Cant beats Vos at Krawatencross; Helen Wyman third

Beating the World Champion must feel great. When that World Champion is Marianne Vos, and you also beat the European Champion Helen Wyman, it must feel absolutely fantastic - which explains Belgian Champion Sanne Cant's delight as she took the top step of the podium following Saturday's BPost Bank Trofee Krawatencross race at Lille. The victory was sweetened yet further due to the Belgian having been fourth  at last weekend's World Championships where Vos won and Wyman was third - and by the fact that Vos won this very race for the last two years, beating Cant (3rd 2012, 2nd 2013) on both occasions. Wyman, who is British Champion for the eighth time this season as well as European Champion for the second time, seemed unable to match Cant and Vos as the race progressed and left the pair fighting a private battle all of their own, each rider refusing to back down all the way to the final approach to the finish. With the race looking certain to end in a sprint the majority of fans will have been expecting Vos to add yet another victory to her spectacular palmares despite Cant's skill on a sandy parcours such as this, but then the Dutch superstar's foot slipped from the pedal. She probably lost no more than a fraction of a second, but it was enough: Cant noticed and attacked hard, taking the tiny advantage that was she needed to triumph. Wyman will also be pleased with her result: she's never stood on the podium at this race before. The only other British rider was Nikki Harris, who took fourth place. Although Wyman still leads the series overall, her advantage is now just 31" to Cant (Harris is third at +1'11"). The final round, taking place at Oostmalle on the 23rd of February, promises therefore to be one of the season highlights. Helen Wyman's race report Video: Cant wins Krawatencross Krawatencross Full Result 1  Sanne Cant (Enertherm - Bkcp)  BEL 2  Marianne Vos (Rabobank Women Team)  NED 3  Helen Wyman (Kona)  GBR 4  Nikki Harris (Telenet Fidea Cycling Team Young NPI)  GBR 5  Loes Sels (Young Telenet Fidea)  BEL 6  Sophie De Boer (Kdl Cycling Team)  NED 7  Yara Kastelijn (Rtc Buitenlust)  NED 8  Ellen Van Loy (Young Telenet-Fidea)  BEL 9  Pavla Havlikova (Young Telenet - Fidea)  CZE 10  Githa Michiels (Toka Print Mtb Team)  BEL 11 Karen Verhestraeten (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team) BEL 12 Reza Ravenstijn-Hormes NED 13 Jolien Verschueren (Dncs/pro 2012 Cycling Team) BEL 14 Esmee Oosterman (Wrv DE Peddelaars) NED 15 Laura Verdonschot (Vzw Lotto - Ladiescycling) BEL 16 Maud Kaptheyns NED 17 Katrien Thijs (UP Cycling Team) BEL 18 Hilde Quintens BEL 19 Lotte Eikelenboom (Drc De Mol) NED 20 Kim Banga NED 21 Christine Vardaros (Baboco - Revor Cycling Team) USA 22 Shana Maes BEL 23 Ilona Meter (Rcp Stevens) NED 24 Nele Van Maldeghem BEL 25 Suzie Godart LUX 26 Suzanne Verhoeven NED 27 Gertie Willems BEL 28 Meg De Bruyne BEL 29 Lena Bischoff-Stein 30 Nathalie Nijns BEL 31 Tine Verdeyen BEL 32 Lene Vrijsen BEL 33 Mara Schwager GER 34 Caren Commissaris (UP Cycling Team) BEL 35 Valerie Boonen BEL 36 Laura Krans NED 37 Anja Geldhof BEL 38 Brenda Kaczmarczyk BEL 39 Yenthe Boons BEL 40 Jessika Timmermans BEL 41 Cindy Diericx BEL 42 Britta Werners GER 43 Caitlyn La Haye BEL 44 Sandra Sintobin BEL

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End of the road for the Star Zeeuwsche Eilanden

Chantal Blaak winning Stage 2, 2011
(image: Ster Zeeuwsche Eilanden)

For the second year in a row the Ster Zeeuwsche Eilanden has been cancelled, with organiser Stichting Wielercomité Koudekerke stating that this is now likely to be the permanent end of the race which has been in existence since 1998.

"We've not been able to fill the hole left by the sponsor we lost, and [Potential new] sponsors remain reluctant so we're feeling the financial crunch," Wim Polderman of the Stichting Wielercomité Koudekerke explained. "We made this decision with heavy hearts, because several teams and volunteers had already signed up for 2014. I emphasise that the Committee continues, and our podiumwagen and jurybus remain available."

The race, first held in 1998, was open to professional and club riders and has been won by some of the most famous names in the sport including Hanka Kupfernagel, Leontien van Moorsel, Mirjam Melchers, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Marianne Vos and Kirsten Wild who won a record three times.

Boels Rental Ladies Tour 2013

03-08.09.2013 Official Site
Netherlands, 6-stage Road Race, 611.3km
UCI 2.2

Inaugurated in 1998, this is a race that has been known by several names. Originally, it was the Holland Ladies Tour and remained so for the first 13 years, but a series of new sponsors has seen name changes every year since: in 2011 it was the Profile Ladies Tour, in 2012 the Brainwash Ladies Tour and now in 2013 it's the Boels Rental Ladies Tour.

Along with Lotto and Belisol (whose Belgium Tour took place late last month), Boels is a name that you'll see again and again in women's cycling: in addition to sponsoring a team (Boels-Dolmans), the DIY and plant machinery company has thrown its full weight into supporting the sport - in addition to the team and this race, it also sponsors the Boels Rental Hills Classic and the Ronde van Drenthe. Why? Well, they've obviously found that women's cycling offers sufficient returns to get approval from the bean counters, but it seems likely that some of the people at the top of the firm must be fans. So, if you happen to live near one of Boels' 300 outlets and find yourself needing to rent some DIY equipment or plant machinery, give them a call - and know that some of the money you pay them will go towards supporting and developing the sport you love.

The Ladies Tour has always been a very popular race that attracts the top riders in the world, as well as large numbers of fans. Oh - and make the most of this race. The end of the season is approaching fast.

Previous Winners
Elsbeth van Rooy-Vink, better known as a mountain biker won the first edition, then two more Dutch riders - Leontien van Moorsel and Mirjam Melchers - won in 1999 and 2000. There would be no further Dutch victories until 2009, when Marianne Vos won; she has won it every year since. However, despite having been favourite this year, she has decided to miss the race after receiving treatment for chronic back pain so that she'll have ideal form to defend her World Champion title later in the month.

1998 Elsbeth Vink
1999 Leontien van Moorsel
2000 Mirjam Melchers
2001 Petra Rossner
2002 Debby Mansveld
2003 Susanne Ljungskog
2004 Mirjam Melchers
2005 Tanja Schmidt-Hennes
2006 Susanne Ljungskog
2007 Kristin Armstrong
2008 Charlotte Becker
2009 Marianne Vos
2010 Marianne Vos
2011 Marianne Vos
2012 Marianne Vos

Parcours
Stage 1 (03.09.2013; Roden-Roden, 109.9km)

View Boels Ladies Tour 2013 Stage 1 in a larger map

At first glance, Stage 1 looks as though it was designed to give the riders a nice and easy start so they could gradually get into the competitive spirit. If you've followed professional cycling for any length of time, you'll know that sort of thing never happens - look more closely at the parcours and, while there are no big climbs (hey, this is the Netherlands), there are several harsh cobbled sections that hurt everyone (and can end your race if you crash, which is all too easy to do on cobbles). Being located along narrow sections of road, these cobbled sections encourage breakaways because riders riding solo or in small groups stay clear of congestion and the majority of crashes (and have more room to avoid any that might take place in the break) whereas those trailing in the main group can topple like dominoes at any moment. So, expect a tough day of very technical racing.

The toughest section of all is the short Kampweg/Kerkpad/Brink stretch in Norg. Though less than 0.4km in length, the first 150m is extremely narrow and extremely rough. The section is ridden three times but, as there are still 22km to be raced after the final visit, it's unlikely to prove decisive; however, it's sufficiently technical, especially in the wet, that a few riders may find their race ends here.

Yes, a major, international bike race will be held on this narrow path!

Stage 2 (04.09.2013; Coevorden-Coevorden, 32.2km Team Time Trial)

View Boels Rental Ladies Tour 2013 Stage 2 in a larger map

The start of Stage 2 is going to feel distinctly familiar to some of the riders - they set off from the marketplace in Coevorden, just as they did back in March at the Novilon Euregio Cup. Then, they had 141km and an ascent of the VAMberg, a turfed-over rubbish dump with a maximum gradient of 16%, ahead of them; today, they'll only cover 32.2km and there are no hills to speak of (the bridge over the Stieltjeskanaal is the most challenging of the very small climbs along the way), but because it's a team time trial they'll be riding at full speed all the way.

The main issue along the parcours is the narrowness of some of the roads: while it'll be easier to negotiate them as individual teams rather than as a peloton, some stretches offer space sufficiently limited as to lead to difficulties when riders try to swap position at the front, and those who have spent the most time practicing their change-overs will benefit from this. Otherwise, Stage 2 ought to be a classic example of a team time trial, where the best tactic is quite simply to go as fast as possible.

Stage 3 (05.09.2013; Leerdam-Leerdam, 121.3km)

View Boels Rental Ladies Tour 2013 Stage 3 in a larger map


With its flat terrain (the greatest deviation between two points anywhere along the route is less than 10m) and lack of tight corners, Stage 3 looks easy enough at first glance. However, the nature of the competition will be decided by the wind: if it's a still day, expect a fast race with the peloton sailing through at high speed preventing breaks as slower riders drop off the back; if it's windy, expect the peloton to be broken up into numerous sub-groups with the stronger riders battling the weather and one another at the front and the rest battling for survival at varying distances back along the road.

One feature that might prove to have a major effect on the outcome is the railway crossings and swingbridges - the UCI rules state that, should a break reach such an obstruction and be held up, they will be given a time advantage equal to the advantage they had before stopping; however, if the break gets through and the peloton is held up, the time that the riders in the peloton have to wait will be added to their overall times. This can make the difference between a break succeeding or failing, and has led in the past to unexpected victories.


Stage 4 (06.09.2013; Papendrecht-Papendrecht, 116km)

View Boels Rental Ladies Tour 2013 Stage 4 in a larger map

Once again, the wind may be a deciding factor today - especially on the long, straight Tolsteeg-Wijngardsesteeg-Wijngardseweg and Abbekesdoel-Oosteinde-Noordzeijde-Dorpstraat-Westeinde sections, where powerful cross- or headwinds would permit a squad of evenly-matched riders to mount a team time trial-style assault on their rivals by working closely together and maintaining the maxium speed possible, thus gaining a big advantage over weaker teams.

It's another very flat stage: the highest point along the parcours, roughly halfway through the neutral zone, is just 4.8m above sea level; the lowest is 5.1, below sea level and comes around 9km later - there are many little dips and ramps all the way to the finish, but none of them are big enough to play a part in determining the stage winner.

Stage 5 (07.09.2013; Zaltbommel-Veen, 120.2km)

View Boels Rental Ladies Tour 2013 Stage 5 in a larger map

Marianne Vos, as already mentioned, isn't taking part in the Tour this year so that she can give her back a chance to recover fully in time for the World Championships - but there's a good chance she'll put in an appearance at some point today, because the route passes within a kilometre of her home village Meeuwen. Some of the roads featured in the second and third parts of the stage (one 52.2km loop and four 11.4km laps) will be familiar to the riders and fans from May's Omloop vanAalburg - in fact, the 11.4km circuit is identical to the finishing circuit that was completed three times in the Omloop.

As was the case in the Omloop (and the Rabobank 7-Dorpenomloop van Aalburg, which also takes place in the area), wind can be a deciding factor in this race - the terrain is pancake flat, permitting the wind to howl in from the North Sea, and there are few hedges or trees to impede it.

Being so flat and with a long, straight run to the finish, it seems highly likely that the race will finish with a bunch sprint today. How many riders are in that sprint - a few, or all of them - depends on what happens on the long sections on very narrow roads, especially during the 52.2km circuit: the combined length of the four final laps is 45.6km, offering plenty of time for riders who got stuck near the back on the narrow stretches earlier on to get to the front of the peloton, but some of those stretches are so narrow that a small,  strong break could potentially flee the pack at a point where it's impossible for chasers to get up to the front and begin pursuit. If so, the peloton will need to make sure it brings them back before it's too late.

Stage 6 (07.09.2013; Bunde-Berg Terblijt, 111.7km)

View Boels Ladies Tour 2013 Stage 6 in a larger map

Boels may be the main sponsor of this race, but team-sponsoring partner Dolmans Landscaping are involved too - and Stage 6 starts right outside their premises on Pasweg in Bunde. In this stage, the race changes character completely - the pancake-flat polders where the sprinters had it all their own way are no more now that the Tour enters Limburg, home to the highest hills in the Netherlands which, though not very high, are sometimes sufficiently steep to make things difficult for all but the pure climbers. It doesn't matter what the General Classification looks like at the start line, because it could be very, very different by the finish.

The two most daunting are the chalky hill known as Bemelerberg, usually seen from the Krekelenberg during the Amstel Gold Race, and the infamous Cauberg. Starting just as the race arrives at Bemelen, Bemelerberg climbs 39m in 1.26km; the average gradient is therefore 3%, but the maximum of 6% is enough for the pure sprinters to drop behind. Cauberg is something else entirely: its average gradient is 5.8% and its maximum 12%, sufficient to decide races - including the 2012 World Championships, which took place in this region. It's likely that it'll have some effect on the outcome of this race, too, because the riders will be going up it twice in the final 25km - once at 87.5km and then again at 107.4km. Bemelerberg is climbed early in the race at 6.9km, then again at 100.9km. There are numerous smaller climbs, some with similarly steep sections, along the way.

Start List

Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour 2013

23-26.08.2013 Official Site
Belgium, 4-stage Road Race, 332.5km
UCI 2.2

If you want to be rich, women's cycling is not the place to go seeking your fortune - most of the teams operate on notoriously tiny budgets and riders can never be certain that their sponsors won't suddenly announce they're ending their links with the sport which, in all too many cases when the team is unable to find a new sponsor, means the end. Fortunately, there are a few companies out there that are willing to ignore the bean-counters and put in large amounts of money for returns that, as women's cycling doesn't receive anything like the exposure that men's cycling does, often seem not to make sound financial sense. Rabobank proved itself to be a company that genuinely cares when it elected to continue sponsoring a women's team after pulling out of men's cycling entirely; Boels, a plant machinery firm, is another example, one that sponsors a team and three races (the Boels Ronde van Drenthe, which took place in March, the Boels Hills Classic in May and Boels Ladies' Tour, previously known as the Holland Ladies' Tour and one of the most prestigious events on the Elite Women's calendar, which will take place early in September). There is also Lotto, the Belgian national lottery, and Belisol, a Belgian manufacturer of solar panels, doors and windows - together, they sponsor the Lotto-Belisol men's and women's teams and this race, the Tour of Belgium.

Unlike the Tour de France, which has stages that start in one town and end in another, the Belgium Tour is more like a rock band's tour - it visits a different town each day and the riders then compete on a circuit that starts and ends at the town. This has numerous advantages, chiefly that costs are cut by having each stage consist of several laps rather than one long parcours and fans get to see the race pass by several times, either by remaining at the same point or by moving around to see it from different places.

Parcours
Stage 1: Warquignies-Angreu (23.08.2013, 19.7km Team Time Trial)

View Tour of Belgium Stage 1 2013 in a larger map
The only non-circuit stage of the race, Stage 1 will see the teams putting their bike handling skills to the test with a series of very sharp corners in the first two kilometres, where it'd be very easy indeed to lose a couple of riders to unfortunate crashes and end up with insufficient numbers to even be awarded a time - which would mean race over. Once through, there's a forested section (which always increases the likelihood of punctures, which can be disastrous when racing against the clock) with a climb of around 70m in 2.5km, then a long and flat straight section running south-west along the Av. du Haut-Pays where the fastest squads will be able to get their heads down and find a serious time advantage against those who haven't been practicing their TTT tactics quite so much as they ought. Another very sharp bend then leads onto the remaining part of the parcours, finishing 19.7km (which is why it's a stage rather than a prologue; a prologue in an Elite Women's race cannot be longer than 4km according to UCI rule 2.6.006).

Altimetry

The route uses many open lanes running alongside flat, wide fields; although the parcours is in Wallonia, the region is subject to typically Flandrian wind and rain - with so little shelter along much of the route, the stage could become an ordeal if the weather is bad. There is also a cobbled section on the Rue des Juifs at Onnezies; however, the cobbles are flat, regularly-placed and in good condition, they will therefore not cause the riders serious problems.

Stage 2: Angreau (24.08.2013, 110.16km)

View Tour of Begium 2013 Stage 2 in a larger map
Stage 2 both begins and ends at the Place d'Angreu, where Stage 1 also finished. From the start line, the riders head into a 12.24km circuit taking them first south to Roisin; they then travel north-east to the first GPM climb of the race - the Cote du Autreppe (5.48km from the start, points awarded at 5.48km, 29.96km, 54.44km, 78.92km, 103.4km), where points will be awarded during the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and final lap. There are also four intermediate sprints, each of which begins as the riders cross the finish line during the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th laps (24.48km, 48.96km, 73.33km, 97.92km).

A tight left-hand turn leads onto the narrow Rue d'Autreppe, at which point the parcours will be familiar to the riders as it now follows the same route via Onnezies (including the 300m Rue des Juifs cobbles), Angre, Honnelles and back to Angreau.

Riders must complete nine laps of the circuit; the Cote, though neither high nor steep, will have a considerable cumulative effect and there'll be some sore knees on the final passage.

Altimetry

Stage 3: Nijlen (25.08.2013, 115.12km)

View Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour 2013 Stage 3 in a larger map
The place names reveal that the Tour has left Wallonia behind and is now in Flanders, perhaps the most cycling-obsessed region in the world. Many of the little towns that dot the flat landscape have produced famous riders, including Nijlen where the race begins - it was the birthplace of Victor van Schil, trusted lieutenant of Eddy Merckx and winner of the 1968 Brabantse Pijl (sadly, van Schil took his own life in 2009 at the age of 69), Bjorn Leukemans (who may have won far more had he not have crashed so often) and Nick Nuyens, winner of the 2011 Ronde van Vlaanderen and husband of Evy van Damme, Belgian Road Race Champion in 2000 and 2001.

Most of the great Flemish races have taken place in warm, dry conditions in recent years, but for many people racing in this part of the world will always be associated with cold winds and driving rain. The parcours is far enough from the coast to avoid the worst, but with the topography being as flat as it is any wind blowing in from the North Sea rips across the land and still has plenty of power by the time it reaches Nijlen - crosswinds on the section heading west between Herenthout and Kruiskenberg and headwinds on the section heading north between Heikant and Nijlen may create some problems. Riders must complete nine laps of the 14.49km circuit, making the stage

There are no GPM points on offer on this, the flattest stage of the 2013 edition; the feed zone passes through an area known as Kruiskenberg, which sounds dauntingly like one of the brutally steep climbs for which Flemish racing is infamous, but which is in fact an undemanding hillock rising no higher than 20m with an average gradient of around 1.5% (maximum 3.5%). There are, however, four intermediate sprints. Each begins at the Cafe de Max located at Bevel-Dorp 160 in Bevel and points will be awarded on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th laps (10.59km, 39.57km, 68.55km, 97.53km).

Altimetry

Stage 4: Geraardsbergen (26.08.2013, 87.47km)

View Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour 2013 Stage 4 in a larger map

Rather than several identical laps like the earlier stages, Stage 4 consists of a total of four laps around three circuits; the first is 29.16km in length with one GPM climb and will be completed once, the second is 19.17km with no GPM climbs and will be completed once and the third, which is 19.57km in length and features one GPM climb, will be completed twice. There are also intermediate sprints when the parcours crosses the finish line for the first, second and third times.

The first circuit begins at marketplace in Geraardsbergen, a town that will be familiar any riders who took part in Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik back in May - it's also been a feature in many editions of the Ronde van Vlaanderen over the years. Very soon after heading out into the neutral zone they'll catch glimpses of what, to cyclists, is Geraardsbergen's most famous feature, Kapelmuur, but for the time being they can concentrate on other things. Racing gets underway 1.9km from the start on Verhaegenlaan and the parcours remains unchallenging until Parikeberg, a 0.6km climb offering GPM points, with an average gradient of 5.8 and maximum of 7%; it is 21.44km from the end of the neutral zone. The remainder of the circuit runs back into Geraardsbergen, with several tight and potentially risky corners leading into the town.  The riders will take the last (non-GPM) climb to arrive at the start line at the market place, then continue to the first T-junction where earlier they turned right; now they turn left and follow Vesten, passing the finish line and contesting the intermediate sprint for the first time.

Riders tackle the Muur van Geraardsbergen
during the 2006 Ronde van Vlaanderen voor
Vrouwen

A short while later they turn south onto Edingseweg, then west on Guilleminlaan and follow it through two sweeping curves until it joins Vesten heading south and the race then continues along the same route as earlier until reaching the T-junction at Priem. In Circuit 1, the riders turned left here to travel west; this time they turn east along Molenstraat, neatly avoiding Parikeberg. A few hundred metres ahead, they rejoin the Circuit 1 parcours and follow it back into Geraardbergen, taking the same route via the marketplace and back to the finish line where another intermediate sprint is contested.

To begin Circuit 3, the riders turn right before reaching the Oude Steenweg junction used in Circuit 2 and follow Oudebergstraat, a route that takes them directly to and over the notorious Kapelmuur - the reason that Geraardsbergen has featured in so many legendary races, Kapelmuur is, according to some, the toughest climb in East Flanders. With cobbles as large as steps and a maximum gradient of 19.8% (average is 9%), it's proved decisive many times and may well do so again today, even on the first lap of the circuit if one rider manages to get away and a crash in the peloton holds everyone else up - when that happens, many riders find it impossible to get going again on the steep slope and have to run up instead. Once over the top, the parcours takes Oudeberg and Dreipikkel for the short distance to Oude Steenweg and turns right, the remainder of the circuit following the route of Circuit 2. By the time the finish line approaches, those climbs will have taken their toll and there might not be any sprinters left in contention, in which case the race will be fought out by the climbers - unless, of course, one of them has built up a sufficient solo lead to win ahead of the pack.

Altimetry, Circuit 1 and Circuits 3/4

Starters

Specialized-Lululemon
Ellen van Dijk
Lisa Brannauer
Gillian Carleton
Trixi Worrack
Evelyn Stevens
Katie Colclough
Loren Rowney

Sengers
Kimberly Buyl
Joanne Hogan
Birgit Lavrijssen
Julia Soek
Evelyn Arys
Sofie de Vuyst
Vera Koedooder

Lotto-Belisol 
Marijn de Vries
Jolien d'Hoore
Ann Sophie Duyck
Kaat Hannes
Steffi Lodewijks
Kim Schoonbaert
Celine can Severen

CycleLive Plus-Zannata
Annelies van Doorslaer
Carla Ryan
Annelies Dom
Daisy Depoorter
Monique van der Ree
Latoya Brulee
Liz Hatch

TopSport Vlaanderen-Bioracer
Jessy Druyts
Kelly Druyts
Else Belmans
Tessa de Moyer
Gilke Croket
Nel de Crits

Tibco-To The Top
Shelley Olds
Claudia Hausler
Chantal Blaak
Melanie Spath
Jasmine Glaesser
Lauren Stevens

Boels-Dolmans
Lizzie Armitstead
Adrie Visser
Romy Kasper
Nina Kessler
Jessie Daams
Martine Bras

Orica-AIS
Emma Johansson
Loes Gunnewijk
Gracie Elvin
Jessie MacLean
Tiffany Cromwell
Melissa Hoskins

Hitec Products-UCK
Rossella Ratto
Emilie Moberg
Thea Thorsen
Elisa Longo Borghini
Siri Minge
Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen
Chloe Hosking

Futurumshop NL
Karen Elzing
Sarah Lena Hofmann
Anouska Helena Koster
Mieke Kroger
Janine van der Meer
Mascha Pijnenborg

Crano Go:Green
Madeleine Olsson
Jessica Kihlbom
Linnea Sjobom
Hanna Nilsson
Martina Thomasson
Alexandra Nessmar
Hanna Helamb

Argos-Shimano
Kirsten Wild
Fllortje Mackaij
Esra Tromp
Janneke Busser-Kanis
Willeke Knol
Kelly Markus
Amy Pieters

Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen
Chantal Hoffmann
Sarah Ingelbrecht
Mieke Leeman
Lilianne Leenknegt
Steffy van den Haute
Laure Werner
Joyce Willems 

Mixed Team (Rabobank-Liv/Giant, Autoglass Wetteren, Group Solar, FCS)
Tamina Kate Oliver
Amy McGuire
Daniela Gass
Roxane Knetemann
Thalita de Jong
Marieke Blomme
Adeline de Vestele

Napoleon Games-St Martinus-Kerksken
Joyce Accoe
Evelien Deltombe
Nele Seghers
Helga Sibick
Janicke Gunvaldsen
Vittoria Bussi

Endura Lady Force
Ines Klok
Margriet Kloppenburg
Michelle Geoghegan
Natasja Nieuwenhuizen
iris van der Stelt
Marjolein Claessen
Elke Bolangier

Dura Vermeer
Kirsten Coppens
Rowena van de Klundert
Charlotte Peeters
Chantal Verstraten
Brigitta Roos
Natalie van Gogh
Demi de Jong

NWVG-Bike4Air
Geertje Hoeke
Olivia Koster
Mary Rose Postma
Danielle Lissenberg-Bekkering
Anne Peer
Nathalie van Katwijk
Femke van Kessel

Parkhotel Valkenburg
Aafke Eshuis
Bianca van den Hoek
Inge Klep
Riejanne Markus
Rozanne Slik
Lisanne Soemanta
Nathaly van Wesdonk

Water, Land en Dijken
Nike Beckering
Melissa Slewe
Bernadette Jeremiasse
Marleen de Kroon
Corrinne Smith
Sigird Jochem

SWABO
Sofie van Horik
Annemarie Pasveer
Domenique van Santen
Harriet Koorn
Nina van Tol
Yvonne van Dam
Stella Blom-Visser

Les Filles Racing Team
Lydia Boylan
Nicola Juniper
Alexie Shaw
Helen Ralston
Nicole Oh
Nikki Engelbach
Kate Hewett


Mixed Team (Boretti, Matrix, Vanderkitten)
Sara Olsson
Kate Chilcott
Tracy Best
Emma Grant
Christina Siggard
Gina Hofland
Jessica Smits

RC Jan van Arckel
Moniek Tenniglo
Kristen Peetoom
Silke Kogelman
Winanda Spoor
Roos Hoogeboom
Hester Wagenaar
Britt Jansen

GSD Gestion-Kallisto

Keukens Redant

Canada NT
Anika Todd
Shoshauna Laxson
Sarah Coney
Annie Foreman-Mackie
Veronique Fortin
Veronique Labonte

Australia NT
Emily McRedmond
Madeline Marshall
Alexandria Nicholls
Samantha de Riter
Miranda Griffiths

Belgium NT

Further details to be announced; check Women Cycling Fever for regular updates.

Following the race
As is the case with the majority of Belgian races, getting to the Tour is a simple process from anywhere in North-Western Europe - including from the United Kingdom: traveling by ferry from Dover to Dunkirk with a car costs as little as £74 return (check online for deals; Hull to Zeebrugge, a better choice for much of Britain's population, is for some reason far more expensive - around £200 with a bike rather than a car) and none of the Tour towns are more than 180km from the port. Better still, travel by bike - port to race is a day's ride for a fit cyclist, two at a more comfortable pace and, with the Belgians' legendary love for bicycles and cyclists, you'll be sure of a warm welcome. None of the towns are tourist traps, so accommodation will also be affordable.

If you can't get there, the choices for following the race are typically limited to Twitter feeds. Hitec Products-UCK manager Karl Lima provides regular updates on the progress of his team and the rest; Boels-Dolmans mechanic Richie Steege and photojournalists Bart Hazen and Anton Vos (who may attend regarless of whether or not his sister Marianne Vos is there with the Rabobank-Liv/Giant team) are also good choices.

Tour of Adygeya 2013

06-09.06.2013
Russia, Road Race
UCI 2.2

The second of Russia's two UCI Elite Women's events, the Tour of Adygeya - like the Grand Prix of Maykop that takes place two days before the Tour begins - does not have a dedicated website, the link on the UCI calendar leading to the Russian Federation's page where its impossible for non-Russian speakers to track down any information (there is an English version, but it consists of a brief history of the Federation and has no search function). Last year, when the race took place for the first time, there were four stages; it appears that this will be the case again in 2013.

2012

1 Alexandra Burchenkova 9h08'19"
2 Marina Likchanova +04'41"
3 Irina Molicheva +05'14"


Start List
Subject to change, more details as they become available

RusVelo

Weekly Women's Cycling News 13-19.05.2013

Tour Languedoc Roussillon cancellation - Wiggo rides like a girl - Neben injured - YOU can help make a women's cycling documentary - Inequality in BMX - Inequality in California - Afghan Women's Team organiser wins award - Rowsell to lead Manchester ride - Ipswich Johnson HealthTech round relocated to Redditch - Abbott back in the saddle - Bano wins Pakistan Nats - more news - Photo of the Week

Tour Languedoc Roussillon cancelled... then reinstated

"What a scandal!" tweeted Martine Bras

The biggest news of the week is the cancellation of the Tour Languedoc Roussillon - announced the day before the race was due to begin, when numerous teams were either already at the start town on en route, causing much anger among riders and fans alike. The precise reason for the cancellation hasn't yet been made clear with some claims that local police had stopped the event while others suggested financial problems. The latter seems most likely to be true as the race was reinstated a day later, reduced by one stage and shortened in length, after a new sponsor was reportedly found. Nevertheless, some teams - including Rabobank, who later listed "just a few reasons" for their decision - declined to go ahead as an act of protest.

Since the Languedoc-Roussillon organisers don't have the best reputation in cycling (having cancelled last year's edition a fortnight before the start, which also created problems for the teams), this raises an even more important and, for those organisers, extremely awkward question: why didn't they tell anyone that they were experiencing difficulties at an earlier date? Women's professional cycling teams operate on budgets that are mere pocket money when compared to those enjoyed by men's teams and the cost of getting a team, bikes, team officials, team car and so on to a race in the first place accounts for a large percentage of that; cancelling a race with so little notice could bring one of the poorer teams close to bankruptcy. If they have lost money, will they be recompensed? The organisers have no money, so it'd be down to the UCI. That, for many fans, equals "no they won't."

Finally, one of the most shocking aspects of the story less than a year after the world started to take notice of women's cycling at the Olympics, is that the news has been almost entirely overlooked by the media with most of the well-known cycling news websites ignoring it entirely.

The Unofficial Unsanctioned Women's UCI Cycling Blog has much more on what the news means for women's cycling.
More from Bridie O'Donnell.
(See also: Photo of the Week, at the bottom of this page)

Wiggo rides like a girl - he wishes!

Bradley Wiggins (no medieval honorifics on this blog, comrades) has kicked up a bit of a stink by explaining his loss of time at the Giro d'Italia thus: "I descended like bit of a girl really after the crash."

"Oh, but Wiggo won a Tour!"
some fans may argue. True.
However,so did Luperini.
Three times.

Throwaway comment? Perhaps, but a very stupid one all the same - especially since Wiggins put some of his own money towards backing British-registered pro women's team Wiggle-Honda, who've been doing more than their fair share of work to try to raise awareness of women's cycling. Let's hope team boss Rochelle Gilmore has a little word.

Or perhaps what Wiggo meant to say was "If I'd descended like a girl after the crash, I'd have still had a chance of winning." After all, if he really did ride like a girl he might actually have won the Giro, just like Fabiana Luperini won the Giro Donne five times.

The price of forgiveness? An admission that he's been a bit stupid and another few thousand for Wiggle-Honda ought to do the trick, I reckon.

Neben breaks hip and ribs
Current US National Time Trial Champion Amber Neben will be unable to defend her title on the 25th of May after a bad crash at the Tour of California left her with a fractured hip and cracked ribs. The 38-year-old was caught by a strong crosswind on a steep descent, putting her out of her line as she went into a corner. Braking the caused her to skid off the road where she collided with a cliff and hit the ground hard.

"Bummer. This hurts literally and figuratively. I'll recover, though... Believe it or not, there can be positive stuff that comes out of adversity," she told reporters afterwards.

Wanna see a women's cycling documentary?
Would you like to see a documentary film about women's cycling and the issues that surround it? Of course you would - and with a little help from your wallet, Kathryn Bertine can make it happen.

"HALF THE ROAD is a documentary film that explores the world of women’s professional cycling, focusing on both the love of sport and the pressing issues of inequality that modern-day female riders face in a male dominated sport. With footage from some of the world’s best international UCI races to interviews with Olympians, World Champions, rookies, coaches, managers, officials, doctors and family members, HALF THE ROAD offers a unique insight to the drive, dedication, and passion it takes for female cyclists to thrive.  Both on and off the bike, the voices and advocates of women’s pro cycling take their audience on a journey of enlightenment, depth, strength, love, humor and best of all, change & growth."

Any donations, in any currency, are welcomed; donations of $50 or greater will get the donor's name in the film credits.

Other reports
Cycling sexism: BMX bandits steal money from women
"At the 2013 BMX Nationals held in Brisbane last week, female competitors received half the prize money of male riders in the main event..." (Herald Sun, Australia)

Stevens, van Garderen call for equal footing for women’s racing
"The one-day-a-year spotlight the women racers get at the Amgen Tour of California is wonderful. Just not wonderful enough. Not hardly." (VeloNews)


Afghan National Women's Team organiser wins prestigious award
Shannon Galpin, founder of a charity that provides aid to women in war zones and one of the main figures behind the newly-organised Afghanistan Women's Cycling Team, has been awarded the National Geographic Humanitarian of the Year Award. More from the Huffington Post.


Joanna Rowsell to lead out Great Manchester Cycle
"The Olympic gold medal track cyclist will be leading out this year's Great Manchester Cycle on Sunday June 30." (Road.CC)

Ipswich round of Johnson HealthTech GP relocated to Redditch
More from Eastern Daily Times

Mara Abbott finds her way back to road
More from ESPN-W

Raheela Bano wins Pakistan Nationals
More from The News, Lahore

More News
UK
Pendleton hails rising popularity of women's cycling (GiveMeSport)
More Pendlenews (AllMediaScotland)
CTC: 'Why we launched an elite women's race team' (BikeBiz)
Sexism is endemic in cycling. Keep calm ladies and ride on (Daily Telegraph)

Worldwide
Pedal-pushers hail new Woodstock women's bike race (Recordonline.com, NY, USA)
Good performance from Cuba in PanAmerican women’s cycling championships (Granma, Cuba)

Photo of the Week

Riders stage a sit-down protest at the Tour Languedoc Roussillon
Tweeted by Lotto-Belisol Ladies

Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik 2013

26.05.2013 Technical Guide here
Belgium, One-day Road Race, 133.1km
UCI 1.2

In 2012, Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik formed part of the Lotto Cup; in 2013, there's precious little information on the race to be found - the link provided by the UCI and elsewhere to the official site leads to the site of Telenet (presumably a sponsor, but with no obvious link to a page with race details). Googling the name only comes up with start lists offered by a few sites (the excellent Cycling Fever has the most up-to-date example). The average casual fan, those who wanted to know a few facts and figures but isn't especially bothered about the finer details of the race, will have given up at that point, perhaps assuming that Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik is just the latest in a succession of races to have fallen prey to financial pressures, vanishing forever as a result. So, that fan forgets about it all and, if he or she fancies a bit of cycling action that weekend he or she will have a look at the Boucles de l'Aulne-Châteaulin, Race Horizon Park or Città di San Vendemiano-GP Industria e Commercio, three men's races all taking place on the same day, each of them with an excellent website to keep fans up to date, and by 2014 he or she will have forgotten Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik ever existed... which, ladies and gentlemen, is why it's absolutely essential that all organisers of women's cycling races follow the example set by races such as the Energiewacht Tour and Trofeo Binda and provide up-to-date informative websites. Races, and women's cycling, need fans in order to survive; but we need information if we're going to be fans.

Anyway, being an obsessed fan rather than a casual one and therefore somewhat more determined (plus the chances of there being more than a handful of English-language pages covering this race are minute, so it's a good chance to drive up the ol' hit counter a bit), I eventually tracked down a technical guide. So, here's the preview.

The Parcours

Large scale, high detail map (6mb; © OpenStreetMap
contributors): click here or use the QR code below

This is another race in which the organisers have wisely adopted the big circuit/little circuit format that consists of one large main section followed by several laps of a small section, thus allowing fans to see the riders go past (or to move to different locations) several times, rather than having to wait at the roadside for just one glimpse. The Grote Ronde, or main section, is 58.9km; the small circuit is 10.6km long and will be completed seven times to give a total distance of 133.1km. A look at the altimetry profile reveals that this most definitely isn't a race for the sprinters with four GPM climbs and numerous smaller hills along the main section and a selection of smaller climbs that, although not as steep, will have a painful combined effect over the course of the seven laps around the small circuit. The final approach to the finish line is also uphill.

Gooik, home to around 9,000 people, is a pleasant-looking town that seems to have grown up along the various roads connecting it to other places rather around a central feature, making it look a bit like a spider's web on the map. The Grote Ronde main section begins on the flat cobbles of Dorpstraat by Cafe Feestzaal de Vrede, within sight of the impressive 12th Century Sint-Niklaaskerk church, then follows the road as it bends to the east and becomes Wijngaardstraat 100m from the start line; 730m from the bend is a roundabout where the race turns south onto the N285 Edingsesteenweg opposite a spectacularly boring shopping centre. The N285 is wide, smooth and, for the first 800m, downhill; there are two small climbs in the section's remaining 3.3km at Lerbeeke and just before Brugge but their gradient is only a little over 4% and won't slow the race down, so there's very little opportunity for an early breakaway. At Brugge, 4.9km from the start of the race, the parcours turns right onto N272 Langestraat at a junction made technical and potentially hazardous by the presence of a slightly raised brickwork cobbled section running between the two roads - it's the perfect place for spilled oil, loose gravel and an assortment of puncture-causing debris to collect.

Big circuit altimetry

Langestraat, also wide and smooth with three 20m climbs no steeper than 4.5% runs west for 6km, then the riders turn right onto the N255 Ninoofsesteenweg. The junction isn't technical and leads via a small climb (maximum 6.8%) into Vollezele before the parcours continues north, mostly downhill, to Denderwindeke and, 15.6km from the start, a left turn with another slightly raised brick section leading onto Krepelstraat which runs west for 3.6km via Nieuwenhove, uphill all the way (but not steeper than 4.6%) to a right-hand junction onto Heidestraat. The following 100m climb as steeply as 6%, then the road flattens out for the next 260m until the riders arrive at a left turn onto Bovenkassei, a corner that may prove dangerous to the poor condition of the road surface. The road passes through forest (more prime puncture territory) for 400m, then emerges for 1.5km to Zandbergen; all but the first stretch into the forest is downhill and, in places, descends steeply enough to put those climbers who dislike descending (as many of them do, due to lacking the weight needed to keep a bike steady on a downhill) at a disadvantage - this could, therefore, be the first time in the race that a break has a chance to get away from the peloton. In Zandbergen, 21.7km from the start and on more brick cobbles, the race  turns left onto Peperstraat and begins to travel south-west. Peperstraat becomes Lestpolder and then Rijtestraat en route to Grimminge, then once more changes name to become Klakvijverstraat after the village; a fork in the road at Onkerzele marks 24.7km ridden and the peloton stays left to take Onkerzelestraat. The first part of the Zandbergen to Onkerzelestraat section is flat, but over the last 950m it climbs approximately 25m at an average gradient of 3.6%, maximum 6%. After 26.2km, on the outskirts of Onkerzele, the riders turn right onto the much narrower Kampstraat, following it downhill for 480m to a left turn at a crossroads leading onto Volderstraat. 2.23km later, the section ends at a large roundabout on the edge of Geraardsbergen (Grammont), the largest town on the parcours and 28.8km from the start line.

Riders tackle the Muur van Geraardsbergen
during the 2006 Ronde van Vlaanderen voor
Vrouwen

At the roundabout, the race continues straight ahead on Weverijstraat for 410m, then turns left onto Denderstraat which becomes Abdijstraat after a couple of hundred metres. After 388m, it turns right for Vesten leading onto Oudenbergstraat and, 30km from the start, to the first of the big GPM climbs - the Muur van Geraardsbergen, also known as the Mur de Grammont or Kapelmuur for the little chapel on top. Narrow, cobbled and in places as steep as 20%, the climb is well-known to cyclists as the scene of many decisive moments in numerous races including the men's and women's Ronde van Vlaanderen; the cobbles are laid in a horizontal pattern designed to make life easier for pedestrians (and coincidentally much harder for cyclists) by acting as low steps, according to COTACOL it's the hardest climb in Flanders, but with 101km still to go to the end of the race it's unlikely to prove decisive today.

Leaving the Muur via Driepikkel, the riders soon come to a right turn onto Oude Steenweg. Going straight ahead at the crossroads 70m from the turn carries them back onto Onkerzelestraat, then 400m the road forks and they stay right to take Brusselsestraat heading south-east for 1.5km to Atembeke - the first 750m descends steeply, giving riders left behind on the Muur a chance to reduce any gap the climbers gained. They follow the road left, then 40m later right to pass through the village, arriving 32.8km from the start at a left turn onto Kapellestraat, leading onto the second GPM climb Bosberg.

Bosberg has, since 1950 when it featured in the Omloop Het Volk, appeared in many races over the years and has frequently been the final climb in the Ronde van Vlaanderen. The maximum gradient is 11%; the cobbles start as the road enters the forest and are made more demanding by occasional concrete slabs. The forest is Raspaillebos which, long before it became a nature reserve, contained a monastery; deep among the trees is a tiny chapel called Juffrouwkapel which, sadly, seems to attract more vandals than pilgrims nowadays. Once over the crest of the climb the road becomes Heirbaan and continues to a point 35.1km from the start where the riders keep right to take Dorekensstraat heading downhill to Waarbeke; at 36.9km the riders turn right onto the very narrow Bronstraat - if a small group got away on the preceding descent, they may choose this section to increase speed in an effort to get away knowing that the restricted road width will make it more difficult for the peloton to organise chasers. After 82m, they turn left onto Steenberg; 1.7km further on at substantial redbrick farm buildings the road becomes Congobergstraat and begins the third GPM climb, Congoberg. It's not such a well-known hill as the Muur and Bosberg, but coming so soon after them and with a maximum gradient when climbed from the west of over 8% it's definitely a challenge and could very easily end any break that got away on Bronstraat.

At the top of Congoberg, 39.8km from the start, the race turns right onto Reepingestraat and heads downhill for the next 1.7km on a road straight and wide enough for even the lightest climbers to let gravity do the work, making it a very fast section. It ends with a tight left-hand bend (with a ditch waiting to catch out anyone who doesn't brake in time on the far side of the road), then 270m ahead the riders turn left to join the same section of the N255 Ninoofsesteenweg they took to leave Langestraat earlier on. They continue through Vollezele and back into Denderwindeke, but this time turn right onto Linkebeek 120m before the point where earlier they turned left onto Krepelstraat. 924km after the turn they turn right again to take Vreckom for 1.5km to another right onto Opperstebosstraat - a difficult corner as the smooth tarmac on the approach is replaced by rough cobbles just around the apex. 400m ahead the cobbles continue as the race turns left onto Blijkheerstraat, then for the next 650m until they give way to asphalt for the remaining 280m to the gentle right turn onto Bergstraat which leads to a tight left onto Vollezelestraat 51km from the start. Bergstraat to Vollezelestraat is the fourth and final GPM climb, ascending around 50m with an average gradient of 7.3%, rising to 12% at the steepest point by the forest on the right.

In Gracht, 52.3km from the start, the road forks and the riders go left to take Kloosterstraat into Oetingen. At a gentle right bend it becomes Kerkstraat, then past the crossroads just ahead Lenniksestraat leading  1.6km to a junction with the N28 Ninoofsesteenweg, where the race turns left - there's a traffic island in the middle of the N28, reducing space if the peloton try to get round en masse. They remain on the N28 for 1.7km; the first 1.5 are downhill and the entire stretch is smooth and straight, so it'll be no time at all until they arrive at the right turn onto Strijlandstraat 56.7km from the start. The road bends to the right 110m later, then proceeds for 2km to a left/right pair of bends where it becomes Terlostreet; at another left bend 0.5km ahead it becomes Koekoekstraat leading for 650m to a gentle right bend onto Dorpstraat in Gooik, at which point the finish line is 150m ahead.

Small circuit altimetry

The little circuits begin at the same point at the big circuit and take the same route onto the N285 Edingsesteenweg. However, instead of continuing south to Langestraat, the parcours turns right at Leerbeek 2.9km from the start line to take the N28 Ninoofsesteenweg heading west for 3.99km (a small climb with a maximum gradient of 6.3% in the first kilometre will have a big effect over the course of seven laps) to the same junction with Strijlandstraat, then retraces the route back into Gooik.

Start List
Subject to change; Women Cycling Fever is your best bet for regularly-updated accuracy.


RABO WOMEN CYCLING TEAM
1 DE VOCHT Liesbeth
2 VOS Marianne
3 SLAPPENDEL Iris
4 DE JONG Thalita
5 KNETEMANN Roxane
6  TALEN Rebecca

BOELS-DOLMANS 
7 VISSER Adrie
8 BRAS Martine 
9 DE BAAT Kim
10 DAAMS Jessie 
11 KASPER Romy 
12 KESSLER Nina 

ORICA-AIS
13 GUNNEWIJK Loes
14 JOHANSSON Emma 
15 ELVIN Gracie
16 SPRATT Amanda
17 CROMWELL Tiffany
18 HOSKINS Melissa 

CYCLELIVE PLUS-ZANNATA
19 BRULEE Latoya 
20 RYAN Carla
23 VAN DOORSLAER Annelies 
24 HATCH Elizabeth

HITEC PRODUCTS-UCK
25 LETH Julie 
26 FAHLIN Emilia 
27 NEYLAN Rachel
28 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa
29 RATTO Rossella
30 THORSEN Thea 

WIGGLE-HONDA
31 ROWSELL Jo 
32 GILMORE Rochelle
33 KITCHEN Lauren
34 TROTT Laura
35 COLLINS Emily
36 HAGIWARA Mayuko

ARGOS-SHIMANO
37 BECKER Charlotte
38 BUSSER Janneke
39 GARNER Lucy
40 JOHREND Marlen 
41 PIETERS Amy
42 WILD Kirsten

FUTURUMSHOP.NL
43 HOFMANN Sarah Lena 
44 VAN DER KAMP Laura
45 KOSTER Anouska Helena
46 VAN DER MEER Janine
47 PIJNENBORG Mascha
48 WAGENAAR Mirthe 

LOTTO-BELISOL 
49 DE VRIES Marijn
51 DUYCK Ann-Sophie 
52 HANNES Kaat 
53 SCHOONBAERT Kim 
54 VAN SEVEREN Celine 

Parkhotel Valkenburg
55 ESHUIS Aafke
56 VAN DEN HOEK Bianca
57 KLEP Inge
58 MARKUS Riejanne
59 SLIK Rozanne 
60 SOEMANTA Lisanne

CRAMO GO:GREEN
61 OLSSON Madeleine
62 KIHLBOM Jessica 
63 SÖDERBERG Isabelle
64 NILSSON Hanna 
65 THOMASSON Martina 
66 NILSSON Johanna 

Keukens Redant
67 DEBBOUDT Lensy 
68 DEMEY Valerie 
69 ROBERT Valerie 
70 VAN GLABEKE Shana 
71 VERCAMMEN Ine 
72 VAN DER MEULEN Kaat 

TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN-BIORACER
73 DRUYTS Jessy 
74 DRUYTS Kelly 
75 GAFINOVITZ Rotem
76 DE MOYER Tessa 
77 DE CROOCK Stephanie 
78 DE CRITS Nel 

RC Jan van Arckel
79 PEETOOM Kristen
80 OLTHUIS Esther
81 SPOOR Winanda
82 TENNIGLO Moniek
83 KOGELMAN Silke
84 WILDEMAN Jet

NWVG-Bike4air Ladies Cycling
85 DONKERS Djoeke
86 VAN KESSEL Femke
87 POSTMA Mary Rose
88 LENTING Charlotte
89 VAN KATWIJK Nathalie
90 LISSENBERG Daniëlle 

SWABO 
91 VAN HORIK Sofie
92 PASVEER Annemarie
93 VAN SANTEN Domenique
94 KOORN Harriet
95 VAN TOL Nina
96 VAN DAM Yvonne

Autoglas Wetteren-Group Solar 
97 CATTRYSE Melanie 
98 BREYNE Mariska 
99 BORREMANS Sarah 
100 BERTON Fatima 
101 VAN DE VOORDE Isabel
102 DE VESTELE Adeline 

SENGERS 
103 DE VUYST Sofie 
104 BUYL Kimberly 
105 VERHESTRAETEN Karen 
106 ROGGEMAN Inge 
107 POLSPOEL Maaike 
108 BAMELIS Sanne 

PRATOMAGNO WOMEN
109 DROBYSHEVA Olga
110 GODART Béatrice
111 GODART Suzie
112 GOMEZ Sandra
113 MARCELLI Emma
114 STOLBOVA Svetlana 

Endura Lady Force
115 GEOGHEGAN Michelle
116 VAN DER STELT Iris
117 CLAESSEN Marjolein
118 VERSTICHELEN Femke 
119 KLOK Ines
120 WOERING Henriette

SERVETTO FOOTON
121 LARI Marina
122 DEFILÉ Corinna 
123 CORNOLTI Veronica
124 BORTOLOTTI Simona
125 TASCA Roberta
126 NANNI Giorgia

Dura Vermeer 
127 VAN DE KLUNDERT Rowena
128 VAN GOGH Natalie
129 PEETERS Charlotte
130 VERSTRATEN Chantal
131 ROOS Brigitta
132 DE HEER Jorinda

RUSVELO
133 BLINDYUK Yulia 
134 BOCHARNIKOVA Elena
135 MISHINA Maria 
136 CHULKOVA Anastasiya 
137 DOBRYNINA Kseniya 
138 KUPFERNAGEL Hanka 

Breast Cancer Care 
139 BRADLEY Amy
140 EWING Anne
142 ROWSON Penny
143 SHAW Gabriella
144 WEAVER Molly 

Water, Land en Dijken
145 SMITH Corrinne 
146 SLEWE Melissa
147 JOCHEMS Sigrid
148 LANDSMAN Lisette
149 BECKERING Nike
150 KUIPER Jitske 

Mix ARC Ulysses-West Frisia-Matrix Fitness
151 OLSSON Sara 
152 SMITS Jessica 
153 SIGGAARD Christina 
154 GRANT Emma 
155 VADAROS Christina 
156 HOFLAND Gina 

Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen
157 BURFORD Léonie
158 CEULEMANS Dunja 
159 HOFFMANN Chantal
160 LEENKNEGT Liliane 
161 ROELEN Evy 
162 WERNER Laure 

Napoleon Games-St. Martinus CT-Kerksken
163 COTTEELS Julie 
164 ACCOE Joyce 
165 SEGHERS Nele 
166 THOMAS Claire 
167 SIBICK Helga 
168 DELTOMBE Evelien


Weather
More information closer to race day

How to follow the race
With no official website available at the time of writing it's impossible to know what sort of coverage will be available. As ever, Karl Lima (manager of the Hitec Products-UCK team), Richie Steege (mechanic of Boels-Dolmans), Bart Hazen (photographer and journalist) and Anton Vos (journalist and brother of Marianne) will be the best choice for regular informed and informative live updates from the race.