Belgium’s Kopecky wins Women’s Tour of Flanders again

PARIS (AFP): Belgian rider Lotte Kopecky won the Women’s Tour of Flanders on Sunday to retain her title, thanks to a long solo break on the 154km route.

The 27-year-old, who rides for SD Worx, crossed the line in Oudenaarde after 4hrs 06min 11sec, some 36 sec ahead of a six-way sprint for second place won by Dutch rider Demi Vollering.

She is the second woman to win back-to-back titles and only the fourth to win it twice.

“It’s amazing how we raced as a team,” said the 27-year-old winner. “What a wonderful season.”

Kopecky won by dropping her final follower Silvia Perisco with 13km to go, producing a relentless acceleration on the steep Kruisberg climb.

On a cold day on the Flemish plains, snoods, gloves and windbreaker jackets were the order of the day for both the riders and the estimated 750,000 fans who lined the route.

The final 45km of this 19th women’s edition of a race known locally as ‘La Ronde’, and considered an unofficial world championships, is the same route, albeit shorter by 100km, as the men’s.

The chasing group failed to form an alliance as Kopecky pedalled hard until she had a lead of 46sec going into the final kilometre.