Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Ladies – Race Preview 2022

February 22, 2022

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Opening Weekend will return as a two-race show again in 2022 with the 1.Pro Omloop Het Nieuwsblad scheduled on February 26 and Omloop van het Hageland, cancelled last year due to COVID-19, returning on February 27 in Belgium.

The bigger of the two races, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women, run by Flanders Classics, maintains its prestige as the commencement race of the Spring Classics. The women will race 128 kilometres between Ghent and Ninove.

This year marks the 17th edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women. The inaugural winner was Suzanne de Goede back in 2006, who won again in 2009. The one-day race has seen a host of champions on the top step of the podium including Mie Lacota, Kirsten Wild, Emma Johansson (twice), Loes Gunnewijk, Tiffany Cromwell, Amy Pieters, Anna van der Breggen (twice), Lizzie Deignan, Lucinda Brand, Christina Siggaard, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak and Annemiek van Vleuten.

The European season has officially already begun in Spain with the two openers the Vuelta CV Feminas, won by Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ), and Setmana Ciclista Valenciana stage race, won by Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), both events earlier in February.

Riders to watch

WAREGEM BELGIUM JUNE 20 Lotte Kopecky of Belgium Gold Medal Belgian Champion Jersey celebrates at podium during the 122th Belgian Road Championship 2021 Womens Road Race a 1224km one day race from Waregem to Waregem BELCycling belgiancycling on June 20 2021 in Waregem Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images

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Belgian road champion Lotte Kopecky (Image credit: Getty Images)

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar): There will be no defending champion on the start line as last year’s winner Anna van der Breggen has now retired from pro racing. Van Vleuten, who won the race in 2020, returns as one of the favourites, particularly after showing her early-season form by winning the overall title at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana.

Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ): The Italian all-rounder has twice placed second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, first to Chantal van den Broek-Black in 2019 and then Annemiek van Vleuten in 2020. She has already delivered this season winning Vuelta CV Feminas and will line up with renewed confidence in Ghent.

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx): The Belgian champion will be lining up with her new team SD Worx, and while she has always been a top contender at Omloop, this year she has a full team to back up her dream of winning it. Kopecky is versatile, capable of winning from a breakaway or a bunch sprint. She will be joined by former winner and new teammate Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, for a powerful one-two punch.

Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo): 2016 champion Lizzie Deignan will not be on the start line this year, but the team still have a powerful contender in World Champion Elisa Balsamo, who recently won the opening stage at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, proving that there is no curse of the rainbow jersey, at least not for her. She will have the backing of time trial World Champion Ellen Van Dijk, who also won a stage at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, and Chloe Hosking, for another superb sprint or lead-out option.

Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope): Already off to a winning start, Brown secured the time trial title at the Australian National Championships. She then joined her new team at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana where she was fifth overall. Back on her preferred terrain in the Spring Classics, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the perfect place to show off her aggressive racing style in pursuit of an early-season victory.

Alison Jackson (Liv Racing Xstra) – The Canadian champion has a powerful sprint and she’s a punchy climber, which makes her well-suited to a wide range of races including the Spring Classics. She has previously shared some leadership roles but this year she might be given the chance to take on more responsibilities, so watch for her at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Ruby Roseman-Gannon (BikeExchange-Jayco) – Already a break-out rider of the season, Roseman-Gannon won the criterium title at the Australian Championships, a stage and the overall title at Santos Cycling Festival, and secured a shock podium in her European debut at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana. The world is waiting to see what she can do in the Spring Classics.

Sarah Roy (Canyon-SRAM Racing) – Roy toes the start line with a ‘new me‘ mentality approach to her season with Canyon-SRAM. The Australian has been eyeing the Spring Classics with an aim of both supporting her team while also going for victories at select races. Working to regain her fast-twitch final sprint, watch for Roy at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) – Although Wiebes is targeting the green jersey at the Tour de France Femmes later this summer, don’t discount her to be in winning form for the Spring Classics. In an interview with Cyclingnews, Wiebes indicated that the arrival of Charlotte Kool and return of Pfeiffer Georgi meant the team will be stronger than ever, particularly in the sprints and the trio will test their new lead-out formation at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

The Route

Flanders Classics have not published the exact route details for the 2022 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad but it is likely to be similar to previous editions. It’s a notoriously tough race held under the colder, and often rainy, conditions of northern Europe.

The 128km route starts in Gent and will likely includes five cobbled sectors and ten climbs, three of which are cobbled; the Molenberg and the final two ascents over the Muur-Kapelmuur (17km to go) and the Bosberg (13km to go) before the finish in Ninove.

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Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women 2021 (Image credit: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women 2021)

Cobbled sectors

Haaghoek, km 42 – 2000m
Ruiterstraat, km 57 – 800m
Kerkgate, km 60 – 1030m
Jagerij, km 63 – 800m
Paddestraat, km 74 – 2300m

Climbs

Leberg, km. 45
Wolvenberg, km. 57
Molenberg, km. 69
Rekelberg, km. 83
Berendries, km. 87
Elverenberg-Vossenhol, km. 89
Tenbosse, km. 94
Eikenmolen, km. 97
Muur-Kapelmuur, km. 109
Bosberg, km. 113

What to expect

The weather can be unpredictable at this time of year in Belgium, and although the race is notorious for cold, windy and wet condition, this Saturday is expected to be roughly 11°C and sunny.

The teams have united at two, some three, pre-season training camps and many of the top-tier squads have already begun racing in Spain, which was a great opportunity to get to know each other in a race setting and dial in team strategies.

The first races of the year always sparks some new-season nerves and so we can anticipate the peloton to shake out a few jitters during opening weekend, especially as riders continue to get to know their new teams for 2022.

We can expect aggressive racing at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, particularly over the route’s more punchy terrain. The race is also one of the shorter distances on the calendar at 128km and that will add to the animation.

The last three editions have ended with solo victories by Dutch riders and nearly all have ended in various degrees of a breakaway sprints over the last 13 editions, with the exception of Kirsten Wild’s sprint win in 2008, Suzanne de Goede’s sprint wins in 2006 and 2009 and Christina Siggaard’s reduced group sprint in 2016. However, there will be many teams with strong sprinters on the start line this year, so don’t discount a bunch showdown in Ninove.