How to watch the 2024 Dwars door Vlaanderen
Dwars door Vlaanderen Women information
Dwars door Vlaanderen Women 2024 Route
Race Situation
The peloton takes seven cobblestone sections and nine climbs across 129.9km in Waregem, starting at 14:30 CET
Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Dwars door Vlaanderen!
This is the 7th UCI edition of Dwars Door Vlaanderen for women. The race has been won in various ways by a range of different riders including sprinters like Chiara Consonni and Lotta Henttala and time trial specialist Ellen van Dijk as well as Annemiek van Vleuten and current defending champion, Demi Vollering.
After her third place at Strade Blanche earlier this month Vollering has been training at altitude with her teammate, Blanka Vas. In a press release from the team Vollering is quoted as saying: “I like to fit in altitude training during this period. I already did that in my first year with Team SD Worx-Protime, so this is the fourth time I have used this method. In this training stage you can work on your endurance for another period and I notice that I was able to take another extra step. I'm heading towards the big classics with a good feeling. By not racing for a while, I am now even hungrier at the start. I am looking forward to the first big classics.”
Vollering also added that she hoped for a hard race “that plays into the hands of our team. The strength of the team was also the reason I was able to make the difference on Nokereberg last year. Normally it is too short for that, but if it becomes a battle of attrition, one demarrage there can make the difference. I also hope to start the most important part of my classic spring right away well now as well."
The Dutch national champion forms part of a stacked SD Worx - Protime team for the race including world champion Lotte Kopecky and European champion Mischa Bredewold as well as Niamh Fisher Black and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak.
SD Worx - Protime aren’t the only team bringing a strong squad to the race, however. Lidl-Trek have proven themselves to be a serious match for the Dutch team so far this season and line up at Dwars door Vlaanderen with Elisa Longo Borghini, Lucinda Brand, Lizzie Deignan, Shirin van Anrooij and two-time DVV winner Ellen van Dijk as well as Brodie Chapman.
Vollering isn’t the only rider who took time away from racing after Strade Bianche. Marianne Vos, who has had a strong start to the season after a tumultuous 2023, makes her return to racing at Dwars door Vlaanderen alongside cyclocross world champion Fem van Empel making her 2024 road season debut.
15 minutes to go until the riders will roll out of Waregem for the neutral start!
The Human Powered Health team have been out to watch the men's race which started this morning. You can follow live text updates from that race here.
Some support out for the other race today 🇫🇷 #DDV24 pic.twitter.com/0pgUW6yBRoMarch 27, 2024
While we wait for the start let's see who else is here today as the peloton prepare for this weekends Tour of Flanders.
Fem Van Empel’s cyclocross rival, Puck Pieterse will also line up in Waregem for her team, Fenix - Deceuninck. The 21-year-old has had an impressive road season thus far with two podium finishes at Ronde van Drenthe and Trofeo Alfredo Binda as well as 7th in the sprint at Gent-Wevelgem last weekend.
Elsewhere, UAE Team ADQ bring former winner Chiara Consonni whose teammates Silvia Persico, Karlijn Swinkels and Eugenia Bujak were active and aggressive at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, can the Italian take a second win?
Movistar’s Emma Norsgaard and Floortje Mackaij were also determined to break the race up on Sunday and tried several attacks before being brought back by Trek and SD Worx. They will be hoping that something sticks today.
In terms of the route, the peloton have seven cobblestone sections and nine climbs to contend with across 129.9km today. The first climb comes after the peloton have raced just under 30 km with the Varentstraat cobbled sector coming shortly after.
The crowds are out in Waregem!
Nice to see a packed crowd at the Hippodroom Waregem for the start of #DDVwomen #DDV24 🫶 pic.twitter.com/LizaAtHt2dMarch 27, 2024
The riders have rolled out for the unofficial start
129.9 km to go
The riders have 4km of neutral before the flag drops
Official start has been given!
130 km to go
The first attack of the day came from Lea Lin Teutenberg of Ceratizit - WNT and Monica Greenwood of Coop-Repsol but was quickly shut down.
Attack from Camilla Rånes Bye of Coop-Repsol
115 km to go
Bye really said..."bye" she has a small gap of five seconds
111 km to go
Shirin van Anrooij of Lidl-Trek suffers a flat tyre
Peloton is all together.
105 km to go
The peloton are about to reach the first climb of the day, the Hellestraat.
All together over the Hellestraat as they head towards the cobbles of Varentstraat
100 km to go
Some riders are starting to struggle with the pace
There has been a split in the peloton with the leading group at 20 seconds
95 km to go
There has been a further split and the race is now in three groups
91 km to go
The next climb, Volkegemberg, is approaching!
Groups one and two have joined together while what is now the second group are 30 seconds back
80 km to go
It looks like Lidl - Trek were instrumental in forcing the split in the peloton
The gaps between the two groups is now 35 seconds
Crash for Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health)
55 seconds between group one and two now with Lidl-Trek and FDJ SUEZ controlling the race
73 km to go
The peloton are now climbing the Berg Ten Houte
Unfortunately, Ruth Edwards as abandoned following her earlier crash.
All still together in this front group and the pace is looking pretty calm.
70 km to go
The peloton riding over the Holloweg sector
The peloton are approaching the Kanarieberg as Lizzie Deignan of Lidl-Trek takes to the front
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) attacks!
Lotte Kopecky chases Pieterse down
The attack from Pieterse has drawn out a small group containing Kopecky, Niamh Fisher-Black and Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx - Protime, Elisa Longo Borghini and Lizzie Deignan of Lidl-Trek, Marianne Vos of Visma - Lease a bike, Audrey Cordon - Ragot of Human Powered Health, Arlenis Sierra of Movistar and Thalita de Jong of Lotto Dstny Ladies.
The leading group have a 17 second gap
62 km to go
The race has been neutralised
The reason for the neutralisation is unclear at the moment however we are hearing reports that the Nokereberg and Hotondberg have been removed from the race
We are hearing that the reason the race has been neutralised is due to an 'Incident ahead of the race'. Riders are still stopped.
Accident between men's cars team + organisation has caused the neutralisation#DDV24 #DDVwomen pic.twitter.com/WtyumyHzzqMarch 27, 2024
Lots of chatting and pointing from various race officials but no update as to how long the race might be stopped for
Some very cold-looking riders as they stand around waiting for the race to re-start. Some are adding layers and taking gels and bottles.
Confirmation that the neutralisation is due to an accident between an organisation vehicle and a men's team car meaning the race will need to be re-routed.
The race is still at a standstill.
It looks like things might be about to get moving again
Riders are shedding layers and the flag is out of the commisaire's car
We are hearing that the race will re-start in the next five minutes
We are rolling!
The flag has been dropped and the race is back on!
All together.
The km to go graphic now says 45km to go thanks to the diversion
45 km to go
Fenix Deceuninck and FDJ SUEZ are driving the pace
Image from the neutralisation
The race is approaching the Mariaborrestraat
The pace is high! Lizzie Deignan of Lidl - Trek leads
The peloton are on Ladeuze.
Attack from Yara Kastelijn of Fenix - Deceuninck! Lizzie Deignan marks her
39 km to go
Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx comes to the front
Fem van Empel now attacks for Visma Lease a Bike with her rival Puck Pieterse on her wheel
Pieterse has strung out the group and there are gaps forming over the top of the climb but she can't get anyone to work with her
38 km to go
Pieterse continues to drive the pace at the front of this front group
The race is split into around three groups
Pieterse is keen to keep this move going but few others are coming through
Pieterse's teammate Yara Kastelijn comes to the front now
Lotte Kopecky comes towards the front of the group which has a 13 second gap to the chasers
Group one and two are back together
35 km to go
Deignan comes back to the front for Lidl - Trek alongside Brodie Chapman
Attack from FDJ SUEZ
The pace has slowed slightly. FDJ SUEZ are at the front of the peloton.
The much-reduced peloton are approaching the next cobbled sector of Doorn
The group is much smaller now but all of the pre-race favourites are present
Lidl Trek are controlling the front of this race, their multi-coloured jerseys are amassed at the front of the bunch.
30 km to go
Lucinda Brand puts in a huge turn to split the race up
Elisa Longo Borghini takes over
Puck Pieterse, Marianne Vos and Emma Norsgaard are also present in the small group that has formed as a result of Trek's work
There's no representation from SD Worx in this group and they are chasing hard behind
The group is: Longo Borghini, Van Anrooij, Pieterse, Norsgaard, Vos, and Letizia Paternoster
28 km to go
Lotte Kopecky is forced to try and bridge across on her own
The front group are working hard together and Kopecky has yet to make it across!
26 km to go
Kopecky has made it up to the front group
Van Anrooij is driving on
Mechanical for Demi Vollering (SD Worx - ProTime)
Very slow rear wheel change for Vollering
The Nokereberg is fast approaching!
24 km to go
The front group are working well together, can they make it all the way to the finish?
The gap between the leading group and the chasers is 15 seconds
Van Anrooij putting in a huge effort on the Nokereberg
The Herlegemstraat is coming up. The group now has a 17 second gap.
21 km to go
Paternoster comes to the front now and the gap has gone up to 23 seconds
Front wheel change for Fem van Empel
27 seconds for the leading group now
All of the riders are rolling through, some doing harder turns than others, however. Will we see an attack soon?
Movistar, who are one of the few teams to have missed this move, are chasing alongside UAE Team ADQ who also lack representation in the front group.
18 km to go
32 seconds for the leading group who are working well together
Approaching the final 15 km this front group now have a 38 second lead!
UAE Team ADQ and Movistar are working hard together behind, but will it be enough to bring this strong group back in the next 15 km?
The gap has come down slightly to 30 seconds. The pace is high in the chase group behind as Movistar continue to chase with the help of UAE Team ADQ and Team dsm
Attack from Shirin van Anrooij! Marianne Vos goes with her
12 km to go
Paternoster and Pieterse chase but Kopecky refuses to work while Longo Borghini of course sits on.
Van Anrooij and Vos have a 14 second gap ahead of Pieterse, Paternoster Kopecky and Longo Borghini
Kopecky puts in an effort to chase
On this long stretch of road the chase group have both front groups in their sights
Kopecky is doing all of the work to chase Vos and Van Anrooij down as Longo Borghini sits on her wheel to disrupt the chase
8.6 km to go
Pieterse and Kopecky are now sharing the work
The second group aren't making much of a dent on the gap to Vos and Van Anrooij which is holding at 15 seconds
Kopecky continues to chase hard but the gap is growing now to 21 seconds.
5.5 km to go
Attack from Elisa Longo Borghini in G2
Kopecky looks to Pieterse to help with the chase but the 21-year-old shakes her head
Paternoster bridges to Longo Borghini
Kopecky is working to close the gap to Longo Borghinni and Paternoster but Longo Borghini attacks again!
It looks like Van Anrooij has communicated to Longo Borghini that she is not confident that she can beat Vos and the Italian is attempting to bridge.
3 km to go
Kopecky and Pieterse are closing in on Paternoster and Longo Borghini but Longo Borghini launches again!
Both groups of chasers now have the leading pair in their sights
Kopecky and Pieterse catch Paternoster and Longo Borghini and Kopecky attacks straight over the top
Paternoster follows but Pieterse cannot as Longo Borghini gives chase with the Dutch rider on her wheel.
1.8 km to go
Will the front of this race come back together in the final kilometre?
The second group look at one another as Kopecky takes up the chase
Van Anrooij is not working with Vos
1.1 km to go
Attack from Pieterse from the chase group as they go under the flamme rouge!
Pieterse is caught
The second group look at one another, it seems the winner will be either Vos or Van Anrooij. The older rider tightens her shoes as they turn onto the finishing straight.
Vos leads out the sprint and Van Anrooij comes close but Marianne Vos takes the win!
Letizia Paternoster wins the sprint for third place!
A first ever Dwars door Vlaanderen win for Marianne Vos!
Top-10
1. Marianne Vos (Visma - Lease a Bike)
2. Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl - Trek)
3. Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla - Jayco)
4. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - ProTime)
5. Puck Pieterse (Fenix - Deceuninck)
6. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl - Trek)
7. Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ)
8. Arlenis Sierra (Movistrar)
9. Lucinda Brand (Lidl - Trek)
10. Julie De Wilde (Fenix - Deceuninck)
Marianne Vos, winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen women 2024
"A lot has happened. There were attacks from the beginning and then we had this neutral part where the race was neutralised but then after the start was given again and straight away there were some new actions and from the cobbled section we had a new front group. The final I can’t really recall because so many things happened but in the end I was happy to be in a break with Shirin van Anrooij.”
Thanks for joining our live text coverage of Dwars door Vlaanderen today, you an read the full race report here. See you on Sunday for the Ronde van Vlaanderen!
