Last year, Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime) became the sole record holder for most wins at the Tour of Flanders, taking her third victory after a brilliant race. While Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Demi Vollering (FDJ United - SUEZ), and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) were all strong contenders, the favourite remained the recent Milan-San Remo winner.
After an early breakaway livened up the start of the race, and the real battle was set to begin on the Koppenberg, a crash changed the course of events, with Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) and Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) among the main casualties.
Brilliant Vollering
Franziska Koch (FDJ United - SUEZ) put in a huge effort on the Koppenberg, splitting the group and leaving only the main contenders at the front. The French team took control with Célia Géry and Elise Chabbey working to set up a win for Vollering, while Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime) also made a costly mistake.
On the Molenberg, Koch led out Vollering, with Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Kopecky, and Ferrand-Prévot right behind, but the rest of the group managed to catch up as the favourites hesitated. Vollering took matters into her own hands, but the decisive move was still to come.
The showdown happened on the Oude Kwaremont. Vollering attacked again, dropping her rivals one by one. It was a show of strength that saw her crest the climb with a significant lead - she reached the Paterberg with about twenty seconds over the chasing duo of Pieterse and Ferrand-Prévot.
She finished the job with one last powerful attack to seal the overall victory. Demi Vollering rode solo to Oudenarde to claim her very first Tour of Flanders just four days after her win at Dwars door Vlaanderen.
In the sprint, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot edged out Puck Pieterse for second place.
