Following on from their success last weekend, Team DSM’s Women’s program were buoyed with confidence ahead of today’s racing in Belgium. Taking control from the start, the team romped home to their seventh victory of the season at Flanders Diamond Tour this evening, after producing a brilliant lead out to set up Lorena Wiebes for the fast finale.
The Women’s peloton were back in action this afternoon for the Flanders Diamond Tour, with several laps of a circuit around Nijlen making up a 138 kilometre long parcours, featuring several short cobbled sections. It was an intense start to the day with attack after attack in the peloton. The team rotated well in covering the moves, with no attack able to get a substantial gap. Eventually after an hour of racing, one rider managed to get a gap but after a sudden increase in pace from the peloton, the race was once again all together heading into the final 40 kilometres.
The team did well to cover any dangerous attacks before one solo rider hit out, building up a one minute advantage over the chasing peloton. Taking responsibility alongside some other outfits, the team came to the front and slowly started to reel the leader in and heading into the last ten kilometres their advantage stood at 30 seconds. Over the penultimate section of cobbles the race was all back together and after marking some dangerous probing moves, the team came to the front en masse to position and set up designated sprinter Lorena Wiebes.
Cutting through the air from three kilometres out, there was no panic in the team as other riders surged past but then fell backwards in the high octane run to the line. Peeling off one-by-one, after a brilliant effort Floortje Mackaij passed the proverbial baton to Pfeiffer Georgi who took over at 600 metres to go. Surging forward, last lead out and pilot fish Susanne Andersen expertly hit the front with the finish line in sight before Wiebes delivered her trademark powerful sprint, kicking all the way to cross the line victorious for the team.
“Just like last week, we controlled the race and the girls were super strong,” smiled Wiebes after the finish. “Franzi closed the gap to the solo leader before we did a really good lead-out again. I’m really happy to be able to finish it off again and take the win.”
Team DSM coach Albert Timmer added: “Today it was pretty hectic in the race. A lot of things happened, with a lot of small attacks. We covered the bigger groups or made sure that it was a safe breakaway for us. We then helped in the chase of the solo rider and things were all back together for the finish. The lead out was really good from the girls once again and we’re really happy to take another win. It was a nice day out on the bike for everybody.”
RESULTS
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WIEBES Lorena | Team DSM | 3:18:56 | 125 |
| 2 | CONSONNI Chiara | Valcar – Travel & Service | ,, | 85 |
| 3 | VAN DER HULST Amber | Parkhotel Valkenburg | ,, | 70 |