Lotte Kopecky wins women's Tour of Flanders 2022
Belgian champion thrills the home crowd, beating Van Vleuten, teammate Van den Broek-Blaak
Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) has won the women's Tour of Flanders wearing the Belgian champion's jersey.
Playing their numbers well in the final, Team SD Worx had Chantal van den Broek-Blaak attack with 11 kilometres to go, forcing Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) to close the gap with Kopecky on her wheel. Van den Broek-Blaak did the lion's share of work on the run-in to the finish, and Kopecky beat Van Vleuten in the sprint.
"It's quite overwhelming," said Kopecky who was almost lost for words. "I am very thankful to my teammates, this victory is not only for me but for them. Chantal in particular was fantastic."
Going into the sprint, Kopecky was quietly confident that she could win: "I know that normally I am faster than Annemiek, but she is also fast after a hard race. You cannot be too confident. But when she couldn't drop me on the climbs, I knew that I could trust myself. Thanks to Chantal who kept riding, then I could win the sprint," the Belgian champion said.
How it unfolded
On the 159.8-kilometre course with 11 hills and six flat cobblestone sectors, a break of four got established early in the race: Clara Honsinger (EF-TIBCO-SVB), Sofie van Rooijen (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Olivia Baril (Valcar-Travel & Service), and Maria Martins (Le Col-Wahoo) established an advantage of up to four minutes before entering the hilly zone.
On the cobbles of the Kerkgate, Honsinger and Baril distanced their two companions and continued as a duo. As their advantage dwindled, Camilla Alessio (Ceratizit-WNT), Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health), and Maike van der Duin (Le Col-Wahoo) bridged to the front, and the gap to this break of five went up to two minutes again as the peloton did not race hard until the foot of the Koppenberg, a new addition to the women's race.
Here, an acceleration by Van Vleuten cut the breakaway's advantage to under a minute while Van der Duin emerged as the strongest rider in the break and finally dropped her companions on the Taaienberg with 36 km to go before sitting up as the peloton was very close behind.
Three kilometres later, an attack by Arlenis Sierra (Movistar Team) led to a front group with Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ), Christine Majerus (Team SD Worx), Anna Henderson (Team Jumbo-Visma), Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ceratizit-WNT), Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) that was soon joined by Raaijmakers, Van der Duin, Baril, and Alessio who hadn't had enough after their previous break.
Van Vleuten tried another attack on the Kruisberg/Hotond, taking Kopecky and Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) with her and Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx) joining them soon afterwards. Reusser then bridged the 20-second gap to the front group on her own.
Reusser took charge on the Oude Kwaremont, blowing up the group coming out of the climb first with only Chapman on her wheel. Niewiadoma and Sierra were next, followed by Confalonieri and Bertizzolo. Then came Van Vleuten who had attacked from the peloton with Kopecky and Van den Broek-Blaak on her wheel and picked up Henderson.
These chasing groups all united before the Paterberg where Reusser dropped Chapman but was herself caught by Van Vleuten who came past the Swiss champion just before the top as well as Kopecky. Van den Broek-Blaak, Niewiadoma, and Chapman came back up after the climb, prompting an attack from Reusser that Van Vleuten quickly closed down.
Van den Broek-Blaak immediately counterattacked, catching Van Vleuten off-guard for a moment before she took up the chase with Kopecky on her wheel. Having been caught, Van den Broek-Blaak then led Van Vleuten and Kopecky to the line where Kopecky won the sprint.
Further behind, Sierra, Brown and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) bridged to the second group, and Sierra won the sprint for fourth place.
Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx | 4:11:21 |
2 | Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women | |
3 | Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) SD Worx | 0:00:02 |
4 | Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Cub) Movistar Team Women | 0:00:40 |
5 | Marlen Reusser (Swi) SD Worx | |
6 | Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
7 | Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
8 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-Sram Racing | |
9 | Brodie Chapman (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:00:42 |
10 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) UAE Team ADQ | 0:01:10 |
11 | Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service | |
12 | Sarah Roy (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing | |
13 | Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Den) Movistar Team Women | |
14 | Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM Women | |
15 | Christine Majerus (Lux) SD Worx | |
16 | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) UAE Team ADQ | |
17 | Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx | |
18 | Alexandra Manly (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women | |
19 | Maaike Boogaard (Ned) UAE Team ADQ | |
20 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women | |
21 | Elizabeth Holden (GBr) Le Col Wahoo | |
22 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team | |
23 | Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
24 | Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Plantur-Pura | |
25 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team | 0:01:13 |
26 | Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
27 | Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women | |
28 | Anna Henderson (GBr) Jumbo-Visma Women | 0:01:15 |
29 | Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women | |
30 | Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo Women | 0:01:18 |
31 | Soraya Paladin (Ita) Canyon-Sram Racing | |
32 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women | 0:01:37 |
33 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women | 0:02:12 |
34 | Susanne Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women | 0:03:44 |
35 | Maike Van der Duin (Ned) Le Col Wahoo | |
36 | Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service | |
37 | Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM Women | |
38 | Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
39 | Julia Borgström (Swe) AG Insurance-NXTG Team | |
40 | Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra | |
41 | Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service | |
42 | Alice Towers (GBr) Le Col Wahoo | |
43 | Veronica Ewers (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | |
44 | Camilla Alessio (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team | 0:03:46 |
45 | Marit Raaijmakers (Ned) Human Powered Health Women | |
46 | Olivia Baril (Can) Valcar-Travel & Service | |
47 | Georgia Baker (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco Women | |
48 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) SD Worx | 0:03:51 |
49 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo Women | |
50 | Julie De Wilde (Bel) Plantur-Pura | 0:04:09 |
51 | Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service | |
52 | Marta Lach (Pol) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team | |
53 | Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing Xstra | |
54 | Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women | |
55 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-Sram Racing | |
56 | Marthe Goossens (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
57 | Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Liv Racing Xstra | |
58 | Mareille Meijering (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
59 | Tamara Dronova (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad | |
60 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
61 | Spela Kern (Slo) Massi Tactic Women's Team | |
62 | Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service | |
63 | Letizia Borghesi (Ita) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | |
64 | Romy Kasper (Ger) Jumbo-Visma Women | |
65 | Sara Poidevin (Can) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | |
66 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-Sram Racing | |
67 | Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
68 | Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Plantur-Pura | |
69 | Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women | |
70 | Julie Van De Velde (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
71 | Hannah Barnes (GBr) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women | |
72 | Coryn Rivera (USA) Jumbo-Visma Women | 0:08:01 |
73 | Ilse Pluimers (Ned) AG Insurance-NXTG Team | 0:09:49 |
74 | Mylene de Zoete (Ned) AG Insurance-NXTG Team | |
75 | Maria Van 'T Geloof (Ned) Le Col Wahoo | |
76 | Anne Van Rooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
77 | Julie Leth (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women | |
78 | Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
79 | Danique Braam (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport | |
80 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM Women | |
81 | Lily Williams (USA) Human Powered Health Women | |
82 | Arianna Fidanza (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco Women | |
83 | Clara Honsinger (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | |
84 | Lone Meertens (Bel) AG Insurance-NXTG Team | |
85 | Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Human Powered Health Women | |
86 | Charlotte Kool (Ned) Team DSM Women | |
87 | Eugenia Bujak (Slo) UAE Team ADQ | 0:12:34 |
88 | Hannah Buch (Ger) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad | 0:12:55 |
89 | Kylie Waterreus (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
90 | Mijntje Geurts (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
91 | Fien Delbaere (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
92 | Nathalie Eklund (Swe) Massi Tactic Women's Team | |
93 | Lotte Claes (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport | |
94 | Mieke Docx (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
95 | Corinna Lechner (Ger) Massi Tactic Women's Team | |
96 | Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team | |
97 | Amalie Lutro (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women | |
98 | Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women | |
99 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar Team Women | |
100 | Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Liv Racing Xstra | |
101 | Emma Langley (USA) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | |
102 | Rachele Barbieri (Ita) Liv Racing Xstra | |
103 | Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women | |
DNF | Alena Ivanchenko (Rus) UAE Team ADQ | |
DNF | Leah Thomas (USA) Trek-Segafredo Women | |
DNF | Gaia Masetti (Ita) AG Insurance-NXTG Team | |
DNF | Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) BikeExchange-Jayco Women | |
DNF | Gulnaz Khatuntseva (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad | |
DNF | Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
DNF | Diana Klimova (Rus) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad | |
DNF | Kim De Baat (Bel) Plantur-Pura | |
DNF | Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM Women | |
DNF | Maud Rijnbeek (Ned) AG Insurance-NXTG Team | |
DNF | Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo Women | |
DNF | Anniina Ahtosalo (Fin) Uno-X Pro Cycling Women | |
DNF | Sophie Wright (GBr) UAE Team ADQ | |
DNF | Tanja Erath (Ger) EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | |
DNF | Kristyna Burlová (Cze) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Le Col Wahoo | |
DNF | Eefje Brandt (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Maria Martins (Por) Le Col Wahoo | |
DNF | Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-Sram Racing | |
DNF | Lotte Popelier (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport | |
DNF | Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spa) Massi Tactic Women's Team | |
DNF | Naomi De Roeck (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport | |
DNF | Kaia Schmid (USA) Human Powered Health Women | |
DNF | Elisa Serné (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
DNF | Makayla Macpherson (USA) Human Powered Health Women | |
DNF | Mireia Trias Jordan (Spa) Massi Tactic Women's Team | |
DNF | Sofie van Rooijen (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
DNF | Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg | |
DNF | Martina Moreno Monteys (Spa) Massi Tactic Women's Team | |
DNF | Jessy Druyts (Bel) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
DNF | Céline van Houtum (Ned) Multum Accountants Ladies Cycling Team | |
DNF | Katrijn De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Human Powered Health Women | |
DNF | Laura Asencio (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Léa Stern (Swi) Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad | |
DNF | Minke Bakker (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport | |
DNS | Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM Women |
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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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