April Tacey delivered a textbook late attack to win the 28th edition of the Simac Omloop der Kempen Ladies, staying just ahead of a fast-charging peloton in Veldhoven. Nienke Veenhoven crossed the line first from the bunch but had to settle for second, while Valentine Fortin rounded out the podium.
The 122km race started and finished in Veldhoven, with added cobbles making the 2025 edition slightly tougher than in previous years. Yet, for much of the race, the expected sprint outcome still seemed the most likely. That was until a chaotic final 10 kilometres saw attacks come and go, with AG Insurance-Soudal’s Leonie Bentveld spending a long solo effort off the front before being reeled in with under 10km to go.
With the bunch largely intact, and most teams anticipating a sprint, April Tacey had other ideas. The 24-year-old Briton from Team Coop-Repsol jumped away with 4km remaining. Initially joined by Helena Bieber, Tacey managed to ride her off the wheel before entering the final 2km alone, clinging to a narrow advantage.
Behind, Team Visma – Lease a Bike worked to bring the move back, with Linda Zanetti delivering Veenhoven into position in the final kilometre. But the peloton waited too long, and despite Veenhoven launching a powerful sprint, the line came too soon. Tacey, glancing back over her shoulder in the final metres, had done enough.
It was Tacey’s first professional victory and a major win for Coop-Repsol, one of the peloton’s longest-standing UCI-registered outfits.
Veenhoven reacts after second straight podium
For Nienke Veenhoven, it was a case of what might have been. The 21-year-old Dutchwoman has been in strong form since returning from her collarbone injury, with this second place following a third at Trofee Maarten Wynants last week.
“Of course it’s a shame I didn’t win, but I can certainly be happy with the sprint I rode,” she said at the finish. “When April attacked at 4km from the finish, no team took control. Linda still did a very good job in the last kilometre, but in the end the gap was just too big to close.”
Veenhoven added that she was encouraged by how things are developing. “The fact that I won the sprint for second place gives a lot of confidence for the future. If we do this more often, I think Martina and I will be in a promising situation often enough to fight for the win.”
“We can’t blame ourselves for anything. Because there were only four of us, we knew we had to gamble at some point,” she explained. “Things are going very well. Unfortunately, only the victory is missing. If I keep going like this, it will come one day.”
Tacey’s solo win broke a streak of sprint finishes in Veldhoven, joining a winner’s list that includes Charlotte Kool (2023), Sara Fiorin (2024), and Rachele Barbieri (2022). This time, though, the bunch sprint only decided the podium’s remaining spots.
Photo Credit: Cor Vos2025 Simac Omloop der Kempen Ladies result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Sportfoto
