As it happened: Records broken at Tour of Flanders Women

Hello and welcome to CyclingNews's live report of the women's Tour of Flanders 2025

The stage is set for a dramatic battle in Belgium with several star riders taking to the start line in Oudenaarde. 

As expected, the startlist is packed with talent. SD Worx-Protime alone have several superstars with world champion Lotte Kopecky, European champion Lorena Wiebes and former world champion Anna van der Breggen. 

Other riders that are expected to challenge are the likes of Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Marlen Reusser (Movistar), Marianna Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) and potentially a few others as well. 

The sign on is well underway as the riders get ready for the neutral start. 

Neutral start

The riders start the neutralised section of the race. They will leave Oudenaarde and start the race proper. It's 4.2km of neutral. 

The men's race is well underway and we have a live page for that too...

>>> Tour of Flanders Men Live - Pogačar and Van der Poel resume rivalry 

But back on the women's side of the race, there's a lot to analyse...

>>> Tour of Flanders Women 2025 - Analysing the contenders 

168.8km to go

Racing begins in the women's Tour of Flanders 2025!

Crash!

Immediately after the race gets underway riders are down. 

Abandon

Cato Cassiers ((DD Group Pro Cycling Team)

She was one of the riders who went down in the crash right at the start. 

Attack

Seven riders have a small gap on the peloton. 

Riders in the break:

Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Franziska Brauße (Ceratizit)
Romy Kasper (Human Powered Health)
Alison Avoine (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)
Britt De Grave (DD Group Pro Cycling Team)
April Tacey (Coop-Repsol)
Aoife O'Brien (DAS-Hutchinson)

Crash!

Seven riders go down in the peloton. 

The break has around 30 seconds on the peloton. 

Crash!

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)

Not the start the cyclocross and mountain bike start would have wanted. 

Abandons

Martina Alzini (Cofidis)
Simone Boilard (Uno-X Mobility)

It has been a very brutal start to the race. 

Attack!

Beatrice Caudera (BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni)
Sterre Vervloet (Lotto)

They are trying to join the seven riders at the front of the race. 

150km to go

The situation on the road...

Leaders:

Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Franziska Brauße (Ceratizit)
Romy Kasper (Human Powered Health)
Alison Avoine (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)
Britt De Grave (DD Group Pro Cycling Team)
April Tacey (Coop-Repsol)
Aoife O'Brien (DAS-Hutchinson)

Chasers +1'22":

Beatrice Caudera (BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni)
Sterre Vervloet (Lotto)

Peloton +1'40"

Caudera and Vervloet have been caught by the peloton. 

The gap has gone out over two minutes to the break. 

The seven leaders continue to extend their gap over the peloton as they now have two and a half minutes. 

Still 30km to the first cobbles of the day in Doorn. 

Now three and a half minutes split the two groups on the road. 

Attack!

Laura Sander (Coop-Repsol)

The Estonian national champion is trying to bridge the almost four and a half minute gap. 

Sander is almost immediately caught. 

130km to go

The race has settled down with the breakaway holding around four and a half minutes on the peloton. 

As the race has settled down, why not take a moment to read our latest feature with Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)...

>>> A changed rider, the same determination, and no more camping chairs – Elisa Longo Borghini 10 years on from her first Tour of Flanders victory 

Just 5km to the first cobbles of the day. 

Crash!

Just as the riders are about to turn onto the first cobbles of the day some are involved in a crash. 

Caoimhe O'Brien (Cynisca) was one of the eight riders involved in the spill. 

The crash and the high pace over the Doorn cobbles has seen a split in the peloton. 

The riders now head to the first climb of the day, the rather gentle Edelareberg.

One of the riders out of the back is European champion, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime).

The split in the bunch is undone and the peloton is back together. Some riders are still off the back after the crash but should get back in. 

The breakaway have over seven and a half minutes on the peloton led by Movistar. The split has happened again with some riders a minute behind the bunch. 

There's roughly 30 riders out of the back of the peloton. 

100km to go

The race is now heading towards the second cobbled section after the climb of the Wolvenberg. 

The riders are now on the Jagerij cobbled section. 

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) was involved in the earlier crash and was down for some time. She is back riding but that will be a big knock back on her chances. 

Abandon

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)

She was back riding but has decided to step off the bike. 

There are riders all over the road now with the gap plummeting to five minutes. 

Crash!

Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez)

She looked like she was getting up. She was the only rider to go down. 

90km to go

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) leads the peloton as the time gap drops under five minutes up to the break. 

The break go onto the Molenberg now. 500 metres at 5.7% average with the max at over 10%. 

Visma-Lease a Bike, Picnic-PostNL, SD Worx-Protime and Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto lead the peloton. 

Crash!

Margot Vanpachtenbeke (Volkerwessels)

She slipped out on a corner as she tired to return to the peloton. 

SD Worx-Protime lead onto the Molenberg but Kopecky lost the wheels and is a few riders back. Movistar also looking good as Marlen Reusser herself leads up the climb. 

The pace has completely dropped out of the peloton after the stress of the Molenberg. This means the break get the gap above five minutes again. 

Crash!

Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels)

The Dutch rider went down in the middle of the peloton and almost took out Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime). This has split the peloton but there's no stress at the moment so should be simple t close down. 

Mechanical

Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)

She wants the team car to come up but there is no way that she is getting any assistance for now with too many riders in the gap. 

The riders are now on the Padestraat cobbled section, the longest of the day. The break are strung out with Aoife O'Brien (DAS-Hutchinson) on the back. 

Romy Kasper (Human Powered Health) has a mechanical issue and has gone out of the back on the break. 

Lidl-Trek take up the pacing on the front of the peloton with Ellen van Dijk leading the way. 

80km to go

Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly) is pushing hard on the front of the peloton and stretching the race out. Just over five minutes between the break and the peloton. 

Attack!

Quinty Ton (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)

She launches solo and sees no reaction from the peloton which are gently rolling along. 

Attack

Amber Pate (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)

Strangely, Coop-Repsol chase. 

A rider from Volkerwessels and Human Powered Health join Pate and that sees a reaction from Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) and that sees the bunch come back to the attackers. 

Crash

Julia van Bokhoven (DAS-Hutchinson)

She appears to be staying down in the feed zone, unfortunately. 

70km to go

The pace in the peloton is starting to go up again as thy head to the Valkenberg climb. The gap to the break dips back under five minutes again. 

The peloton currently on the Berendries as the break heads to the Valkenberg. 

Quinty Ton (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) is still just off the front of the peloton. 

A few riders come together and have to stop on the Berendries climb including Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal). 

Just four riders left in the break. They are Steigenga, Tacey, De Grave and Brauße. They have just over four minutes on the peloton. 

The break start the Valkenberg. 

Brauße and De Grave are now dropped by Steigenga and Tacey in the breakaway. 

Attack!

Jade Wiel (FDJ-Suez)
Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ)

And riders bridging are Franziska Koch (Picnic-PostNL) and Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike).

Brauße makes it back to Steigenga and Tacey at the front. 

SD Worx-Protime now lead the chasing peloton. 

Several more attacks are coming out of the peloton and are trying to form a group with Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) involved. 

FDJ-Suez have three riders in this new break with Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto trying to close it down. 

Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto manage to drag it all back together again as Kasper is also caught from the original break. 

Kopecky has been near the back for the majority of the race today. 

Teams are really struggling to control the peloton at the moment with wave after wave of attacks coming from multiple riders. Finally, Movistar move up for Marlen Reusser as they head to the Eikenberg. 

Visma-Lease a Bike have the most control over the bunch at the moment but various other teams are keen to keep their leaders well placed. 

The break goes onto the Eikenberg. Steigenga pushes clear in the break and goes solo with just over 50km to go. She has just over two minutes on the peloton. 

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) comes to the front of the peloton on the Eikenberg, stringing things right out. This sees De Grave, Avoine and O'Brien all caught. 

50km to go

The gap dips under two minutes as FDJ-Suez lead the peloton. The next cobbled section is the brutal climb of the Koppenberg. 

Julie De Wilde (Fenix-Deceuninck) leading the way in the peloton for Puck Pieterse as they head to the Koppenberg. 

Despite having a teammate up the road, it is AG Insurance-Soudal who are leading the peloton for Kim Le Court. Fenix-Deceuninck, Lidl-Trek, Liv-AlUla-Jayco and Visma-Lease a Bike all coming up to challenge for the front. 

Brauße caught by the peloton. 

Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) and Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime) leading the bunch now. 

Steigenga is on the Koppenberg. 

April Tacey is about to be caught on the early slopes of this brutal climb. 

Lotte Kopecky comes to the front for the first time in a long time and is looking smooth as she follows the wheel of Puck Pieterse. 

Nicole Steigenga makes it over the top of the Koppenberg before she is caught by the peloton. She should stay out front for a bit longer thanks to that effort. 

Lorena Wiebes has made it into the group of favourites over the top but Marianne Vos has missed the split. As has Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ). 

Attack

Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek)
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)

They are quickly brought back. 

Crash

Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly)

She hit the deck after Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) clipped a wheel. She is back riding but is out of the favourites group. 

There's a group of about 20 riders, including Noemi Rüegg, who have come back to the leading bunch. 

After that regroup, a few attacks come from multiple riders including Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime). 

The next cobbled sections are the Mariaborestraat and Steenbeekdries which are basically the same section just before the Taaienberg. 

British teenagers Cat Ferguson (Movistar) and Imogen Wolff (Visma-Lease a Bike) are in the group of favourites. 

40km to go

Nicole Steigenga has just 12" on the peloton on the Mariaborestraat. 

Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance-Soudal) caught by the peloton. 

Justine Ghekiere and Nicole Steigenga of AG Insurance-Soudal are just struggling to hold on over this cobbled section as Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) leads the bunch. 

Crash!

Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez)
Amber Kraak (FDJ-Suez)
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Right at the front of the peloton on the Steenbeekdries. 

The peloton are on the Taaienberg led by Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime). 

Attack!

Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek)
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Liane Lippert (Movistar)
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)

This move is very quickly closed down and the pace lulls which will allow Pauline Ferrand-Prevot back in. 

Attack!

Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek)
Imogen Wolff (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly)
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)

All brought back again. 

Attack!

Lauretta Hanson (Lidl-Trek)
Mischa Bredewolf (SD Worx-Protime)

This move has been allowed a gap as Movistar starts setting the pace. 

Attack

Cat Ferguson (Movistar) 

She is trying to bridge the gap but the peloton are already worried about the 18 year old and she is dragged back again. 

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) is back in the bunch. 

30km to go

Hanson and Bredewold have 18" gap on the peloton as the race is about to go onto the double header of the Oude Kruisberg and the Hotond climbs. 

Onto the Oude Kruisberg cobbles they go. Chabbey and Kraak have just made it back to the peloton again. 

Attack!

Liane Lippert (Movistar)

The German rider kicks hard on the Oude Kruisberg with Lotte Kopecky and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot not able to immediately follow but are slowly coming back again. 

Lippert joins Bredewold and Hanson over the top of the Oude Kruisberg and onto the Hotond. 

Dropped

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Cat Ferguson (Movistar)
Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto)

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) drags the attackers back on her own and, potentially, wastes a lot of energy yet again. 

Attack!

Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAm-Zondacrypto)
Letizia Paternoster (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)

The latter then comes to the front to work for Kopecky after the moves weren't allowed a gap as they crest the Hotond. 

Bredewold now comes to the front to string things out and keep the pace high now that SD Worx-Protime know Wiebes isn't coming back. 

Attack!

Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek)
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto)

The attack is dragged back once again. 

Around 15 riders in this lead group. 

Attack!

Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek)

Once again, SD Worx-Protime are all over it and the British time trial champion is brought back. 

20km to go

There are 17 riders left in the leading group. 

Leaders:

Lotte Kopecky (SDW)
Anna van der Breggen (SDW)
Mischa Bredewold (SDW)
Kim Le Court (AGS)
Kasia Niewiadoma (CSZ)
Chloe Dygert (CSZ)
Elise Chabbey (FST)
Puck Pieterse (FED)
Lauretta Hanson (LTK)
Anna Henderson (LTK)
Ellen van Dijk (LTK)
Letizia Paternoster (LIV)
Marlen Reusser (MOV)
Liane Lippert (MOV)
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (TVL)
Letizia Borghesi (EFO)
Noemi Rüegg (EFO)

Onto the Oude Kwaremont they go and Reusser comes to the front for Lippert. 

Onto the cobbles of this famous climb. 

Immediately, Hanson and Bredewold are getting distanced. 

Ferrand-Prevot leading the way and opening a gap a Lippert and Kopecky follow the French rider. 

Paternoster bridging her way back to the leading trio with Niewiadoma also coming back across. 

Kopecky is putting the pressure on the other riders and Paternoster has been distanced after her big effort to bridge the gap originally. 

Over the top of the Oude Kwaremont and there are four riders clear by just under 10" with Kopecky, Ferrand-Prevot, Niewiadoma and Lippert looking the strongest on the road. 

On the asphalt after the climb, there is a large group led by Pieterse but Van Dijk is looking very strong behind as she continues to push hard to try and drag the leaders back. 

Van Dijk was right at the back of the group on the Oude Kwaremont but looked strong coming through the group but had too much to do to get to the front. 

Onto the final climb of the day, the Paterberg. The four leaders have a gap of over 20 seconds now. 

Niewiadoma pushes hard on the front of the lead group as she desperately tries to get a gap but she can't get rid of any of her rivals. 

All four riders make it over the top together as Borghesi is flying up the Paterberg behind along with Chabbey, Pieterse, Le Court and Van der Breggen. A couple of other riders may also make it back to that chase group. 

10km to go

The four leaders have 25" on the chasers. They are working well in the chase but the gap isn't changing. 

The riders turn right into a block headwind. The gap has dropped to 19". This race isn't over just yet. 

Anna van der Breggen is deliberately blocking the chase in the second group. Just to help her teammate, Kopecky, to have a better chance up front. And it is working as the gap shoots up to 33".  

5km to go

The gap is now over 40 seconds back to the chasers. This looks to be coming down to a four-up sprint despite Niewiadoma not having a fast kick in comparison to the three with her. 

Into the final 4km. Kopecky looks so smooth but Lippert has a very fast sprint and has looked extremely strong today. 

Ferrand-Prevot is an unknown as we haven't seen her in this situation for some time and Niewiadoma will likely have to attack if she is going to win. 

Now just 3km to the finish. 

Niewiadoma on the radio running through tactics for this finish as they go under the 2km to go banner. 

Niewiadoma tightens the shoes but will need to go very soon as her sprint isn't up there with the other three riders, on paper. 

Flamme Rouge!

Into the final kilometre as Kopecky moves to the front and is then overtaken by Niewiadoma. The stalling in pace now comes. 

Attakck

Kasia Niewiadoma tries her move but is immediately followed with Kopecky now being forced to lead with 500 metres to go. 

Lotte Kopecky of SD Worx-Protime wins the Tour of Flanders for a record third time!

Ferrand-Prevot and Lippert round out the podium with Niewiadoma in fourth and Le Court then leads in the second group on the road. 

Top 10

1. Lotte Kopecky (BEL) SD Worx-Protime 4:24'34"
2. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (FRA) Visma-Lease a Bike
3. Liane Lippert (GER) Movistar all S.T.
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto +1"
5. Kim Le Court (MAU) AG Insurance-Soudal +1'13"
6. Letizia Borghesi (ITA) EF Education-Oatly
7. Elise Chabbey (SUI) FDJ-Suez
8. Ellen van Dijk (NED) Lidl-Trek
9. Puck Pieterse (NED) Fenix-Deceuninck
10. Marlen Reusser (SUI) Movistar all S.T.