Team Jumbo-Visma Women showed themselves today in Dwars door de Westhoek. Jip van den Bos rode to fifth place in the final sprint and teammate Romy Kasper completed the top ten.
In the hilly beginning of the Belgian race Karlijn Swinkels was part of the breakaway early on and managed to win the mountain prize at the top of the Rodeberg. The front group with Swinkels still consisted of four riders when they turned onto the local circuit. Only in the last kilometres the peloton caught them and Van den Bos subsequently positioned herself for the final sprint.
“WE WERE WELL-POSITIONED IN THE FRONT, BUT IT WAS VERY HECTIC. THIS WAS THE HIGHEST ACHIEVABLE TODAY.”
Jip van den Bos
After a long recovery from a concussion, this is only the second race that the 25-year-old rider has competed in this season. “I am very satisfied. After so long without competing in a final this just gives me a lot of confidence. When Karlijn was caught up by the bunch I rode the final together with Romy Kasper. We were well-positioned in the front, but it was very hectic. This was the highest achievable today.”