Lieke Nooijen delivered a superb ride to open the Canadian racing weekend with victory at the Chrono Féminin de Gatineau. The 24-year-old Dutchwoman stopped the clock at 28:50 over the 22.2km course, more than enough to secure her first win of the season and underline her status as one of the strongest time trial specialists outside the very top tier.
Racing in the second wave, Nooijen immediately set the benchmark with both the fastest intermediate and finishing times. Neither the final wave nor the US time trial champion Emily Ehrlich could come close to matching her speed. Ehrlich was 21 seconds down at the midpoint and eventually conceded 41 seconds at the finish, though her effort was still enough for second place. She denied Visma | Lease a Bike a clean sweep of the podium, edging out Margaux Vigie by seven seconds. Vigie’s third place pushed Carlijn Achtereekte into fourth.
The new Gatineau course saw riders complete two laps of an 11km circuit starting from the city centre, crossing into Ontario via the Portage Bridge, before a U-turn section and a return over the Ottawa River. The final 2km back into Gatineau made for a fast finish, with rolling terrain and exposed sections, meaning wind played a role.
Nooijen reflected on the effort afterwards, delighted to break her run of near misses. She had finished fourth in the Simac Ladies Tour time trial just a week earlier and was also third in the Dutch national championships this summer. “It was a super tough time trial,” she said. “To win here in Canada is really nice and gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the European Championships. Sharing the podium with Margaux made it even more special.”
For Ehrlich, the result was a positive step back after illness interrupted her summer racing. Having last competed in June, the US rider admitted the second lap felt especially hard, but she was satisfied to bring home silver. Earlier this year she claimed two Pan American track titles and silver in the time trial at the Pan Ams, and her runner-up ride in Gatineau confirms her form is returning at the right time.
The weekend of racing continues with a road race on Saturday and a criterium on Sunday, where Nooijen, Vigie and Achtereekte will be joined by Martina Fidanza, Sophie von Berswordt and Nienke Veenhoven in Visma colours. With momentum already established, the Dutch team look well placed to play a central role across all three days in Canada.
2025 Chrono de Gatineau result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
