Trofee Maarten Wynants Women 2026 returns with the kind of field that makes a Belgian 1.1 race difficult to control. The start list does not have the depth of a Women’s WorldTour event, but that often makes the racing more interesting. There are fewer obvious super-teams, more squads with a realistic reason to attack, and enough fast finishers to make the finale hard to predict.
The recent history of the race points clearly towards a fast or reduced sprint outcome. Martina Fidanza won in 2025 ahead of Tereza Neumanová and Nienke Veenhoven, while Anniina Ahtosalo beat Scarlett Souren and Chiara Consonni in 2024. Consonni herself won in 2023, ahead of Amalie Dideriksen and Maria Martins. Go further back and the winners’ list includes Elisa Balsamo, Marta Bastianelli, Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky, which gives the race a stronger roll of honour than its current place on the calendar might first suggest.
That history also tells us what usually works here. Pure climbing does not decide this race. Positioning, sprint timing, strength through repeated accelerations and the ability to survive a messy Belgian finale all matter more. With no single dominant sprint train on the 2026 start list, this could become a race where a reduced group, a late attack or an opportunistic sprint decides the winner.
Trofee Maarten Wynants Women history
Trofee Maarten Wynants Women has built much of its identity around fast, durable riders. The past winners list is full of sprinters and Classics-style finishers, rather than pure climbers.
Lotte Kopecky won the race in 2016, before becoming one of the defining riders of the modern women’s peloton. Marianne Vos followed in 2017, with Marta Bastianelli winning in 2018 and Elisa Balsamo in 2019. That run alone gives the race a strong historical thread, especially for an event that has not always had the same profile as bigger Belgian one-day races.
The more recent editions have continued that pattern. Chiara Consonni won in 2023, Ahtosalo took victory in 2024, and Fidanza won in 2025. Souren’s record also stands out, with victory in the non-elite 2022 edition and 2nd place in 2024. She returns in 2026 as one of the few riders on the start list with a proven record at this race.
Recent winners
- 2025: Martina Fidanza
- 2024: Anniina Ahtosalo
- 2023: Chiara Consonni
- 2022: Scarlett Souren
- 2019: Elisa Balsamo
- 2018: Marta Bastianelli
- 2017: Marianne Vos
- 2016: Lotte Kopecky
- 2015: Natalie van Gogh
- 2014: Maaike Polspoel
What kind of race should we expect?
The start list suggests a race that could be difficult to pin down. There are several riders with a decent sprint, but not many teams with the kind of dominant lead-out that can control the final 30km without help. That should make the middle phase important, especially if smaller teams use numbers to attack before the sprint squads are properly organised.
A full bunch sprint is still possible, and the race history supports that idea. But the 2026 field feels open enough for a reduced finish or late move. The key question is whether teams such as VolkerWessels, AG Insurance-Soudal, Lotto-Intermarché Ladies and Citymesh-Customm PCT want to keep the race together, or whether they prefer to make it harder and reduce the number of sprint rivals.
Because this is a 1.1 race, the tactical responsibility will be shared unevenly. Some teams will have a clear leader. Others will use the day as a chance for younger riders to race aggressively. That combination often produces a nervous finale, particularly on Belgian roads where positioning can matter as much as raw speed.
Scarlett Souren gives VolkerWessels a proven card
Scarlett Souren is the most obvious name on the start list because her record at this race is so strong. She has started it four times, won the 2022 edition and finished 2nd in 2024 behind Ahtosalo. That combination of familiarity and finishing speed makes her one of the safest contenders to highlight.
VolkerWessels Cycling Team also have useful depth around her. Maaike Boogaard, Meis Poland, Bodine Vollering, Vera Tieleman and Florien Bolks give the team options if the race becomes more aggressive, but Souren is the rider with the clearest route to victory. If the race comes down to a reduced sprint, she should be one of the most confident riders in the front group.
Her challenge will be expectation. In this field, she is not an outsider. Other teams will know her record here and will not want to tow her to the line too easily. That may force VolkerWessels to take more responsibility than they would ideally like.
AG Insurance-Soudal bring Gladys Verhulst-Wild
Gladys Verhulst-Wild gives AG Insurance-Soudal one of the strongest individual options in the race. She has only one previous start here but already has a top-10, and her experience should count in a field where many riders are still developing at this level.
AG Insurance-Soudal’s line-up also includes Anna Bruneel, Messane Bräutigam, Billy Goossens, Marith Vanhove and Fauve Bastiaenssen. That gives them a squad with enough support to position Verhulst-Wild late, while also allowing a more aggressive approach if the race becomes fragmented.
Verhulst-Wild is not just a rider for a pure bunch sprint. She can handle tougher racing, which may be important if the final selection is smaller than expected. If AG Insurance-Soudal can keep her protected until the final kilometres, she has a realistic winning chance.
Photo Credit: Sophie RichezKatrijn De Clercq leads the Lotto-Intermarché Ladies interest
Lotto-Intermarché Ladies arrive with Katrijn De Clercq as their most notable contender. She has two previous starts at Trofee Maarten Wynants Women and one top-10, which gives her a useful reference point for how the race tends to unfold.
Julie Brouwers, Ilken Seynave and Sandrine Tas complete the squad, so Lotto-Intermarché Ladies may need to race carefully rather than take on full control. De Clercq’s best chance may come if the race becomes selective enough to reduce the sprint but not so chaotic that she is forced into chasing too early.
On paper, she is more of a podium or top-five contender than a standout favourite, but races like this can turn quickly. If the stronger teams hesitate, De Clercq has the kind of profile that could benefit from a late move or a well-timed reduced sprint.
Anna Vanderaerden gives Fenix-Premier Tech DT a sharp option
Anna Vanderaerden is an interesting contender for Fenix-Premier Tech DT. She has one previous start at the race and one top-10, and at 20 years old she is still in the phase where results like this can become useful stepping stones.
The team also includes Olivia Vercruysse, Hélène Clauzel, Puck Langenbarg, Sanne Laurijssen and Lauren Molengraaf. That is a varied group, and it gives Fenix-Premier Tech DT the chance to avoid being tied to one simple sprint plan. Molengraaf’s presence, in particular, gives them a rider who may be useful if the race becomes more attritional.
Vanderaerden’s route to victory probably needs a slightly reduced group rather than a completely controlled sprint. If she gets that, she can be dangerous.
Eline van Rooijen and Citymesh-Customm PCT
Citymesh-Customm PCT have Eline van Rooijen as their most relevant race-history name. She has two starts here and one top-10, which puts her among the riders with previous evidence of handling this event well.
The team also brings Julie Stockman, Jony van den Eijnden, Femke Van Goethem, Elise Timmerman and Lotte Van Ombergen. That gives them several riders who can be active before the finale, and that may be the best way to use their line-up. Waiting for a perfectly controlled sprint against Souren and Verhulst-Wild may not be ideal.
Van Rooijen is a realistic contender if the race becomes tactical. She may not be the fastest rider in a straight head-to-head sprint, but she can be involved if the final group is reduced and the finish becomes more about positioning than pure top speed.
Kelly Druyts brings experience for Cyclingteam BelcoVan Eyck
Few riders on the start list know this race better than Kelly Druyts. She has six previous starts, one podium and one top-10, giving Cyclingteam BelcoVan Eyck a rider with real event experience.
That matters in a field with many younger or less established riders. Druyts may not have the same finishing speed she once had, but she understands how to survive the race, where to position herself and how to use a messy finale to her advantage.
Masja Keesman, Emma Duchateau, Britt Huybrechts, Frauke Bruylandts and Loes Sels complete the team. If the race becomes attritional and the favourites begin marking each other, Druyts is exactly the kind of experienced rider who could find a route into the front group.
Other riders to watch
Kaja Rysz gives Hitec Products-Fluid Control a rider who can be involved if the day becomes more selective. The team also has April Tacey, Alma Walther Møller Rasmussen, Aidi Gerde Tuisk, Kamma Bergholt and Mari Hole Mohr, which gives them enough options to race positively.
Lauren Molengraaf is another name worth keeping in mind for Fenix-Premier Tech DT, especially if the race becomes less sprint-focused. She brings a different profile from some of the pure fast finishers and could be useful in a more aggressive scenario.
Alicja Matula and Nadia Hartman give MAT ATOM Deweloper Wroclaw potential routes into the race if the breakaway becomes important, while Julie Stockman could give Citymesh-Customm PCT another option alongside Van Rooijen.
Heidi Antikainen, Clara Lundmark and Margarita Lopez Llull give Minimax Cycling Team several riders who may try to animate the race, especially if the bigger squads hesitate. In a field like this, a well-timed move can quickly become dangerous.
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Photo Credit: RCS
Tactical outlook
The race should be shaped by the tension between sprint control and opportunism. Souren, Verhulst-Wild, De Clercq, Vanderaerden, Van Rooijen and Druyts all give their teams reasons to believe in a finish from a reduced group, but no team looks strong enough to dominate the entire race on its own.
That opens the door to attacks. Smaller squads will know that waiting for a sprint may limit their chances, so the middle section of the race could be active. A breakaway with the right combination of riders could put pressure on VolkerWessels and AG Insurance-Soudal, especially if the gap grows before the final hour.
If the race does come back together, positioning will be decisive. The past winners list suggests that the finish usually rewards riders who can handle a fast, physical finale rather than pure climbers. The key will be arriving in the final kilometres with support still available.
Prediction
Scarlett Souren is the strongest pick because of her record at Trofee Maarten Wynants Women. A win in 2022 and 2nd place in 2024 show that she understands this race, and VolkerWessels have enough depth to support her into the final.
Gladys Verhulst-Wild looks like the main danger. She brings experience, strength and a fast finish, and AG Insurance-Soudal should be one of the teams most capable of shaping the race. Vanderaerden, De Clercq, Van Rooijen and Druyts all have clear routes to a podium if the race becomes reduced or tactical.
The most likely outcome is a sprint from a reduced front group rather than a completely calm bunch finish. Souren’s race history gives her the edge, but this is a start list with enough balance that a late attack or messy sprint could easily shift the result.
