Flanders Race Report: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) is the winner of the ladies’s 2025 Tour of Flanders. After a race of 170 kilometres, the World champion was the perfect of a number one group of 4 on the end line in Oudenaarde. The main group had ridden away on the final climb of the Oude Kwaremont. That is Kopecky’s third De Ronde win, making her the document holder. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) had been second and third.
Flanders’25 highlights
The ladies’s Tour of Flanders was 168.9 kilometres, with an equivalent finale to that of the boys. All of the motion would come within the final 50 kilometres, with the Koppenberg, three cobbled sections, the Taaienberg, the Oude Kruisberg/Hotond, the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg coming one after the opposite. There have been 13 flat kilometres to the end in Oudenaarde.
Flanders’25 map
Flanders’25 profile
There have been some crashes early within the race, Puck Pieterse was the largest identify concerned, however she was capable of proceed. Within the midst of this chaos, a bunch of seven escaped: Britt de Grave (DD Group), Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal), Franziska Brauße (Ceratizit), Romy Kasper (Human Powered Well being), April Tacey (Coop-Repsol), Alison Avoine (St Michel) and Aoife O’Brien (DAS Hutchinson). They constructed up a lead of seven minutes.
Within the peloton, there was a crash by one of many race favourites, Elisa Longo Borghini. She tried to get going once more, however had to surrender shortly afterwards. She was an vital rider for the UAE Group ADQ crew. At first of the ultimate, Nicole Steigenga seemed to be the perfect of the early break. She survived the Koppenberg solo, however was caught simply earlier than the Taaienberg.
Within the peloton, Marianne Vos had some dangerous luck, she was distanced after the Koppenberg, however she returned when the tempo eased off. A big peloton began the final 40 kilometres. Mischa Bredewold and Lauretta Hanson attacked and took virtually 30 seconds, however that disappeared on the Oude Kruisberg. Liane Lippert rode after the duo, however an elite group together with Lotte Kopecky, Puck Pieterse and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was not far behind.
Kopecky was at all times close to the entrance
Lorena Wiebes and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, and others, had been dropped from the big group of favourites. That wasn’t the tip of it due to the attacking of Lidl-Trek and Canyon-SRAM. SD Worx-Protime nonetheless had Bredewold and Anna van der Breggen for Kopecky, so the race stayed collectively for a very long time. All of it got here right down to the final time on the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg.
It was Ferrand-Prévot who shook issues up. She was adopted by Lippert and Kopecky, after which splits began to seem. Solely Kasia Niewiadoma was capable of make the soar, so there have been 4 leaders on the prime. Behind them it was too quick for Van der Breggen and a battered Pieterse, however they had been nonetheless ready to stick with a bunch with Bredewold, Ellen van Dijk, Anna Henderson, Marlen Reusser, Letizia Borghesi, Elise Chabbey and Kimberly Le Court docket.
Kopecky and Ferrand-Prevot
On the Paterberg for the final time, the race was very aggressive, however nobody may make a spot. Kopecky, Ferrand-Prévot, Lippert and Niewiadoma had been collectively on the street to Oudenaarde. Behind; the co-operation was not nice, which gave the foursome on the entrance a lead of greater than 20 seconds. All eyes had been on Kopecky. Niewiadoma, Lippert and Ferrand-Prévot labored with the World champion. The lead elevated to over 40 seconds, which meant that the winner could be from this group. Within the final kilometre, Kopecky was compelled to take the lead, after which she merely responded to an assault from Niewiadoma.
It got here right down to a 200-metre dash, which was gained by Kopecky with a transparent lead, forward of Ferrand-Prévot and Lippert. She is the fourth World champion to win the Tour of Flanders for ladies, after Judith Arndt (2005), Marianne Vos (2013) and Lizzie Deignan (2016). Niewiadoma was fourth and Kimberley Le Court docket de Billot (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) introduced within the bunch in fifth place at 1:13.
Lotte Kopecky wint her third Tour of Flanders
Race winner, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime): “That was fairly troublesome with the headwind. I knew that Niewiadoma was the slowest, so when she tried, I didn’t need to hesitate. This feels actually good. It was a loopy race, with a variety of crashes within the opening section. That was very nervous. At first I didn’t have the perfect feeling, however I stayed calm and my legs felt higher and higher. Then I knew that I had an excellent probability. As soon as we had been 4 in entrance, I had a variety of confidence in profitable. I felt myself getting higher and higher after two hours, definitely higher than on Wednesday. I used to be filled with confidence. Mischa Bredewold additionally rode away in that preliminary last, that was an excellent transfer for us. I believe that we rode an incredible race as a crew. Mentally, the Kruisberg was an important second, there I felt that the group was getting thinner and thinner. After we had been 4 after the Kwaremont, then I knew that I solely needed to survive the Paterberg. Then we may attain the end with 4. Then I knew that it could possibly be carried out to win once more. I attempted to remain tight in opposition to the fences, catch the others and begin earlier than they launched the dash. It doesn’t imply that a lot to me (profitable 3 times). I’m particularly pleased that I used to be capable of win on this white jersey and within the white pants. Which means extra to me than the third time. That was thought of… What does it imply? Uhm… That I’ve very robust biceps.”
The Ronde 2025 podium – Ferrand-Prevot, Kopecky and Lippert
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Tour of Flanders – Ladies Outcome:
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime in 4:24:34
2. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike
3. Liane Lippert (Ger) Movistar
4. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon//SRAM Racing zondacrypto at 0:01
5. Kimberley Le Court docket de Billot (Maur) AG Insurance coverage-Soudal at 1:13
6. Letizia Borghesi (Ita) EF Schooling-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.
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