Lieke Nooijen stormed to a commanding victory at the Egmont Cycling Race, claiming the win after a 40-kilometre solo effort. The 23-year-old Dutch rider, racing for Visma-Lease a Bike, crossed the finish line in Zottegem well ahead of her closest rivals, securing her fourth victory of the season.
The race, held over a challenging 113.8-kilometre course starting from Sint-Lievens-Houtem, saw the peloton tackle multiple laps of a circuit that featured cobbled sections and climbs, including the Lange Munte, Lippenhovestraat, Grotenbergestraat, and De Vlamme. The wet weather added an extra layer of difficulty to the already demanding course.
Nooijen launched her decisive attack with over 40 kilometres remaining, bridging the gap to the earlier escapee, Lea Fuchs. Once she caught Fuchs, Nooijen decided to push on alone, quickly establishing a significant lead over the peloton. Her time-trialling skills proved invaluable as she maintained her advantage, crossing the line nearly four minutes ahead of the next rider.
Reflecting on her victory, Nooijen stated, “The plan was to try it on the attack today. It was a tough race, but I soon noticed that I had good legs. When I went on the attack, I knew that with Nienke [Veenhoven], we still had an asset in the peloton. Fortunately, with my time-trial skills, I was soon able to build up my lead. It’s really nice to be able to win this way.”
Behind Nooijen, her fellow Dutch riders completed the podium, making it an all-Dutch affair. Sofie van Rooijen of VolkerWessels finished second, nearly four minutes behind the winner, while Nienke Veenhoven of Visma-Lease a Bike secured third place, rounding off a successful day for the team.
Nooijen’s victory continues a remarkable run of form, coming off the back of her overall win at the Princess Anna Vasa Tour in Poland, where she also took three stage victories. Speaking about her recent success, Nooijen added, “I didn’t expect to be doing so well already. In Poland, I already had a good level; after that, I kept training hard, and fortunately, I was able to keep my level high. The fact that I can now win again is very nice. I hope I can continue my level in the coming races.”
Chiara Consonni put in a notable performance, finishing fourth whilst racing for the UAE Development Team. Consonni, fresh off her gold medal in the Madison at the Paris Olympics, made a late attack and sprint but was caught by the chasing group in the final metres, just missing out on the podium.
2024 Egdmond Cycling Race result
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