Lorena Wiebes secured victory in the prologue of the Baloise Ladies Tour on Wednesday evening in Hulst, Netherlands. The 25-year-old rider clocked an impressive time of 3 minutes and 16 seconds on the 2.7-kilometre course, making her the only competitor to finish under 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
Wiebes, representing SD Worx, waited nearly an hour and a half in the ‘hot seat’ before her win was confirmed. This triumph marks her seventh stage win in the Ladies Tour, bringing her close to the record of eight stage victories held by Belgian rider Jolien D’hoore.
Wiebes, who is also set to be a main part of the Dutch team in the Olympic road race in Paris, viewed this race as a key part of her preparations. Reflecting on her performance, Wiebes noted, “I felt strong from the start and just focused on maintaining my speed throughout the course.”
In second place was Fien Van Eynde, who finished with a time of 3 minutes and 21 seconds, followed closely by Charlotte Kool at 3 minutes and 21.5 seconds. Kool, last year’s prologue winner, expressed satisfaction with her performance despite the tough competition. “It was a pretty simple course with a few turns and then some fast sections. It was a painful one though, and I just went all-in over the course to do the best I could and that was it for today. We’re looking forward to the sprint stages now,” said Kool.
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL showcased strong performances, with three riders finishing in the top ten. Pfeiffer Georgi managed a time of 3 minutes and 21 seconds, securing fourth place, while Rachele Barbieri clocked in at 3 minutes and 23 seconds, finishing just outside the top five.
The general classification mirrors the prologue results, with the British rider Georgi and the Belgian Febe Jooris, who placed fifth, in contention. The race will continue with the first stage from Breskens to Knokke-Heist, covering 113.8 kilometres. The final stage is set for Sunday in Deinze, marking the end of the five-day event.
2024 Baloise Ladies Tour Prologue result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Frank Peters
