Sofie van Rooijen secured a decisive victory in the GP Beerens, outpacing her rivals in a tightly contested sprint after nearly 140 kilometres of racing. The Dutch sprinter from VolkerWessels was the fastest of a large breakaway group that battled it out for the win. Anna van Wersch claimed second place, while Victoire Berteau finished third.
The eighth edition of the Grote Prijs Beerens took place over 137 kilometres, starting in Hoboken and ending in Aartselaar, just south of Antwerp. The race included six local laps of 22 kilometres around Aartselaar, with each lap featuring the climb of De Schorre, located six kilometres from the finish line. Despite the challenging terrain, the race seemed destined for a bunch sprint, as it has in previous years, with the last few editions being won by sprinters.
A breakaway of more than twenty riders dominated much of the final stages. The peloton, lacking significant organisation, allowed the break to contest the win amongst themselves. Riders like Femke Beuling, Maaike Boogaard, Julie De Wilde, and Laura Verdonschot were among those in the leading group. However, with ten kilometres to go, Evy Kuijpers and Eline van Rooijen attempted a late escape, only to be caught in the final kilometre.
Julie De Wilde made a last-ditch effort to surprise the group, but it was van Rooijen who powered ahead to claim victory in the sprint. Van Wersch, who had been well-positioned throughout the race, explained her strategy, saying, “I waited quite a while before launching, but I made sure not to get boxed in. That allowed me to start my sprint freely from the right side. Sofie van Rooijen had already opened a small gap, making it tough to catch her, unfortunately. But I managed to keep the rest at bike-length distance, securing a convincing second place that I’m very pleased with.”
Marthe Truyen, another strong contender, finished in fifth place. The Belgian rider expressed slight disappointment with her result, noting that the chaotic final kilometre hampered her chances of a higher finish. “I made with four teammates part of a large breakaway. Everything was going according to plan, and because I felt good, I was preparing for the bunch sprint. Winning wasn’t really on my mind, but I believed a podium was possible,” Truyen shared. She added, “The final kilometre turned out to be unexpectedly chaotic. Without that, I could have launched from a better position and undoubtedly finished higher in the standings.”
While Truyen may have felt somewhat let down, she remains optimistic about her form ahead of the European Championships on the road in Limburg, which will take place in two weeks. With national team leader Lotte Kopecky absent, Truyen is curious about what her role might be but sees potential opportunities. “I suppose I won’t be one of the first to be sacrificed for the tactics. That might create some chances,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, Kelly Druyts, who didn’t participate in the race, still managed to clinch the victory in the SKM Ladies Cycling Cup’s points classification. Her team, Chevalmeire, chose to race in the Ardèche, leaving her unable to compete in the final stage of the series. However, the event organiser, Staf Van Mensel, intervened to ensure she received her prize despite the absence. “That was such a disrespectful attitude from Chevalmeire towards Kelly that I decided she should be awarded her jersey and prize money on the podium,” Van Mensel said. Druyts appreciated the gesture, noting, “I did everything I could to win, and to be let down by your team like that is a slap in the face. But I’m very grateful to the organiser for ensuring I got what I deserved.”
2024 Grote Prijs Beerens result
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