The Egmont Cycling Race Women returns to Zottegem on Tuesday 18 August with its strongest field yet and, looking at both the route and the recent results of the riders on the 2026 start list, another sprint finish should be the clear expectation.
The Belgian one-day race steps up to UCI 1.1 status for 2026, an important move for an event whose women’s edition only began in 2023. Short climbs, cobbled roads and typically nervous East Flanders racing can reduce the peloton, but there is no single obstacle severe enough to make a sprint unlikely.
The start list reinforces that view. Charlotte Kool has won Scheldeprijs and Veenendaal-Veenendaal this season as well as a stage of the Baloise Ladies Tour. Clara Copponi has repeatedly been competitive in Belgian sprint races, Susanne Andersen has produced strong results on similar terrain and defending champion Martina Alzini arrives having won three times since June.
Nicole Steigenga has also won at 1.1 level this season, while Lonneke Uneken, Florien Bolks and Katrijn De Clercq add further depth to the likely finishing group.
The most probable outcome is therefore a reduced bunch sprint in Zottegem, with the repeated climbs, cobbles and positioning battles deciding who is still there rather than preventing the sprint altogether.
A young women’s race built on a much older Zottegem tradition
The women’s Egmont Cycling Race is still one of the newer events on the Belgian calendar, with its first edition held in 2023.
Its roots, however, stretch much further back.
Professional racing in Zottegem has a history dating to the 1930s through the men’s event, which was previously known as the Dokter Tistaertprijs and GP Stad Zottegem before taking the Egmont Cycling Race name.
The women’s roll of honour is still short, but the first three editions have already created a recognisable identity.
Heidi Franz won the inaugural race in 2023 ahead of Scarlett Souren and Danique Braam.
Lieke Nooijen followed in 2024, beating Sofie van Rooijen and Nienke Veenhoven.
Then Martina Alzini won in 2025, taking the sprint ahead of Lonneke Uneken and Cristina Tonetti.
That history matters because a pattern has already emerged. The race is selective enough that simply being the fastest rider on paper is not sufficient, but the riders who can absorb the Flemish terrain and still sprint at the end have consistently prospered.
The 2026 edition has more genuine sprint depth than any of those first three races.
Why another sprint is the most likely outcome
At around 130 kilometres, Egmont is not especially long by professional one-day standards.
The challenge instead comes from the accumulation of short climbs, cobbled passages, narrow roads and repeated changes of direction.
That can create splits, but the composition of the field makes those gaps difficult to maintain.
Fenix-Premier Tech Development Team have Charlotte Kool. Lidl-Trek can work towards Clara Copponi. Uno-X Mobility have Susanne Andersen. Cofidis return with Alzini. AG Insurance-Soudal have Nicole Steigenga, while VolkerWessels can play both Uneken and Bolks.
Too many teams have an interest in bringing a dangerous late move back.
That does not mean a full peloton will necessarily contest the finish. A reduced group after an attritional final hour looks much more realistic.
The question is therefore which of the fastest riders cope best with everything that comes before Zottegem.
Charlotte Kool
Charlotte Kool has the strongest argument on outright speed, and her 2026 results provide plenty of evidence that the sprint remains one of the best in the peloton.
Her spring breakthrough came at Scheldeprijs Women, where she finally converted several near misses into victory after a crash split the bunch late.
Kool then won Veenendaal-Veenendaal Women in May, comfortably finishing off another race in which the sprinters had first been forced to chase down late attackers.
Her July form offered further reassurance. Kool was second to Nienke Veenhoven on Stage 1 of the Baloise Ladies Tour before reversing the result the following afternoon and winning Stage 2 in Zulte.
That is a very relevant body of form for Egmont.
The route is harder than a completely flat sprint race, but Kool has already shown several times this season that she can still finish the job after a nervous or selective day.
Her opponents know the problem. If Kool reaches Zottegem fresh and well positioned, very few riders in this field are capable of matching her acceleration.
Verdict: The benchmark on pure speed and arguably the rider the other teams most need to put under pressure before the finale.
Clara Copponi
Clara Copponi has one of the more consistent sprint profiles in this field.
She has already won on Belgian roads this season and has repeatedly placed close to the front in high-quality bunch finishes, including against Kool during the Baloise Ladies Tour.
Her results there were particularly useful as a form reference. Copponi finished fifth on the opening stage in Knokke-Heist and fourth behind Kool on Stage 2 in Zulte, showing that she remained firmly among the strongest fast finishers going into the second half of the season.
Lidl-Trek also have a significant tactical advantage.
Anna Henderson and Lucinda Brand give the team riders capable of following attacks rather than forcing Copponi’s teammates to chase everything themselves. If one of them is up the road, Lidl-Trek can leave responsibility to the other sprint teams while Copponi remains protected.
That makes her particularly difficult to race against.
Verdict: One of the safest favourites for the podium and a genuine win candidate if Lidl-Trek bring her into the final kilometre cleanly.
Susanne Andersen
Susanne Andersen should be considered Uno-X Mobility’s leading option ahead of Anniina Ahtosalo for this particular race.
Her results in harder Belgian one-day events are the reason.
Andersen has repeatedly shown that she can survive races where cobbles, exposed roads and constant accelerations gradually reduce the number of sprinters still in contention. That style is particularly relevant when assessing Egmont.
Her spring included another strong run of results in northern European racing, and she has consistently looked at her best when a sprint comes after a harder race rather than after 130 kilometres of complete control.
That separates her from some of the more specialised fast finishers.
Andersen does not necessarily need Egmont to be easy. A group reduced by the climbs and cobbles could actually improve her chances.
Verdict: One of the best combinations of sprint speed and durability in the race, and the more convincing Uno-X favourite for Zottegem.
Martina Alzini
Martina Alzini deserves to sit alongside the headline favourites rather than simply being introduced as the defending champion.
Her 2026 results are too strong for that.
Alzini’s first victory of the season came on Stage 1 of the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées in June, where she beat Federica Venturelli and Marie Le Net in Mourenx.
She followed that with another sprint victory at the Volta a Portugal Feminina before making it three wins in a matter of weeks at Dwars Door Wingene on 11 July.
That Wingene result is particularly useful as a reference for Egmont. Alzini beat Lonneke Uneken and Marith Vanhove after Cofidis had been forced to chase hard to manufacture the bunch sprint.
It also continued a pattern that has defined her summer: when Cofidis get her to a sprint in position, she is converting opportunities.
There is then the obvious course-specific evidence.
Alzini won Egmont itself in 2025.
She therefore returns to Zottegem with three recent victories, confidence in her sprint and proof that she already knows how to finish this particular race.
There may be faster riders on paper, but few arrive with a better combination of form and course history.
Verdict: One of the strongest favourites and perhaps the most compelling form selection for a repeat victory.
Photo Credit: GettyNicole Steigenga
Nicole Steigenga has quietly put together exactly the sort of season that makes her dangerous at Egmont.
Her key result was victory at the EPZ Omloop van Borsele earlier in the year, giving her a UCI 1.1 win against the sort of mixed WorldTour and Continental opposition she will face again in Zottegem.
That result matters more than reputation here.
Steigenga has the speed to finish off a controlled race but also enough resistance to stay competitive when the roads make the sprint harder than expected.
AG Insurance-Soudal also have useful support through Marith Vanhove and Ilse Pluimers, giving them alternatives if the race becomes more selective.
She should not be placed ahead of Kool or Alzini, but her 2026 results make her a genuine contender rather than an outsider included because of team status.
Verdict: A realistic winner at this level, particularly if the expected reduced sprint materialises.
Lonneke Uneken and Florien Bolks
VolkerWessels arguably have the strongest two-rider sprint combination outside the WorldTour squads.
Uneken already knows this race exceptionally well after finishing second behind Alzini in 2025.
Her results this year reinforce the case.
She won the 2026 Midwest Cycling Classic by the smallest possible margin over Alzini after the 137.6-kilometre race ended in a bunch sprint.
The rivalry continued into the summer, with Uneken again finishing second behind Alzini at Dwars Door Wingene.
That is strong evidence for another high placing here. Uneken is repeatedly reaching the finale in races of a very similar level and character.
Florien Bolks gives VolkerWessels another legitimate sprint card rather than simply a lead-out rider.
Bolks was fourth at Dwars Door Wingene, finishing immediately behind Alzini, Uneken and Vanhove, and has produced enough further results this season to suggest another top-10 is realistic.
That gives VolkerWessels tactical flexibility. Uneken remains the obvious first choice, but if positioning or a split takes her out of contention, Bolks is capable of finishing the race herself.
Verdict: Uneken is a genuine win candidate, with Bolks providing one of the strongest secondary sprint options in the field.
Photo Credit: Brecht SteenhouwerKatrijn De Clercq
Katrijn De Clercq has enough genuine sprint results at this level to justify inclusion.
The Lotto-Intermarché Ladies rider has regularly been around the top 10 in fast Belgian finishes this season and also finished seventh at Dwars Door Wingene, placing behind several riders who will again be among the main Egmont contenders.
That gives us a reasonable measure of her level.
De Clercq probably needs a few of the very fastest riders to be removed or badly positioned if she is going to challenge for victory, but a top-five or top-10 result is much easier to envisage.
The Belgian terrain should not concern her either.
If she arrives in the reduced front group, she has enough speed to make the result.
Verdict: A solid second-tier sprint contender with a realistic top-10 ceiling and the ability to go higher if the finale becomes messy.
Kaja Rysz
Kaja Rysz is one of the better outsiders for the top 10.
Her fourth place at the Midwest Cycling Classic is particularly relevant because that race ended in the sort of large sprint Egmont could easily produce.
Uneken won, Alzini was second and Hélène Hesters third, with Rysz immediately behind them.
That is useful evidence against riders she will meet again here.
Rysz has also produced further strong finishes at this level during 2026, showing that the Midwest result was not simply an isolated good day.
Hitec Products-Fluid Control are unlikely to dictate the race, so the task is simpler: keep Rysz in the front group and allow the larger teams to do the chasing.
If they manage that, she has a realistic opportunity to turn another bunch finish into a top 10.
Verdict: One of the more credible outsiders, particularly for the lower half of the top 10.
Eilidh Shaw
Eilidh Shaw is another outsider whose inclusion is based on results rather than potential alone.
Her early-season performances showed that she can already compete near the front of one-day races at this level, including a sixth place at the Midwest Cycling Classic.
More importantly, she produced another significant result later in the spring in Belgian racing.
Shaw has already demonstrated an ability to survive harder one-day terrain and still have enough speed to contest the finish, precisely the combination Egmont tends to reward.
UAE Development Team are unlikely to spend the day controlling the peloton for her, but they should not need to.
If Shaw follows the right wheels and reaches Zottegem in the main selection, another high result is possible.
Verdict: A genuine top-10 outsider whose results earlier in the season show that she can already mix it with several of the main favourites.
Other sprinters to watch
Anniina Ahtosalo gives Uno-X Mobility another fast option, but Andersen’s performances in harder Belgian races make her the stronger lead choice for Egmont.
Kathrin Schweinberger can also challenge for the top 10 if Human Powered Health bring her into the sprint in good position.
Scarlett Souren adds even more depth to VolkerWessels alongside Uneken and Bolks, although the team already have two riders with particularly strong recent sprint results.
Valentine Fortin gives Cofidis another quick finisher, but with Alzini’s current form there should be little doubt about which rider the team will want to protect if the race stays together.
How to watch the Egmont Cycling Race Women 2026 live
Live coverage of the Egmont Cycling Race Women will be available through Pickx Cycling.
Coverage is scheduled from approximately 13:15 to 16:25 CEST, taking viewers through the bulk of the race and into the expected finish in Zottegem.
The race takes place on Tuesday 18 August 2026.
Who wins the Egmont Cycling Race Women 2026?
The recent results make the hierarchy much clearer than the start list alone.
Charlotte Kool remains the benchmark for outright speed. Her wins at Scheldeprijs, Veenendaal-Veenendaal and the Baloise Ladies Tour prove that she is still converting bunch finishes against strong opposition.
Martina Alzini may have the strongest momentum. She is the defending champion and has won three times since June, including Dwars Door Wingene against several riders who return here.
Clara Copponi remains one of the most consistent sprint threats in the field and has the tactical strength of Lidl-Trek around her.
Susanne Andersen is particularly attractive if the race is made harder before the finish, while Nicole Steigenga has already demonstrated that she can win at this level in 2026.
Then there is Lonneke Uneken, whose Midwest Cycling Classic victory and second place behind Alzini at Wingene give her one of the strongest recent records against this exact group of riders.
Further down, Bolks, De Clercq, Rysz and Shaw all have genuine 2026 results supporting their top-10 cases.
Attacks will come, but the collective strength of the sprint teams makes it difficult to see a move surviving all the way to Zottegem.
The more likely scenario is a reduced bunch sprint after an attritional afternoon.
Kool has the greatest raw speed. Alzini has the course history and arguably the best recent winning momentum. Copponi and Andersen have the resilience for a harder finish.
That should make the fourth women’s Egmont Cycling Race considerably deeper than its first three editions, even if the basic formula remains familiar: survive the Flemish roads first, then prove who still has the fastest legs in Zottegem.
