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Makayla MacPherson (Human Powered Health) is having trouble staying with the group
The leading four riders have 2 minutes on the peloton. Meanwhile four more have countered from the peloton:
Makayla MacPherson (Human Powered Health)
Katrijn de Clercq (Lotto Soudal)
Lotte Popelier (Bingoal Casino – Chevalmeire – Van Eyck Sport)
Naomi De Roeck (Bingoal Casino – Chevalmeire – Van Eyck Sport)
At 1 minute
124km to go
World Champion, Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), is one of the out-and-out favourites for the win today. She has won the previous three rounds of the women’s WorldTour and if she can get over the climbs she will be hard to beat in a sprint.
SD Worx have other ideas, however, they plan to drop the Italian and isolate another of the pre-race favourites: defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar)
But, “good luck with that” says Balsamo’s teammate, Ellen van Dijk.
The gap to the four leaders has now gone out to 1’18
130km to go
The chase group have now been caught
A chase group of three riders is now 42″ behind the break. The peloton is 50″ behind.
Reminder that the four riders are:
Clara Honsinger (EF Education – Tibco – SVB), Sofie van Rooijen (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Olivia Baril (Valcar – Travel & Service), Maria Martins (Le Col – Wahoo)
The break is now down to 4 riders with a 30 second gap
139km to go
The gap is already being brought down, it is now 16 seconds.
Elise Chabbey of Canyon SRAM has crashed
5 leaders have a 23 second gap, they are:
Clara Honsinger (EF Education – Tibco – SVB), Sofie van Rooijen (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Olivia Baril (Valcar – Travel & Service), Maria Martins (Le Col – Wahoo), Kristyna Burlova (Lotto Soudal).
Two riders have a small gap
After 5km of racing the peloton are all together
144km to go
The riders will complete three difference loops. The first contains two cobbled sectors starting after 45km
🏁 they’re off
159km to go
They’re off for the neutral rollout!
🎥 The neutral start has been given! 140 riders are rolling out of Oudenaarde now – the first 4.6 km will be neutralized today, before the real start follows at KM 0! #RVVwomen #RVV22 pic.twitter.com/4RFRD2DI0EApril 3, 2022
This is officially the cutest thing ever
Shout out to this Belgian boy who handed loads of riders jerseys made out of Beadz, adorable pic.twitter.com/3ePGZYbgPRApril 3, 2022
All of the favourites are still in the running, however. To see which 10 riders to watch click here.
Liane Lippert (Team DSM) and Nina Kessler (BEX) will not start today due to illness
It’s going to be a wheelie good race…
🎥 “My wheelie brings all the boys to the yard..” – @ilariasanguinet on her way to the sign on for #RVVwomen! #RVV22 pic.twitter.com/hVAnJxmYoqApril 3, 2022
At 13:25 local time the riders will roll out of Oudenaarde for 4.6km of neutral
30 minutes to go until the flag drop
Amongst the pre-race favourites is SD Worx’s Demi Vollering, who is returning to racing for the first time since Strade Bianche in March
The snow has finally stopped in Belgium but it’s still pretty cold out there: 6°C
158.6km of climbs and cobbles await the women’s peloton today including, for the first time, the hallowed slopes of the Koppenberg.
There are 11 climbs and 11 cobbled sectors in total.
Things are already off to a great start
The bestest dog at the start of the women’s race. pic.twitter.com/kovfHYzDjBApril 3, 2022
We’re in Oudenaarde for the 19th edition of the women’s Tour of Flanders
Welcome to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of the 2022 Tour of Flanders Women.