Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime) claimed her 100th career victory with a perfectly timed sprint at Gent-Wevelgem, defending her 2024 title in a thrilling finish.
The Dutch sprinter launched her attack with 200 meters to go, following the lead of her teammate, world champion Lotte Kopecky. Wiebes surged past Elisa Balsamo (Lidl–Trek) in the final moments to secure the win, with Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL) finishing closely behind in third.
Wiebes’ victory further emphasized her dominant start to the 2025 season, which has been marked by near-unbeaten performances. The race, however, was far from straightforward, with crashes and challenging conditions that kept the peloton in the mix throughout.
After the race, Wiebes shared her excitement about the milestone victory. “I am very happy. You always want to win, and every time it works out, it’s fantastic,” she said. “Lotte was super important. She could do whatever she wanted on the climbs.”
Race Highlights
The race began with a fast pace, and 161 kilometers from the finish, an early breakaway formed. The lead group included Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health Cycling), Beatrice Caudera (BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni), and Britt de Grave (DD Group Pro Cycling). They were soon joined by Mia Griffin (Roland), Maaike Boogaard (VolkerWessels), Franziska Brausse (Ceratizit), and Cloe Kiekens (DD Group Pro Cycling), creating a seven-rider lead pack.
The breakaway extended their advantage to nearly five minutes over the peloton within 27 kilometers. However, windy conditions on the open roads of De Moeren caused the peloton to fragment, and about 30 riders were dropped. With fewer riders chasing, the gap was reduced to 2 minutes and 53 seconds by the time the race reached the 121-kilometer mark.
A crash took out Nienke Veenhoven (Visma–Lease a Bike), further splitting the peloton into three groups, with gaps ranging from just over two minutes to nearly three minutes behind the leaders. The peloton quickly regrouped and, with renewed motivation, brought the gap down to under two minutes by the time they crossed the 100-kilometer mark.
Key Moments
Lotte Kopecky made two aggressive attacks on the Kemmelberg climbs, first at 56 kilometers to go and again with 34 kilometers remaining. The second attack formed a five-rider front group, including Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Wiebes, Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Oatly), and Chloé Dygert (Canyon-SRAM). However, the group only gained a 15-second advantage before merging back with the peloton with 27 kilometers to go.
With no further attacks, the race remained together as they headed toward Wevelgem, despite efforts from SD Worx–Protime teammates Elena Cecchini and Marta Lach to increase the pace. As the race neared its conclusion, the peloton began preparing for a sprint finish, with Kopecky leading out Wiebes and Balsamo.
Final Sprint
With 200 meters to go, Wiebes made her move, launching her sprint and holding off Balsamo’s challenge. Kool finished closely behind, and the rest of the field followed in their wake.
Wiebes’ victory marks an impressive achievement in her career and solidifies her position as one of the top sprinters in women’s cycling.
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