results list.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Lotte Kopecky
⦿ Elisa Balsamo
⦿ Marianne Vos
