Kastelijn - Page 4

The women's Giro dell'Emilia is starting to get itself a solid list of winners in its relatively short lifetime. In the previous 8 editions, it has been won almost exclusively by the best puncheurs in the women's peloton. The course is kinda like Fleche Wallonne in that it finishes at the top of a very steep, solid climb. But it also takes place in Italy at the start of the Autumn and has absolutely no proceeding climbs to worry about.

The biggest race of last weekend - Exact Cross Kruibeke-Polderscross - saw big names take the victory. For the men it was Michael Vanthourenhout, who powered away from teammate Eli Iserbyt and former teammate Laurens Sweeck to take a comfortable win in the end.

Another day, another win for Marianne Vos. The Dutch rider was able to time her finish to perfection on an uphill that had been...

The Tour of Scandinavia has morphed from the Ladies Tour of Norway for 2022 after a successful run between 2014 and 2021. Originally hoped to incorporate the Vargarda races in Sweden, the organisers there eventually opted to remain separate.

Liege Bastogne Liege Femmes is another relatively new race on the women’s calendar. First held in 2017, it gives riders the chance to cover roads raced by the men’s peloton in one of their monuments. Although the race is called Liege Bastogne Liege still, the women’s race starts in Bastogne and before heading to Liege.

La Flèche Wallonne Féminine or the Women’s Flèche Wallonne has been running since 1998. A relatively long history for a modern women’s cycling race. In its 20+ year history, the race has only seen 10 different winners. Anna van der Breggen has won Flèche Wallonne Féminine 7 times, Marianne Vos 5 times, with Fabiana Luperini and Nicole Cooke both 3-time winners.

The women's Amstel Gold Race returned last season. It was heavily altered, turned into a large circuit based around the Cauberg, the Geulhemmerberg and the Bemelerberg. The constant climbing was hoped to be attritional but ultimately we saw a reasonably large sprint after the Cauberg. Despite the attack of Niewiadoma, no-one would work with her and it proved fruitless. Vos took the sprint ahead of Demi Vollering and Annemiek van Vleuten.

The first Women’s Tour of Flanders took place in 2004. The route followed the last 55km of the men’s race with a bit before it to take the distance up to 94km. The finish parcours from that time is now used for Omloop het Nieuwsblad. Riders climb Kapelmuur before riding the tree-lined Bosberg. Zulfiya Zabirova won the first race with an attack on Kapelmuur itself.

The reboot of the Tour de France Femmes feels a little closer today after the teams were announced for the 2022 race. The route...

Table of Contents Women's Strade Bianche 2022 Race History Strade Bianche will once again be the first Women’s WorldTour race of the season. Last year's race...