On a cool morning in Limburg, Sofie van Rooijen stormed to victory at the U23 Womenโs European Championships, securing gold in a thrilling sprint finish. Her Dutch teammate, Scarlett Souren, took silver, making it a perfect one-two for the Netherlands. Italyโs Eleonora Gasparrini rounded out the podium with a third-place finish.
The race, which took place over 101.4 kilometres, saw early attempts to break up the peloton. Mikka Holm of Denmark and the Czech Republicโs Nela Slanikova made a bold move shortly after the neutral zone ended, quickly gaining a lead. The duo built a significant gap, but a mechanical issue for Holm left Slanikova on her own. Despite her efforts, Slanikova was eventually reeled back in with 22 kilometres to go, and the race was set for a mass sprint.
Belgium made a concerted effort to upset the sprint plans with a late attack, but no one was able to break free from the tightly controlled peloton. As the final lap approached, Finlandโs Anniina Ahtosalo, one of the pre-race favourites, was caught in a crash that dashed her hopes of competing for the win.
With just 200 metres to go, Souren took control at the front, delivering Van Rooijen in perfect position for the final push. Van Rooijen launched her sprint and crossed the line with a comfortable margin. Speaking after her win, she said, โI had complete trust in the team and knew this race would come down to a sprint. When Scarlett led me out, I lost her wheel for a moment, but I managed to get back on track and go at the right time. I knew when I didnโt see anyone else coming up, the gold was mine.โ
Scarlett Souren, who played a pivotal role in Van Rooijenโs victory, was thrilled with the teamโs performance. โThe plan was always to control the race and set Sofie up for the sprint. We worked really well as a team, and Iโm happy I could help her win. Silver for me is just a bonus,โ she said.
Dutch dominance continued as the team executed their race plan to perfection, marking another successful outing at the European Championships. The reigning champion, Ilse Pluimers, handed over the title gracefully, stating, โThis was the goal from the start. We knew Sofie was in great shape, and the race went exactly as planned. I couldnโt be happier with how things turned out for the team.โ
As the peloton wound through the streets of Hasselt, the Dutch squad’s control was evident. They kept the pace high, ensuring no rider could slip away in the closing kilometres. Despite several attempts by Belgian and Italian riders to shake things up, the sprint was inevitable.
For Van Rooijen, this victory caps off an impressive season, marking her sixth consecutive win. While she remained tight-lipped about her future, it is widely expected that the 23-year-old will step up to the Women’s WorldTour ranks next year, possibly with Souren by her side as her lead-out.
2024 Women’s U23 European Championships result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Limburg 2024