Lorena Wiebes stormed to her tenth win of the season with a powerful uphill sprint on the cobbled Citadel of Diest, overcoming late mechanical issues and fending off a fierce challenge from 19-year-old Belgian prospect Fleur Moors. The Dutch rider’s victory at Dwars door het Hageland came after a day of wet conditions, gravel sectors and tactical chaos, in which the favourites ultimately battled it out from a reduced peloton.
The 124km course from Aarschot to Diest included eight gravel sectors and several ascents of the Citadel climb, making for a selective and attritional race despite lacking long climbs. The race remained compact for much of the day, with teams hesitant to overcommit early on the unpredictable terrain. The first gravel sectors caused some nervous moments but no decisive splits, and although a handful of riders attempted early attacks, none were allowed much freedom.
Lidl-Trek took a more assertive approach in the final third of the race, placing multiple riders near the front and clearly riding in support of Moors. The 19-year-old, already a winner the previous weekend at Dwars door de Westhoek, was clearly being backed for another big result. Despite the gravel and climbing, the lead group still numbered around 25 riders heading into the final lap through Diest.
The key moment for Wiebes came just before the last climb of the Citadel. She suffered a slow puncture on one of the final gravel sections and made the call to change bikes. “Already on the gravel, I had a slow leak,” she explained after the finish. “We decided to switch bikes, but when I got on it I immediately felt the saddle was too low. It was a teammate’s bike, too small for me. But I had to make do.”
At the same time, Moors had her own scare, crashing at the foot of the penultimate Citadel climb. “It’s definitely my fault,” she admitted afterwards. “We tried to put Lorena under pressure in a different way, we wanted to force a selection. But it didn’t work out.”
Despite the mishap, Moors was quickly back in the group and fully involved in the run-in to the final ramp. Lidl-Trek played their hand well, with Clara Copponi leading out the sprint. Wiebes sat just behind, managing the slick corners and saving her energy for the last 300 metres.
“I didn’t want to take too many risks,” Wiebes said. “The corners were really slippery and it was hard to judge the speed. The finish is tough anyway with the cobbles, but the rain made it even harder.”
As the group hit the base of the Citadel one final time, Wiebes opened up her sprint on the steepest section. Moors immediately latched onto her wheel and briefly threatened to come around, but the Dutch rider held her line and her pace all the way to the top. “Beating Lorena in a sprint is still just out of reach for me,” Moors reflected. “But coming second here, after everything, is really special. It’s been a tough road back and this result means a lot.”
British rider Millie Couzens claimed third after a strong and consistent ride in the front group. Behind them, a shattered field rolled in one-by-one, testament to the toughness of the day.
For Wiebes, the win adds another notch to an already dominant season that has included victories in the UAE Tour, Le Samyn, San Remo Women, Classic Brugge-De Panne, Gent-Wevelgem, stages of the Tour of Britain, and the Vuelta a Burgos. “Thanks to the team for keeping everything under control,” she wrote later. “Bike and wheel changes, but we managed it all. A challenging day, but a great one too.”
2025 Dwars door het Hageland result
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