Lorena Wiebes won Nokere Koerse with great conviction. The Dutch rider from Team DSM was clearly the strongest in the sprint after an eventful race. She won by a significant margin ahead of Lotte Kopecky. Marta Bastianelli completed the podium.

The 3rd edition of Nokere Koerse for women was an incident-filled race. Just before the first local lap, favorite Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) abandoned the race. The race was also marred by a first crash, forcing Alice Barnes (Canyon SRAM) to retire.

At the start of the first local lap, Jesse Vandenbulcke (Le Col-Wahoo) lost control of her handlebars, causing a crash in the peloton. Top favorite Lorena Wiebes (DSM) had a scare as she was also held up by the crash. Vandenbulcke was taken to the hospital.

Wiebes returned to the peloton and still had a chance of winning. Later, two more DSM riders crashed, and on the Huisepontweg, it happened again. Several crashes and abandonments marred the race.

After all those crashes, two riders from Parkhotel Valkenburg broke away. They wanted to fight it out among themselves, but the peloton did not allow that to happen. With 8 kilometers to go, everything was back together.

On the Huisepontweg, no one managed to escape, so the Nokereberg promised to play the decisive role. Top favorites Lorena Wiebes, Lotte Kopecky, and Marta Bastianelli were in a good position to start the sprint, but when the race burst open on the Nokereberg, Wiebes shot away like a rocket.

Lorena Wiebes wins the 3rd edition of Nokere Koerse with great superiority. Kopecky takes 2nd place and Marta Bastianelli completes the podium.

Wiebes: “The cyclocross races in the winter have helped me”
Lorena Wiebes was herself involved in a crash earlier in the race but saw 3 teammates drop out of the race due to the consequences of various crashes.

“I am very happy with this victory. We were unlucky because 3 riders had to abandon due to crashes. In the final, we were more fortunate,” says Lorena Wiebes after the race.

Wiebes was well-positioned in the wheel of Lotte Kopecky before she started her sprint. “Lotte is one of the strongest riders with such a finish, so I knew where I had to be.”

“I have had a reasonably good winter. I have ridden on the track and in some cyclocross races. That has certainly helped me.”

It is the 3rd time that Wiebes has sprinted to a victory this season. “I

regularly train on my moped with my dad. That’s how I get some speed in my legs.”

Kopecky: “Wiebes shot away like a comet”
Lotte Kopecky was no match for Lorena Wiebes’ speed in the sprint. “Wiebes shot away like a comet. She came alongside with enormous speed and there was nothing to be done about it,” says Lotte Kopecky after the race.

Kopecky managed to escape the crashes each time. “There was nervous racing and everyone also knows that they have to be at the front at certain times. If you are at the back, the race is often lost.”

“We tried to make a selection halfway through the race, but we didn’t succeed. On the local lap with the cobblestone sections, it was on a ribbon, but the wind was not strong enough to pull it apart.”

Kopecky chose not to sprint with her hands in the drops. Winner Wiebes did.

“I don’t feel comfortable sprinting with my hands in the drops on cobblestones. I feel that this way I can put the most power on my pedals,” said Kopecky.