Kristen Faulkner continued the success of the newly formed team EF Education-Cannondale with a solo victory at Craywinckelhof-Omloop van het Hageland.
The US rider crossed the finish line alone while Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) finished second, and Pfeiffer Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) was third in Tielt-Winge; both riders were part of a chase group that formed in the final.
“I didn’t want to go solo. I attacked and no one came with me but I was trying to get a group going so that was initially the goal. Alison [Jackson] was huge in helping me get in position at the beginning of the race," said Faulkner, who noted how surprised she was to take her first win with EF Education-Cannondale.
“That’s what happens when you don’t expect it, you’re more relaxed. I think that since this race normally wouldn’t suit me, I came in feeling really relaxed and I was totally willing to take a risk. I took a risk and it worked.”
The Opening Weekend racing continued following the previous day's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad won by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) at Craywinckelhof-Omloop van het Hageland, which celebrated its 19th edition this year.
Omloop van het Hageland was a 129.2km from Aarschot to Tielt-Winge. The route travelled out to a larger loop that included three main climbs over the Driespad, Walebroekstraat and Tielt-Winge, located at the finish line, before tackling a shorter circuit that included the Roeselberg and Tielt-Winge.
Faulkner made her winning move after attacking with a group of favourites and then going solo with more than 50km to go, and used her powerful time trial strengths to build her lead out to nearly three minutes.
A chase group formed behind Faulkner in the closing 25km that included Bredewold, Georgi, Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek), Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale), Christine Majerus (SD Worx Protime), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) and Gladys Verhulst-Wild (FDJ-SUEZ).
Faulkner maintained her lead all the way into the final shorter circuits and in the uphill finish at Tielt-Winge to take the victory.
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