The 2025 GP Oetingen returns as one of the early-season Belgian one-day races that offers a mix of punchy climbs, cobbled sectors, and a fast finish. Last year’s edition saw Lorena Wiebes take her second victory in the race, continuing the trend of sprint finishes that had previously defined GP Oetingen. However, the 2023 edition was a very different affair, as heavy snow on race morning forced a postponement to mid-August. That summer edition produced a breakaway win for Simone Boilard, who capitalised on hesitation in the chase to hold off the peloton.
First held in 2021, the race is still young but has quickly built a reputation as a harder-than-it-looks one-day classic, combining punchy climbs with cobbled sections to create an unpredictable battle. GP Oetingen takes inspiration from the former Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik, a race that shared some of these roads and was previously won three times by Marianne Vos. The course takes in 127.9km this year, starting in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw before heading towards Oetingen. After an opening phase that already features some climbing and cobbled sectors, the riders will cross the finish line for the first time after 50km, marking the start of the key circuits.
The race first tackles a loop featuring the Congoberg and Rensberg on the final local lap circuit, which will be raced six times. This lap contains two cobbled sections and the crucial Zavelberg, a 700m climb averaging 4%, which tops out less than 3km from the finish. This makes it an ideal launchpad for a late attack, but in previous years, strong sprinters have managed to hold on and contest the win.
While the climbs here are not as brutal as those seen in some of the tougher classics they still could be key in whittling down the peloton. Combined with the cobbles, it will ensure that positioning is crucial, and only the strongest sprinters or late attackers will have the chance to take victory.
Previous Winners
2024
Lorena Wiebes
2023
Simone Boilard
2022
Lorena Wiebes
Ixina GP Oetingen p/b Lotto 2025 Race Profile
Live TV Coverage
Wednesday 12th March 2025
Live on Pickx/Proximus
Live from 13:15-15:30
All times in GMT
Twitter: #GPOetingen
Startlist: FirstCycling
Ixina GP Oetingen p/b Lotto 2025 Contenders
Charlotte Kool will be the biggest name at Team Picnic PostNL, looking for her first victory of 2025. She was solid in the opening weekend, taking 8th at Omloop van het Hageland and 13th at Le Samyn des Dames, but hasn’t quite been able to find the winning move. She was 21st here in 2022, and while she has the fastest sprint in the field, there’s always a risk that she gets distanced on the repeated climbs. The team could also look to Megan Jastrab, who has been talked up by the team as a rider who could be a good alternative to Kool on the climbs. She was 16th at Le Samyn but hasn’t raced GP Oetingen before, so this will be a new test.
Chiara Consonni will be the main focus for Canyon SRAM, having previously finished 2nd at GP Oetingen in 2022 before placing 15th last year when the race broke up more. Her form has been mixed so far in 2025, with just two top-10 finishes, the best being 2nd at Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx in January. Zoe Backstedt could be an interesting wildcard, though she was quiet at Omloop van het Hageland, finishing 47th. If she’s feeling strong, she has the power to force a selection in the closing laps. Maike van der Duin is another option who might work well as a backup to Consonni. She’s beginning to find some form again, finishing 6th at Omloop van het Hageland after an 11th-place finish at Omloop het Nieuwsblad. The rolling terrain could suit her a little better than Consonni.
Clara Copponi should be the leader for Lidl-Trek as she looks to continue her strong start to 2025. She won the Schwalbe One Day Classic in January and backed that up with 8th at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, proving she can handle the tougher terrain. Last week, she finished 4th on stage 2 of the Vuelta Extremadura, in a stage where the break stayed clear, but she was the best of the peloton behind. Anna Henderson will offer strong support, having previously finished 17th at GP Oetingen in 2021. She’s still working towards top form in 2025, with 35th at Strade Bianche last weekend, but this race will suit her better than the Tuscan hills.
Maria Giulia Confalonieri is the most reliable performer for Uno-X Mobility, finishing 3rd, 4th, 4th, and 6th in her four appearances at GP Oetingen. She has been consistent again this year, finishing in the teens at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, Omloop van het Hageland, and Le Samyn des Dames, so she should be in the mix once again. Anniina Ahtosalo will be another sprint option, though her recent form has been hit-and-miss. She took a 7th-place finish on the final stage of the UAE Tour Women but struggled in the opening classics weekend, finishing 67th and DNF across both races. Susanne Andersen will be worth watching after finishing 6th here in 2022. Her 3rd place at Omloop van het Hageland was one of her strongest results in recent years, and if she carries that form into this race, she could be a real contender.
Femke Gerritse has been in excellent form for SD Worx-ProTime, taking a breakthrough victory at Omloop van het Hageland with a powerful sprint from the front group. She will be one of the riders to watch, particularly if the race breaks apart before the finish. Marta Lach should also be a strong option, though she has had a quiet start to her Belgian classics campaign. She looked much sharper at the UAE Tour Women, where she finished 6th on stage 2, so she could be an important player here if she’s back in form. Barbara Guarischi might get her chance without Wiebes in the lineup, but she hasn’t shown her best yet in 2025. Her best result so far has been 13th at Omloop van het Hageland, and while she worked for Wiebes last year, her own record at GP Oetingen is modest, with a highest finish of 51st in 2024.
Kathrin Schweinberger leads Human Powered Health, having finished 13th at GP Oetingen in 2023. Her form has fluctuated this season, starting well in Australia with 3rd on the opening stage of the Tour Down Under, 6th at the Schwalbe One Day Classic, and 9th at the Surf Coast Classic. However, her European campaign has been less consistent, scraping into the top-10 at the UAE Tour Women with 10th overall before a DNF at Omloop het Nieuwsblad. Lily Williams has also had past success here, finishing 11th in 2022, and comes off a strong UAE Tour Women, where she was 2nd behind Wiebes from a breakaway. She has the endurance to be a threat from a small group in this type of race. Maggie Coles-Lyster is another rider who could feature, particularly if it comes down to a sprint. She opened her season with a 3rd-place finish at Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx and has the ability to handle rolling terrain, making her a useful option if she can stay in contention over the climbs.
Lara Gillespie leads UAE Team ADQ after a standout start to 2025. She was 2nd at Omloop van het Hageland and 3rd at Le Samyn des Dames showed that her form isn’t just limited to racing in the UAE, where she also finished in 3rd on a stage. That sort of form makes her a half-decent favourite here, especially as her climbing is shown to be pretty solid on these smaller gradients. She’ll be supported by Sofie van Rooijen, who has struggled to hit top form in recent weeks, and Sofia Bertizzolo, who has also been quiet since finishing 5th at the Schwalbe One Day Classic earlier in the season.
Fenix-Deceuninck has multiple strong options, starting with Evy Kuijpers, who was 2nd in the summer edition of GP Oetingen in 2023 and 16th last year. She hasn’t had a standout result yet this season, but this is the type of race where her attacking style could pay off. Julie de Wilde has two previous top-10 finishes here, taking 7th in 2023 and 9th in 2022. She was 23rd at Omloop van het Hageland but hasn’t quite shown her best form yet this year, though a confidence-boosting win at the national-level GP Betesco last weekend could be the spark she needs. Marthe Truyen is another strong option after finishing 5th at Omloop van het Hageland from the decisive breakaway. The team has plenty of cards to play, whether it’s a reduced sprint or a more aggressive race.
Visma | Lease a Bike also arrives with a deep squad capable of influencing both the sprint and the race’s selective moments. Rosita Reijnhout has the best history at GP Oetingen, finishing 8th last year, while Imogen Wolff comes in with confidence after winning the final stage of the Vuelta Extremadura last week, her first professional victory, alongside 5th in the general classification. Martina Fidanza is the team’s fastest sprinter but will need to survive the climbs after crashing out of Vuelta Extremadura. Nienke Veenhoven and Viktoria Chladonova could also be threats if they reach the sprint, while Maud Oudeman and Reijnhout may look to force a selection over the climbs.
Ilse Pluimers will be one to watch for AG Insurance-Soudal after finishing 8th at GP Oetingen in 2023. She’s had a solid start to the season with 9th at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, proving she has the form to be a factor here. While she doesn’t have the sprinting speed of riders like Charlotte Kool or Chiara Consonni, she can help force a decisive selection and ensure a smaller group reaches the finish ahead of the bunch.
Movistar doesn’t have a standout leader, but Carys Lloyd has been their best performer in recent weeks. She finished 3rd on the second stage of the Vuelta Extremadura and took 10th at Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx earlier in the season. In her first year as a pro, she’s quickly showing she can be competitive in these types of races.
Finally, Liv AlUla Jayco’s Georgia Baker has a strong history at GP Oetingen, finishing 7th in 2022, and looks to be in good shape after taking 5th at Le Samyn des Dames last week. She positioned herself well there before fading slightly on the uphill sprint but showed enough to suggest her form is where it needs to be.
Ixina GP Oetingen p/b Lotto 2025 Outsiders
Team Coop-Repsol’s Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset is coming off a strong Vuelta Extremadura, where she finished 2nd on stage 2 from a two-rider breakaway and held on to finish 8th in the general classification. She had been knocking on the door of a big result all season, and her performance in Spain suggests she’s hitting form at the right time.
Scarlett Souren has yet to crack the top 20 this season, with 25th at Omloop van het Hageland her best result so far. However, GP Oetingen could provide a better opportunity for the VolkerWessels rider to break into a strong result.
Cofidis has experience in this race, with Eugenia Bujak finishing 7th last year and Valentine Fortin securing 9th in 2023 and 10th in 2022. Neither has found top form yet in 2025—Bujak’s best result is 13th at Clasica de Almeria, while Fortin has managed 13th at the UAE Tour and 14th at Omloop van het Hageland—but both have the experience to contend if they are in the right move.
Majo van ‘t Geloof is a regular performer in these kinds of races, finishing 5th at GP Oetingen in 2023. She was 7th at Le Samyn des Dames last week, her best result of the season, proving that she still has the ability to mix it with the best in the lower-tier Belgian one-day races.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Lara Gillespie
⦿ Clara Copponi
⦿ Maike van der Duin
