The 2025 Nokere Koerse Women brings a fresh challenge this year with a significant change to the finish. For the first time, the race will not end on the cobbled Nokereberg, which had previously defined the finale. Instead, the riders will now approach the finish via Waregemsestraat, a slightly sloping road leading into Nokere. The change was made to improve safety, as the previous finish involved a fast descent into the final cobbled sprint, making positioning and timing particularly tricky in the closing metres.
Despite being a relatively young race, Nokere Koerse Women has quickly become a fixture in the early-season classics. Since its first edition in 2019, the race has provided thrilling finishes, often favouring fast finishers but with enough selective elements to keep attackers in the mix. Lorena Wiebes took control in the early years, winning twice in sprints, but in 2023, Lotte Kopecky changed the script with an aggressive display to claim victory ahead of her teammate and then repeated it in 2024 as well. The race has also seen breakaways succeed, like in the year Amy Pieters took the win ahead of Grace Brown and Lisa Klein, proving that multiple race scenarios can unfold.
Photo Credit: GettyThis year’s edition follows a 134-kilometre route, starting in Deinze and featuring 17 kilometres of cobblestones and ten climbs, five of which are on cobbled sectors. The race reaches its peak difficulty in the final two laps, where the Hellestraat, Holstraat, Petegemberg, Fabriekstraat, Nokereberg (twice via the cobbled side), Lange Ast, and Waregemsestraat will test the peloton. With 951 metres of elevation gain, it may not be the toughest race on the calendar, but the succession of short, sharp climbs combined with the cobbles will make for a hard-fought finale.
With the new finish, positioning and race tactics take on an even greater role. While the Nokereberg cobbled sprint often favoured the strongest sprinter with the best positioning, the Waregemsestraat approach changes the dynamic. Without the immediate impact of cobbles in the final metres, it opens the door slightly more for classic-style sprinters rather than pure power riders. However, with the climbs still packed into the final laps, it remains a tough day out, where riders must be sharp on both the cobbles and the short, punchy hills that shape the race.
Previous Winners
2024
Lotte Kopecky
2023
Lotte Kopecky
2022
Lorena Wiebes
2025 Nokere Koerse Women Race Profile
Live TV Coverage
Wednesday 19th March 2025
Live on Discovery+/Max/TNT Sports Online across most of Europe
Live from 11:15-13:20
All times in GMT
Twitter: #DanilithNokereKoerse or #NokereKoerse
Startlist: FirstCycling
2025 Nokere Koerse Women 2025 Contenders
Barbara Guarischi might get the nod for SD Worx in the absence of Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky, but the Italian will need to step up if she wants to challenge. She was 13th at Omloop van het Hageland and could find the new finale here a little too demanding. Marta Lach looks like the stronger option, especially after finishing 4th at GP Oetingen last week. The Pole thrives in tough sprints, and the slightly uphill drag should suit her well. With the amount of lead-out firepower at SD Worx, whoever gets the call to sprint will be perfectly placed to fight for the win.
Emma Norsgaard has been clear that she doesn’t see herself as a sprinter anymore, but this feels like an opportunity she won’t pass up. If she can help reduce the front group, she’ll fancy her chances on an uphill drag without some of the fastest finishers here. Her 9th place on stage 2 of the Vuelta Extremadura has been her best result so far this year, so she still needs to show she has the form to execute that plan. Clara Copponi was a surprise non-factor at GP Oetingen last week, where she had been expected to be a contender but struggled on the climbs. If she’s still in the bunch by the finish here, she will be a real threat. Anna Henderson deserves a mention too. She worked hard at GP Oetingen to try and control the race and still finished 14th. If the race splits apart, she could take her own chance.
Uno-X Mobility’s usual sprint trio is in play again. Linda Zanetti is the in-form rider, with a win at Vuelta CV Feminas, 5th at Trofeo Oro in Euro, and 2nd at Le Samyn des Dames. Anniina Ahtosalo was expected to be a major force this year, but the Finn has been surprisingly quiet, missing front groups and finishing further down the order in the Belgian classics. Maria Giulia Confalonieri has the experience and ability to be a contender herself, but she seems content to work for Zanetti at the moment. She’s been hovering around the top-20 regularly this season, suggesting she is often the last lead-out rider. That seems likely to be her role again unless something happens to Zanetti.
This should be a great opportunity for Maike van der Duin at Canyon SRAM. She was 6th at Omloop van het Hageland and 17th at GP Oetingen while working for Chiara Consonni, but she should get the nod as the lead sprinter here. With a clean run, she’s a genuine contender for the win, and a podium finish looks very possible. Zoe Backstedt is another name to watch, with the team seemingly looking to give her an opportunity to prove herself. A late crash at GP Oetingen wiped out her chances there, but her final result of 59th doesn’t reflect how well she was positioned before that moment.
UAE Team ADQ has one of the strongest sprinting options in Lara Gillespie, who has been in huge form this season. She appears to have avoided any lasting issues from her GP Oetingen crash, and before that, she had finished 3rd at Le Samyn des Dames and 2nd at Omloop van het Hageland. After Gillespie’s crash, Sofia Bertizzolo stepped up with one of her best-ever results, taking 2nd at GP Oetingen. She also finished 5th at the Schwalbe One Day Classic earlier this year, proving she’s thriving in sprint finishes on slightly easier races. Sofie van Rooijen has had a quieter season, despite a couple of early top-10 finishes. She was 29th at GP Oetingen and could have more luck in a slightly less selective race here. On paper, she might even be the fastest sprinter in the field if she gets a clean run.
Fenix-Deceuninck will be backing Julie de Wilde, who finally broke her winless streak by taking victory at GP Oetingen. She’s had terrible luck with late crashes preventing her from securing major results, but everything clicked last week. With the uphill finish suiting her, she has a great chance to double up. Marthe Truyen will also be a strong contender, having finished 5th at Omloop van het Hageland before supporting de Wilde at Oetingen. She’s a great backup option if something happens to the team leader.
Victoire Berteau has been in strong form for Cofidis, even if she’s never been one of the fastest finishers. She’s put together a solid set of results this year, finishing 10th at Omloop van het Hageland, 11th at Le Samyn, and 8th at GP Oetingen. If a split happens, she could be in the mix again. Eugenia Bujak is another strong option after finishing 6th at GP Oetingen. She’s been active in races, attacking and securing solid results, which could serve her well if she finds the right move.
Ilse Pluimers will be hoping for a reduced group to the finish, as she might struggle if it comes down to a big bunch sprint. She was 9th at Omloop het Nieuwsblad and has been trying to recreate that form since with some solid but unspectacular results. Fauve Bastiaenssen has strong history here, finishing 8th last season, and could get more of an opportunity than she has at previous races for AG Insurance-Soudal. The team has also talked up Marith Vanhove, but so far in 2025, her best result has been 77th. If the team sees her as a contender, then there’s potential for a stronger showing than we’ve seen so far.
Arkéa-B&B Hotels brings a pair of contenders in Majo van ‘t Geloof and Michaela Drummond. Both have been picking up solid top-10 results this season, with van ‘t Geloof finishing 7th at Le Samyn des Dames and 9th at Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx. Drummond might be slightly faster, having taken 4th at Vuelta CV Feminas and 5th at Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx. She was 24th at GP Oetingen, finding the climbing a little too much, but she could be back in contention here.
VolkerWessels is still feeling its way into the season after starting later than most teams. Scarlett Souren looks like the most obvious contender for them, but her best result so far has been 25th at Omloop van het Hageland. A peak-form Souren could be a real challenger for a high placing, but expectations might need to be tempered for now.
Josie Nelson could be a real contender for Team Picnic PostNL. The Brit is strong in a tough finish like this and has proven she can sprint well from a reduced group. Her 17th at Cadel Evans Road Race and 10th on the final stage of the Tour Down Under show her ability, but this will be her first race since Strade Bianche.
Without Thalita de Jong, Human Powered Health will turn to Kathrin Schweinberger and Maggie Coles-Lyster for the sprint, but recent results don’t inspire much confidence. Finishing 74th and 83rd at GP Oetingen suggests they struggled with the climbing, and they will be hoping the course proves to be less selective this time around. This is also the race where Lily Williams finished 3rd last year and she’s been showing flashes of that again this year. Williams has finished in 20-somethingth place in the Belgian races she’s done so far, with her best result of the season coming from the break in the UAE Tour Women when she was 2nd.
Movistar might have Floortje Mackaij as their best option after she secured a strong top-10 result at GP Oetingen. That was her first top-10 since June last year, and with no outright leader here, she could get another shot. If it turns into a pure sprint, though, she’ll struggle to match the faster finishers.
2025 Nokere Koerse Women 2025 Outsiders
Nienke Veenhoven is Visma | Lease a Bike’s best shout, but she has struggled in harder races. The Dutch rider was 3rd on the opening stage of the UAE Tour Women but has been finishing between 30th-60th in the Belgian classics. If she makes the front group here, she could challenge for a top-10. Babette van der Wolf could be an outsider for EF Education-Oatly. She was 12th in Australia at the Schwalbe One Day Classic and should be suited to a tough sprinters’ classic like this. A top-10 finish is within reach if things go her way.
St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 has a couple of interesting names. Alicia Gonzalez was 12th at Omloop van het Hageland and has a decent sprint, provided the race isn’t too selective. Alison Avoine was 18th at Omloop van het Hageland and could be another outsider to watch. Kiara Lylyk is an interesting outsider for Winspace-Orange Seal. The Canadian secured her best result of the season with 11th at Omloop van het Hageland and could be knocking on the door of the top-10 again here. This is her first full-time European season, and she’s proving to be a real threat in these smaller Belgian one-day classics. If she continues this trajectory, it won’t be long before she’s a regular in the results.
Team Coop-Repsol should be visible near the front with India Grangier and Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset both in strong form. Haugset is starting to get wider recognition after a few good seasons, and her recent results back that up. She already has a top-15 Women’s WorldTour GC finish, was 2nd on stage 1 of the Vuelta Extremadura, and finished 8th overall. A 16th place at GP Oetingen was another solid showing, proving she’s capable of handling the Belgian racing style. Grangier might be the stronger sprinter of the two and has been quietly putting together a solid early-season campaign. She was 9th on the opening stage of the Tour Down Under, 11th at Clasica de Almeria, and most recently, 9th on the final day of the Vuelta Extremadura. If she can position herself well at the finish, she could be a real contender for a strong result.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Maike van der Duin
⦿ Linda Zanetti
⦿ Julie de Wilde
