Silvia Zanardi claimed a hard-fought victory in the 130km La Choralis GP Fourmies Féminine, emerging as the fastest in a sprint after a tense race filled with attacks and late breakaways. The race unfolded under sunny skies, beginning with early control from teams like Human Powered Health and Movistar, determined not to let any breakaway gain a serious advantage on the rolling parcours.
A decisive moment came when Femke de Vries, Marta Lach, and Emma Norsgaard managed to break clear, pushing hard as they built a solid gap. Despite their best efforts, the peloton, led by Zanardi’s team, slowly closed them down. With three kilometres left, the breakaway was finally caught, setting up a fast-paced bunch sprint to the finish.
In the final kilometres, Human Powered Health executed a flawless lead-out, with Romy Kasper and Daria Pikulik delivering Zanardi into the perfect position. From there, the Italian launched her sprint early on the left side, storming to victory ahead of British rider Cat Ferguson and Italy’s Martina Alzini.
Reflecting on her performance, Zanardi couldn’t contain her joy, joking, “I think my scream was heard all the way to Italy.” She praised her teammates for their hard work throughout the race, noting, “All the girls worked brilliantly. In the last kilometre, I followed Romy and Daria who really brought me into the perfect position, and I launched my sprint first, putting my all into getting the win for the team.”
Zanardi, who has been in strong form with recent top finishes in Belgium, was full of gratitude towards her team and manager. “I’m happy to return to good feelings in these races and I have to thank my team so much, and Kenny [Latomme, Team Manager] who always believed in me,” she added.
Visma | Lease a Bike’s Femke de Vries, who had animated the race with her breakaway attempt, was disappointed not to stay clear, but teammate Nienke Veenhoven secured a strong eighth-place finish in the sprint. Sports director Jan Boven praised her progress, saying, “Last year, she wasn’t able to sprint for the win in this kind of race, but now Nienke is already sprinting to a top ten place. She is developing very well.”
Imogen Wolff, making her debut for Visma | Lease a Bike, was also delighted with her performance, finishing 13th. “It was a great day,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to go so well right away today, but I’m super happy with the result. We rode as a team, and I can look back with pride on my first race for Visma | Lease a Bike Women.”
2024 La Choralis GP Fourmies Féminine result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency
