Marta Lach delivered SD Worx-Protime their fifth consecutive victory at the 2025 Nokere Koerse Women, clinching her first win with the team after a perfectly timed uphill sprint. The Polish rider surged past Uno-X Mobility’s Linda Zanetti in the closing metres, while Lara Gillespie of UAE Team ADQ came home third.
Under clear skies and bright sunshine, the 2025 edition of Nokere Koerse set off from Deinze, covering 134 kilometres of challenging cobbled roads and short, steep climbs. The new uphill finish on Waregemsestraat promised a tough finale, with many riders anticipating aggressive racing.
The opening kilometres, however, were cautious, as initial breakaway attempts were swiftly neutralised by a watchful peloton. The first substantial move came midway through the race, with Team Coop-Repsol’s Stina Kagevi launching a strong solo attack. Quickly gaining over a minute’s advantage, the young Swede impressively maintained her lead as the peloton hesitated behind.
Approaching the final 50 kilometres, the race intensity picked up significantly, with teams such as SD Worx-Protime, Lidl-Trek, and FDJ-SUEZ driving the pace. The increased speed led to splits and several crashes in the peloton, notably affecting Canyon SRAM’s Zoë Backstedt, who had to expend considerable energy chasing back to the main group.
Kagevi’s valiant solo effort finally came to an end with 20 kilometres remaining. Her catch spurred more aggressive moves, particularly from Uno-X Mobility’s Aniina Ahtosalo, who repeatedly tried to split the race. The most dangerous late attack, however, came from Anna Henderson of Lidl-Trek, who launched a strong move on a cobbled section with just over 11 kilometres remaining. Her gap briefly caused alarm within the main group before being closed down at seven kilometres to go, thanks in part to relentless chasing from Backstedt and the Visma-Lease a Bike team.
The final run-in was nervous and chaotic, as sprinters’ teams fought fiercely for position heading into the decisive uphill finish. Uno-X Mobility emerged well-organised, delivering Zanetti ideally into the final climb. Zanetti began her sprint early, momentarily appearing set for victory. However, Marta Lach, strategically positioned right behind the Swiss rider, surged decisively in the last 50 metres, overtaking Zanetti to secure the victory. Despite a powerful final burst, UAE Team ADQ’s Lara Gillespie had to settle for third after starting her sprint from too far back.
At the finish, Lach spoke enthusiastically about securing her first victory in her new team colours:
“It feels amazing to win my first race with SD Worx-Protime. It’s incredible to have such a supportive team around me. I’m grateful for all their commitment, belief, and support. This win belongs to all of us today.”
Describing the challenging sprint finish, Lach added:
“It was a long sprint because the final climb was already hurting. The last kilometre felt extremely long—I kept hearing in my earpiece ‘go, go, go!’ so I pushed hard. When I saw the line and realised I’d won, I thought, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe it!'”
2025 Nokere Koerse Women result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
