Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) wins Omloop van het Hageland after 50km solo breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images)
EF Education-Cannondale at the start of Omloop van het Hageland(Image credit: Getty Images)
Daniek Hengeveld (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Kristen Faulkner (Team EF Education-Cannondale) at Omloop van het Hageland(Image credit: Getty Images)
Canadian Champion Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) at Omloop van het Hageland(Image credit: Getty Images)
Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx Protime) at Omloop van het Hageland(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx Protime) at Omloop van het Hageland(Image credit: Getty Images)
Kristen Faulkner wins Omloop van het Hageland after 50km solo breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images)
Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) wins Omloop van het Hageland after 50km solo breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images)
Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) wins Omloop van het Hageland after 50km solo breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images)
Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) wins Omloop van het Hageland after 50km solo breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images)
The US rider crossed the finish line alone while Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) finished second, and Pfeiffer Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) was third in Tielt-Winge; both riders were part of a chase group that formed in the final.
“I didn’t want to go solo. I attacked and no one came with me but I was trying to get a group going so that was initially the goal. Alison [Jackson] was huge in helping me get in position at the beginning of the race," said Faulkner, who noted how surprised she was to take her first win with EF Education-Cannondale.
“That’s what happens when you don’t expect it, you’re more relaxed. I think that since this race normally wouldn’t suit me, I came in feeling really relaxed and I was totally willing to take a risk. I took a risk and it worked.”
Omloop van het Hageland was a 129.2km from Aarschot to Tielt-Winge. The route travelled out to a larger loop that included three main climbs over the Driespad, Walebroekstraat and Tielt-Winge, located at the finish line, before tackling a shorter circuit that included the Roeselberg and Tielt-Winge.
Faulkner made her winning move after attacking with a group of favourites and then going solo with more than 50km to go, and used her powerful time trial strengths to build her lead out to nearly three minutes.
A chase group formed behind Faulkner in the closing 25km that included Bredewold, Georgi, Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek), Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale), Christine Majerus (SD Worx Protime), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) and Gladys Verhulst-Wild (FDJ-SUEZ).
Faulkner maintained her lead all the way into the final shorter circuits and in the uphill finish at Tielt-Winge to take the victory.
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Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
