Boels Ladies Tour: Van Vleuten wins prologue for third year in a row
World time trial champion first leader, says she will not go for GC
Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) won the prologue of the 2019 Boels Ladies Tour, taking the first leader's jersey of the six-day stage race. On a technical 3.8-kilometre prologue in the Tom Dumoulin Bike Park in Sittard, the world time trial champion set a time of 5:04 minutes, beating German time trial champion Lisa Klein (Canyon-SRAM) by six seconds and Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb) by seven seconds.
"There's always a bit of uncertainty how you come back from altitude," said Van Vleuten after winning her first race after an altitude training camp. "Especially on this course with many corners, you need to accelerate a lot, and that's not something I trained much in the last four weeks. If you make one mistake on this course, for example, start the steep hill in the wrong gear, you lose. But I could see that my numbers at altitude were really good and had confidence coming here."
Van Vleuten has now won the Boels Ladies Tour prologue three years in a row. In 2017 and 2018, she went on to keep the leader's jersey throughout the race and win the race overall, but Van Vleuten said this will not be the case this year.
"I am not here for the GC at all. When I saw the course, I was a bit disappointed that there is no time trial and no hard, hilly stage. When you come here to prepare for the World Championships, I think they should have at least one or two hard stages. This year it's more a course for the sprinters. That will mean that I'm not going to defend this jersey with my team. We will go for stage wins and have some fun without pressure this year."
How it unfolded
Held in the purpose-built and landscaped Tom Dumoulin Bike Park, the twisty prologue included 16 turns as well as a 350-metre, slightly uphill cobblestone section with a sharp 180-degree turn at the end and a short, punchy climb.
Christine Majerus (Boels Dolmans) set the first benchmark with 5:15 minutes. This time stood for half an hour until Klein took another five seconds off the clock, slotting into the lead. Both former world time trial champion Lisa Brennauer (WNT-Rotor) and Brand could not beat Klein's time, respectively being three seconds and one second slower.
European time trial champion Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) was among the favourites to win the prologue, but she suffered a mechanical in the sharp turn after the cobblestone section, causing her to tumble down the hill. Though she got back up and finished, Van Dijk lost a lot of time and finished 1:48 minutes slower than the eventual winner.
Due to the crash, Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) passed Van Dijk on her way to a time of 5:13 minutes. Van Dijk's teammate Letizia Paternoster beat Van der Breggen's time by less than a second, squeezing in before Brennauer and the road world champion with the third-best time at that moment.
Wearing the number 1 and starting last, Van Vleuten had memorised the course well. The world time trial champion sped through the turns and up the short hill, and her time of 5:04 minutes gave her the stage win and the first leader's jersey.
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Mitchelton Scott | 0:05:04 |
2 | Lisa Klein (Ger) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:06 |
3 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:00:07 |
4 | Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:09 |
5 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
6 | Anna Van der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
7 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb | 0:00:10 |
8 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:11 |
9 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
10 | Leah Thomas (USA) Bigla | |
11 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:12 |
12 | Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | 0:00:13 |
13 | Franziska Koch (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
14 | Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:15 |
15 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
16 | Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:00:16 |
17 | Jip Van den Bos (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
18 | Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | |
19 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:18 |
20 | Riejanne Markus (Ned) Ccc-Liv | |
21 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | |
22 | Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women | |
23 | Kirsten Wild (Ned) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | 0:00:19 |
24 | Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
25 | Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek-Segafredo | |
26 | Lonneke Uneken (Ned) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | |
27 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling | |
28 | Sarah Roy (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:00:20 |
29 | Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:21 |
30 | Pernille Mathiesen (Den) Team Sunweb | 0:00:22 |
31 | Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
32 | Elizabeth Banks (GBr) Bigla | 0:00:23 |
33 | Anouska Koster (Ned) Team Virtu Cycling | |
34 | Emma Cecilie Norsgaard Jørgensen (Den) Bigla | |
35 | Julie Leth (Den) Bigla | 0:00:24 |
36 | Charlotte Becker (Ger) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
37 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | |
38 | Louise Hansen (Den) Team Virtu Cycling | |
39 | Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
40 | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:00:25 |
41 | Julia Soek (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
42 | Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Ccc-Liv | |
43 | Agnieszka Skalniak (Pol) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:26 |
44 | Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Mitchelton Scott | |
45 | Janneke Ensing (Ned) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
46 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling | 0:00:27 |
47 | Claudia Koster (Ned) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
48 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
49 | Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
50 | Anna Henderson (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
51 | Franziska Brauße (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
52 | Rotem Gafinovitz (Isr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:28 |
53 | Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women | |
54 | Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton Scott | |
55 | Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
56 | Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Bigla | |
57 | Alison Jackson (Can) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
58 | Shara Gillow (Aus) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
59 | Marta Lach (Pol) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:29 |
60 | Natalie Van Gogh (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | |
61 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
62 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
63 | Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:30 |
64 | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling | |
65 | Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:31 |
66 | Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
67 | Roxane Fournier (Fra) Movistar Team Women | 0:00:32 |
68 | Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Movistar Team Women | |
69 | Quinty Ton (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | |
70 | Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women | |
71 | Ashleigh Moolman-pasio (RSA) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:33 |
72 | Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
73 | Coralie Demay (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:00:34 |
74 | Merel Hofman (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | |
75 | Rebecca Durrell (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 0:00:35 |
76 | Abigail Van Twisk (GBr) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:36 |
77 | Valerie Demey (Bel) Ccc-Liv | |
78 | Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 0:00:37 |
79 | Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | |
80 | Esther Van Veen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
81 | Emily Newsom (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
82 | Martina Alzini (Ita) Bigla | |
83 | Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
84 | Mareille Meijering (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:38 |
85 | Sara Penton (Swe) Team Virtu Cycling | 0:00:39 |
86 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:00:40 |
87 | Lucy Garner (GBr) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | |
88 | Roos Hoogeboom (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:43 |
89 | Janine Van der Meer (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
90 | Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Netherlands | |
91 | Grace Garner (GBr) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | 0:00:45 |
92 | Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women | |
93 | Melanie Klement (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:47 |
94 | Floor Weerink (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:49 |
95 | Kirsten Peetoom (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:52 |
96 | Julie Solvang (Nor) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | 0:00:53 |
97 | Senna Feron (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:55 |
98 | Chanella Stougje (Ned) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | 0:01:08 |
99 | Belle De Gast (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | 0:01:18 |
100 | Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:48 |
101 | Arianna Pruisscher (Ned) Netherlands | 0:06:04 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Mitchelton Scott | 0:05:04 |
2 | Lisa Klein (Ger) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:06 |
3 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:00:07 |
4 | Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:09 |
5 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
6 | Anna Van der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
7 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb | 0:00:10 |
8 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:11 |
9 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
10 | Leah Thomas (USA) Bigla | |
11 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:12 |
12 | Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | 0:00:13 |
13 | Franziska Koch (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
14 | Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:15 |
15 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
16 | Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:00:16 |
17 | Jip Van den Bos (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
18 | Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | |
19 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:18 |
20 | Riejanne Markus (Ned) Ccc-Liv | |
21 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | |
22 | Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women | |
23 | Kirsten Wild (Ned) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | 0:00:19 |
24 | Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
25 | Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek-Segafredo | |
26 | Lonneke Uneken (Ned) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | |
27 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling | |
28 | Sarah Roy (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:00:20 |
29 | Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:21 |
30 | Pernille Mathiesen (Den) Team Sunweb | 0:00:22 |
31 | Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
32 | Elizabeth Banks (GBr) Bigla | 0:00:23 |
33 | Anouska Koster (Ned) Team Virtu Cycling | |
34 | Emma Cecilie Norsgaard Jørgensen (Den) Bigla | |
35 | Julie Leth (Den) Bigla | 0:00:24 |
36 | Charlotte Becker (Ger) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
37 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | |
38 | Louise Hansen (Den) Team Virtu Cycling | |
39 | Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
40 | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:00:25 |
41 | Julia Soek (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
42 | Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Ccc-Liv | |
43 | Agnieszka Skalniak (Pol) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:26 |
44 | Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Mitchelton Scott | |
45 | Janneke Ensing (Ned) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
46 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling | 0:00:27 |
47 | Claudia Koster (Ned) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
48 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
49 | Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
50 | Anna Henderson (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
51 | Franziska Brauße (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
52 | Rotem Gafinovitz (Isr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 0:00:28 |
53 | Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women | |
54 | Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton Scott | |
55 | Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
56 | Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Bigla | |
57 | Alison Jackson (Can) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
58 | Shara Gillow (Aus) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
59 | Marta Lach (Pol) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:29 |
60 | Natalie Van Gogh (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | |
61 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
62 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
63 | Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:30 |
64 | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling | |
65 | Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:31 |
66 | Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
67 | Roxane Fournier (Fra) Movistar Team Women | 0:00:32 |
68 | Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Movistar Team Women | |
69 | Quinty Ton (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | |
70 | Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women | |
71 | Ashleigh Moolman-pasio (RSA) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:33 |
72 | Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
73 | Coralie Demay (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:00:34 |
74 | Merel Hofman (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | |
75 | Rebecca Durrell (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 0:00:35 |
76 | Abigail Van Twisk (GBr) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:36 |
77 | Valerie Demey (Bel) Ccc-Liv | |
78 | Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 0:00:37 |
79 | Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | |
80 | Esther Van Veen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
81 | Emily Newsom (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
82 | Martina Alzini (Ita) Bigla | |
83 | Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
84 | Mareille Meijering (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:38 |
85 | Sara Penton (Swe) Team Virtu Cycling | 0:00:39 |
86 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:00:40 |
87 | Lucy Garner (GBr) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | |
88 | Roos Hoogeboom (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:43 |
89 | Janine Van der Meer (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
90 | Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Netherlands | |
91 | Grace Garner (GBr) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | 0:00:45 |
92 | Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women | |
93 | Melanie Klement (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:47 |
94 | Floor Weerink (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:49 |
95 | Kirsten Peetoom (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:52 |
96 | Julie Solvang (Nor) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | 0:00:53 |
97 | Senna Feron (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:55 |
98 | Chanella Stougje (Ned) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | 0:01:08 |
99 | Belle De Gast (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | 0:01:18 |
100 | Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:48 |
101 | Arianna Pruisscher (Ned) Netherlands | 0:06:04 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Mitchelton Scott | 25 |
2 | Lisa Klein (Ger) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 20 |
3 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Team Sunweb | 16 |
4 | Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | 14 |
5 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | 12 |
6 | Anna Van der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 10 |
7 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb | 9 |
8 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 8 |
9 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 7 |
10 | Leah Thomas (USA) Bigla | 6 |
11 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 5 |
12 | Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | 4 |
13 | Franziska Koch (Ger) Team Sunweb | 3 |
14 | Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon / /Sram Racing | 2 |
15 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | 0:05:13 |
2 | Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | 0:00:04 |
3 | Franziska Koch (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
4 | Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | 0:00:10 |
5 | Lonneke Uneken (Ned) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | |
6 | Pernille Mathiesen (Den) Team Sunweb | 0:00:13 |
7 | Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | |
8 | Emma Cecilie Norsgaard Jørgensen (Den) Bigla | 0:00:14 |
9 | Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | 0:00:15 |
10 | Agnieszka Skalniak (Pol) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:17 |
11 | Anna Henderson (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 0:00:18 |
12 | Franziska Brauße (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
13 | Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | 0:00:19 |
14 | Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Bigla | |
15 | Marta Lach (Pol) Ccc-Liv | 0:00:20 |
16 | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling | 0:00:21 |
17 | Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:00:22 |
18 | Quinty Ton (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:23 |
19 | Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling | 0:00:24 |
20 | Merel Hofman (Ned) Biehler pro Cycling | 0:00:25 |
21 | Abigail Van Twisk (GBr) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:27 |
22 | Martina Alzini (Ita) Bigla | 0:00:28 |
23 | Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Wnt Rotor pro Cycling Team | |
24 | Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:34 |
25 | Grace Garner (GBr) Hitec Products-Birk Sport | 0:00:36 |
26 | Floor Weerink (Ned) Netherlands | 0:00:40 |
27 | Arianna Pruisscher (Ned) Netherlands | 0:05:55 |
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Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.
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