Demi Vollering secured a solo victory at the mid-week Dwars door Vlaanderen showing her winning form on the run-up to her season target at Tour of Flanders on Sunday.
The SD Worx rider attacked a reduced field over the top of the final ascent in Nokere and pushed her lead out to 38 seconds on the roads toward the finish line in Waregem.
Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) won the chase-group sprint for second place ahead of Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), with Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-SUEZ) in fourth.
Vollering's performance added to SD Worx's dominance during the one-day spring races. It marked the team's eighth season victory, including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Omloop van het Hageland, Strade Bianche, Ronde van Drenthe, Nokere Koerse and Gent-Wevelgem, which all bodes well for the team's lead-in to the Tour of Flanders.
How it unfolded
The mid-week Pro Series event is regarded as the dress rehearsal ahead of the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. The course offered seven cobbled sectors and eight climbs, which included the new addition Volkegemberg, followed by Berg Ten Houte, Kanariegerg, Knoktegerg-Trieu, Hotond and Ladeuze before reaching the Nokereberg and Nokere and then a flat run-in to the finish line in Waregem.
The peloton remained intact until it split over the opening ascents of the Berg Ten Houte and Kanariegerg. Still, as attacks ensued, Francesca Barale (Team DSM) and Victoire Berteau (Cofidis) were the first to open a gap on the reduced field. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ) and Eva van Agt (Jumbo-Visma) soon joined the pair to form a lead breakaway of four riders.
Van Agt was distanced from the break over the Knokteberg-Trieu, and Uttrup Ludwig, Berteau and Barale continued to build their lead out to 30 seconds with 50km to go.
Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) attacked out of the reduced peloton behind and was joined by recent Gent-Wevelgem winner Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), and after a lengthy chase, the pair successfully bridged to the breakaway.
Reusser took over the pace-setting with her powerful and steady time-trial strengths on the Ladeuze climb, and Barale was immediately distanced, reducing the break to three riders.
The recent Gent-Wevelgem winner then attacked over the 900m cobbles sector Doorn with 30km to go, and Vos was the only rider who could handle the increased pace, which distanced Uttrupt Ludwig and then Berteau.
As Reusser and Vos looked over their shoulder, however, they could see the looming chase group of 24 riders that had formed just ten seconds behind them.
Over the cobbled Huisepontweg, Vollering made her first attack with Shirin Van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo), Liane Lippert and Floortje Mackaij (Movistar) and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance) in tow. Still, the larger group reunited with 25km to go.
There was little organisation in the chase, and many failed attacks, allowing Reusser and Vos to push their lead back to 20 seconds.
Mackaij attacked out of the group, followed by teammate Lippert and Vollering, and the trio tried to bridge across to Reusser and Vos. Their efforts were shortlived, however, as Trek-Segafredo led the reduced field and closed the gap.
Trek-Segafredo did the lion's share of the chase, and in the end, their efforts shut down the gap between Reusser and Vos inside 16km.
The field of roughly 45 riders entered the race's final stages with the first string of attacks from SD Worx, LifePlus Wahoo, and Movistar.
The two original breakaway riders, Van Agt and Mackaij, gained a slight advantage; however, Vollering's efforts brought the field back together ahead of the Nokere.
Lippert increased the pace on the lower slopes of the Nokere, which split the group but also served as a launching pad for Vollering to take her the golden opportunity to attack over the top.
Fully committed to her attack, Vollering gained eight seconds as the chasers behind struggled through fatigue and couldn't react to the Dutch rider.
Under 5km to go, Vollering built her lead out to half a minute, all but sealing the win, as the race for second place heated up behind.
Lippert and Vos tried to get away, but Longo Borghini covered their moves, pulling them back together in a small group that included her teammate Van Anrooij, Consonni, Reusser, Vos, Guazzini, Lippert, Mackaij, Roseman-Gannon and Moolman Pasio.
Vollering crossed the line with the win by a margin of 38 seconds and turned around to watch the sprint for second place play out, with Consonni and Vos taking the lower places on the podium.
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