Team Flexpoint will start the women's Ronde van Vlaanderen World Cup without the winner of two past editions, Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel. She is recovering from a serious crash at the end of the last season, and this race comes too early to fit into her program.
Instead, the Dutch team will include the following riders: Swiss Champion Annette Beutler, Dutch national time trial Champion Loes Gunnewijk, Danish winner of the Omloop het Volk Mie Lacota, Swedish champion Susanne Ljungskog, American winner of the Tour de L'Aude Amber Neben, and the winner of the first race of the year on Dutch soil - Iris Slappendel. They will ride under the direction of Jean-Paul van Poppel and Klas Johansson.
