Scarlett Souren claimed victory in the inaugural Midwest Cycling Classic, narrowly beating Martina Alzini in a dramatic sprint finale that required a quick photo-finish decision. After initially appearing uncertain about the outcome on race radio, the jury officially declared Scarlett Souren the winner, giving VolkerWessels their first UCI success of the 2025 season. Souren’s teammate, Lonneke Uneken, completed the podium in third, underscoring a strong team performance. With Martina Alzini of Cofids sandwiched by the teammates in 2nd place.
The 135-kilometre race between Gent and Oostrozebeke featured predominantly flat terrain, making a mass sprint almost inevitable. After a controlled opening phase, the race began to heat up around 30 kilometres from the finish when Eugenia Bujak and Helena Bieber briefly opened up a small gap, joined shortly after by Souren herself. However, this move was quickly neutralised following a significant crash involving multiple riders, including Souren, who recovered swiftly to rejoin the peloton.
With 24 kilometres remaining, Vera Tieleman attacked solo and held a modest gap of around 15 seconds. Her attempt attracted attention, prompting Hélène Hesters of Liv-AlUla-Jayco Continental to attempt bridging across. Hesters’ chase briefly appeared promising, but the peloton quickly regrouped, bringing everything back together for the expected bunch sprint finish.
The final kilometre descended into chaos, with several riders jostling aggressively for position, leading to dangerous moments. Belgian sprinter Marith Vanhove of AG Insurance-Soudal was caught out badly in the melee and saw her podium aspirations dashed, eventually crossing the line in 20th place. Vanhove expressed her frustration clearly after the race:
“I started with podium ambitions and it looked good until the last kilometres. In the final kilometre, I was still well surrounded by three riders from the team. But 500 meters from the end we lost each other. I knew I had to be on the left but was forced to the right by all the hustle and bustle. I couldn’t get away from there. I also escaped a crash twice. This is a missed opportunity because I was really good today.”
Photo Credit: Tim StaesMeanwhile, Gent rider Hélène Hesters managed to finish as the best-placed Belgian rider, securing a top-ten position despite initial intentions to lead out teammate Emma Jeffers. Reflecting on her performance, Hesters explained:
“The intention was to pull the sprint for Emma Jeffers but she missed my wheel. Without communication, it was anything but an easy task. But tenth place is a nice result in itself. I’m coming off the track and I can feel it in my legs. This race was ideal to get into the rhythm of the road races.”
At the front, VolkerWessels positioned their sprint train expertly in the closing kilometres, with Uneken leading out Souren perfectly. Souren launched her sprint decisively, but Alzini reacted quickly, closing the gap impressively at the line. Reflecting on the tension of those final moments, Souren admitted she was unsure of her win until officially confirmed:
“In the last lap I knew very quickly that it would end in a bunch sprint. I panicked a bit but the team kept me calm. I did indeed go all out until the finish, but I will only be sure when I am on the highest podium step.”
2025 Midwest Classic result
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