Charlotte Kool lived up to her status as the pre-race favourite by winning Veenendaal-Veenendaal Women 2026, sprinting clear on the Kerkewijk after a lively edition that was only brought fully under control in the final kilometres. The Fenix-Premier Tech rider was delivered into position after Helena Bieber’s late solo move was caught, then finished with clear authority to take victory in Veenendaal.
Kathrin Schweinberger finished second for Human Powered Health, with Nienke Veenhoven third for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The race ultimately ended in the sprint many expected, but only after a restless day that featured an early breakaway, a long solo effort from Femke Markus and a determined late attack from Bieber.
Veenendaal-Veenendaal returned to the calendar after a year away, with a flatter route than recent editions following the removal of the Grebbeberg. That shifted the balance further towards the sprinters, although the race still offered enough movement and local-circuit tension to prevent a straightforward procession to the finish.
Early breakaway forms before Markus goes solo
The race began at 13:00 with 112 riders rolling out from Veenendaal. The attacking started almost immediately, with several early attempts before a strong group of nine established a gap.
Lieke Nooijen, Evy Kuijpers, Femke Markus, Malou Eisen, Vera Tieleman, Scarlett Souren, Lonneke Uneken, Lieke van Weereld and Rose Kloese moved clear and built a 25-second advantage after around 15 kilometres. Their gap then grew to 45 seconds after the peloton was briefly stopped at a railway crossing, while the leaders were able to continue.
The move did not last as a complete group. Markus attacked from the break, committing to a long solo effort while the rest of the escape was brought back. The SD Worx-Protime rider built her advantage to around a minute and a half after 50 kilometres, forcing the peloton into a sustained chase.
It was a strong ride from Markus, especially given the race’s recent history. Her sister Riejanne Markus had won the previous edition in 2024 with a solo move into Veenendaal, and for a while there was at least a hint of a repeat storyline.
Peloton closes down Markus before Bieber counter-attacks
Markus still held a little over a minute at the second passage through the finish area, but the peloton began to take more control as the race entered the final 50 kilometres. With just over 45 kilometres remaining, the gap had fallen below a minute, and the chase accelerated from there.
Inside the final 30 kilometres, the advantage had dropped to around half a minute. The bunch was now fully organised, with the sprint teams aware that Markus was beginning to fade after her long spell alone in front.
Her move ended with just over 27 kilometres remaining, but the catch did not immediately calm the race. Helena Bieber of Carbonbike-Giordana was the first to reach Markus, then used that moment to launch her own solo attack.
Bieber’s move gave the race another layer of tension. She pushed her lead out to around 40 seconds with roughly 20 kilometres to go, keeping the sprint teams honest at a point when they would have preferred a calmer run towards Veenendaal.
Sprint teams finally bring it back
With around 8 kilometres remaining, Bieber still held a lead of about half a minute, but the peloton was beginning to line out behind. The sprint trains formed, the pace lifted sharply, and the gap began to shrink under the pressure of the teams trying to set up their fast finishers.
Human Powered Health were prominent late on, building a strong lead-out for Maggie Coles-Lyster. The move showed their intent, but the final kilometre tilted back towards Fenix-Premier Tech, who took control at the most important moment.
Bieber was eventually caught inside the final 3 kilometres, ending a brave ride that had briefly threatened to spoil the sprinters’ day. From there, the outcome depended on positioning through the final bend and the timing of the launch on the Kerkewijk.
Kool was placed perfectly after the final corner. Once she opened her sprint, she quickly created daylight, crossing the line with a clear margin over Schweinberger and Veenhoven. After a race shaped by solo resistance, the strongest sprinter still had the final word.
Veenendaal-Veenendaal Women 2026 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Cor Vos
