Johansson wins women's Omloop
Swede sprints to success in Belgian semi-Classic
The women's European racing season began today with a win for Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team) in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The Swede won a sprint ahead of three break companions. Liesbet de Vocht (Nederland Bloeit) finished second and Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies) took third.
"It went perfectly today. We planned it out really well as a team," Johansson said. "We knew what we had to do. I wasn't too confident coming into the last few kilometres and tried to attack. I knew that I was fast but I didn't want to wait for it either."
The first kilometres saw little action, with the initial few climbs causing few casualties within the 164-strong field. The race kicked into life on the ascent of the Kluisberb with four riders going clear. They were Johansson, de Vocht, Verbeke and Sarah Duster. They were quickly joined by Regina Bruins from Cervelo.
"The first and second climbs were not really that hard and the peloton took it easy," said Bruins. "On the third climb, my teammate told me to go, and I tried to reach the group. On the fourth climb, I did reach the group and than we started to ride. It was really hard and I did what I could do, At that point we had a good situation, because I was with Sarah who was also part of the five-rider group."
The group built up over two minutes but Duster was dropped as the riders approached the finished and with Bruins the weakest sprinter in the group and Cervelo's race favourite Kirsten Wild suffering from a crash. The remaining escapees knew that a podium place was within their grasp.
Coming into the final 200 meters, Johansson had the finest kick and took her first win in the race.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Emma Johansson (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team | 3:26:15 |
2 | Liesbet De Vocht (Bel) Nederland Bloeit | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | 0:00:06 |
5 | Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:01:48 |
6 | Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss RDZ Ormu | 0:02:45 |
7 | Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:02:52 |
9 | Sophie Creux (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | 0:02:54 |
10 | Iris Slappendel (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Petra Dijkman (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Kelly Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:03:05 |
15 | Sjoukje Dufoer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | 0:04:19 |
16 | Loes Markerink (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Lucy Martin (GBr) Great Britain | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Janneke Kanis (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Leontien.nl | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Jessie Daams (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Maria Grandt Petersen (Den) Hitec Products Uck | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Annie Last (GBr) Great Britain | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Leontien.nl | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Lotto Ladies Team | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Andrea Bosman (Ned) Leontien.nl | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Cervelo Test Team | 0:05:19 |
30 | Julie Beveridge (Can) Vienne Futuroscope | 0:05:45 |
31 | Valentina Carretta (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | 0:06:02 |
32 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) | 0:06:54 |
33 | Laure Werner (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Emma Silversides (GBr) Redsun Cycling Team | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Jolien D'hoore (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Inge Klep (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team | 0:09:31 |
39 | Michelle Geoghegan (Irl) | 0:09:37 |
40 | Karin Aune (Swe) Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:09:46 |
41 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Leontien.nl | 0:10:28 |
42 | Hannah Mayho (GBr) Great Britain | 0:10:39 |
43 | Anne Eversdijk (Ned) | 0:11:18 |
44 | Marijn De Vries (Ned) Leontien.nl | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Gabriela Slamova (Cze) Vienne Futuroscope | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Sonja Boogaard (Ned) | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Lien Lanssens (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Baukje Doedee (Ned) | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Elena Berlato (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Gloria Presti (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Aurore Verhoeven (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Kaat Hannes (Bel) | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Anne De Wildt (Ned) Leontien.nl | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Debby Van De Berg (Ned) | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Patricia Schwager (Swi) Cervelo Test Team | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Anne Arnouts (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Sigrid Corneo (Slo) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Noortje Tabak (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | 0:12:11 |
62 | Mélanie Bravard (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Laura Trott (GBr) Great Britain | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Jenifer Letue (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Béatrice Thomas (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Elodie Hegoburu (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Hannah Welter (Ned) | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Suzanne Van Veen (Ned) | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Fröydis Waerstad (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Eefje Tabak (Ned) | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Else Belmans (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | Josien Van Den Heerik (Ned) Leontien.nl | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Roxane Fournier (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Sofie Van Horik (Ned) | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
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