Three world cups and a first and two seconds for World Cup Leader Lizzie Armitstead as her teammate  Ellen van Dijk  wins at Flanders
Flanders – Lizzie Armitstead 2nd (UCI Press Release)
Lizzie’s teammate Ellen van Dijk won the Tour of Flanders after an impressive 25-kilometre solo effort. Her Boels-Dolmans teammate Lizzie Armistead then sprinted to second place while Trofeo Binda winner Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) came in third.
Armitstead keeps the lead in the UCI Women Road World Cup overall classification.
Under cloudy skies the crowds on the Oudenaarde market square saw the departure of 160 riders of 27 teams at 11am on Sunday morning. Though a few drops of rain started to fall, the remainder of the 139.6 kilometre race was ridden in dry conditions.
The first hour of the race saw many crashes in the nervous 42 kilometre run towards the first of the ten climbs of the day. Orica-AIS’ Amanda Spratt and Rikke Lønne of Team Rytger were off to hospital and others like Lotto-Belisol’s Celine van Severen had to abandon.
After 12 kilometres Gracie Elvin (Orica-AIS) and Valentina Carretta (Alé-Cipollini) broke clear of the peloton but their gap was never more than 25 seconds. Another attempt by Carretta and Lucinda Brand all stranded. The peloton kept close together until the final 26 kilometres of the race.
Ellen van Dijk launched an attack on the Kruisberg. “It was our team tactics played out to perfection. I would go first and we would have Lizzie (Armitstead) behind me. It was from the book.â€
Van Dijk quickly gained a lead of 12 seconds. Brand and Specialized-Lululemon’s Tiffany Cromwell counterattacked but were caught back on the Oude Kwaremont. With only one climb to go, the Paterberg, Van Dijk’s lead grew to 38 seconds.
In the background her teammate Armitstead, Emma Johansson and Elisa Longo Borghini attacked but they were losing ground on Van Dijk. With a comfortabe lead after the last climb of the day, the short but gruelling Paterberg, Van Dijk started an individual time trial of 13 kilometres. “It hurt but when with a few kilometres to go I had a tailwind, I knew I could win. And if you know your teammate is behind you, you can go just a little bit faster.â€
Ellen van Dijk crossed the line with an advantage of .,01 minutes on Armitstead and Johansson. “Those last kilometres were really hard. I still can’t believe I did it. I wanted to win three races in my career: the world title, the Tour of Flanders and the Olympics. Now only one remains,†the winner smiled after the finish.
For Armitstead it’s the third podium place in a row this season. After her victory in Drenthe she came in second both today as in Trofeo Binda. “Ellen worked hard for me in the previous races. That’s the beauty of this sport. We are a team I was really emotional when she won.â€
Rabo-Liv left Oudenaarde with three UCI leader’s jerseys. Both Iris Slappendel and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot kept their respective sprint and best young rider jerseys. Teammate Anna van der Breggen now wears the mountain’s jersey after taking two points on the Leberg. Armitstead starts the Flèche Wallonne in the overall leader’s jersey with 320 points to her name.
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- CX Result: NWCCA Round 6
- CX Result: Central CycloCross League 8
- CX Result: Notts & Derby Cyclocross League 4
- FEATURE: Billy Ladle’s Stellar Season Recognised at British Cycling Awards
- 2025 Prologue Junior Race Team
- STARTLIST: BUCS Hill Climb Championships
- News: West Midlands Road Race League Winner 2024
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series #4
- TT Result: Brighton Mitre CC 25m TT
- CX Result: London and South East CX League Round 6
- CX Result: Central Cyclocross League Round 7
- CX Result: Wessex Cyclocross League Round 7
- CX Result: Lincolnshire Cyclocross League Rd 5
- CX Result: Shimano Lazer WMCCL Round 7
- Result: LUCC Autumn Race
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League
- HC Result: Cambridge University CC Hill Climb
- 2024 National Hill Climb Championships
- National Trophy Round 2: Day 2
- National Trophy Round 2: Day 1
- Feature: National B Road Race Hall of Fame
- Tofauti Everyone Active reveals its roster for 2025
- TLI Cycling Cyclocross Result
- HC Result: Matlock CC Hill Climb (Bank Road)
- HC Result: Matlock CC Hill Climb (Riber)
- This weekend: National Trophy Cyclocross 2
- Feature: Floren Villanueva Scrafton’s Amazing Cycling Season
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League
- RIDER FEATURE: Rob Muzio – Hospital bed to rainbows!
- SPONSOR FEATURE: CYCLING HOLIDAY RENTAL
- Team News: INEOS Announce Structure/Staff Changes
- STARTLIST: RTTC National Hill Climb Championships
- HC Result: Sussex Nomads Hill Climb
- CX RESULT: Jersey Series round 2
- CX Result: NWCCA League 5
- HC Result: Bristol South CC Hill Climb
- CX Result: Welsh Cyclo Cross League Rd 4
- HC Result: Brighton Mitre CC Hill Climb
- CX Result: Scottish Cyclocross League 3
Other News on VeloUK
- FEATURE: Billy Ladle’s Stellar Season Recognised at British Cycling Awards
- 2025 Prologue Junior Race Team
- STARTLIST: BUCS Hill Climb Championships
- News: West Midlands Road Race League Winner 2024
- Tofauti Everyone Active reveals its roster for 2025
- This weekend: National Trophy Cyclocross 2
- Team News: INEOS Announce Structure/Staff Changes
- STARTLIST: RTTC National Hill Climb Championships
- Feature: The Pedal Club Lunch (October)
- NEWS! Max Walker joins EF Education-EasyPost
- World Tour win for Ethan Vernon
- Louise Sutton signs for Euskaltel Euskadi Team
- STARTLIST: Scottish National Hill Climb Championships 2024
- Rider News: Ben Marsh off to France to race
- Report/Result: World Gravel Championships
- This Weekend (Oct 5/6): National Trophy Cyclocross Round 1
- IOM 2024 YOUTH LEAGUE FINAL OVERALL
- Holiday Rentals: Escape to Casa Guadalest (Spain)
- Sponsor News: Custom Clothing from Santini
- News: Ribble launches the Allroad Ti – Crafted for More
- NEWS: The Pedal Club Lunch — September with Jez Cox
- Ultimate Cycling Experience at CHS Ciclismo
- Worlds: Great Britain Riders for 2024 Road Worlds
- Rider Report: Alistair Gardner wins two Kermesses
- EVENTS: Portmore Classic (29th of September, Dorset)
- STARTLIST: National Youth (GHS) Championship Final
- Tour of Britain: Provisional Startlist
- Sunday: Jef Schils Memorial (National B)
- This Weekend: RTTC National 10 mile Championship
- Q&A: Killian O’Brien – third in the Junior Tour of Wales
- TOM PIDCOCK CONFIRMED FOR LLOYDS BANK TOUR OF BRITAIN MEN
- Startlist: 42nd Junior Tour of Wales
- Startlist: 360 North West Youth Tour
- Tour of Britain: Evenepoel/Alaphilippe To Race National Tour
- GB Juniors for Track Worlds in China
- THIS WEEKEND: CYCLOCROSS (Leicestershire)
- Startlist: Men’s National B (Worcestershire)
- Startlists: Fenwicks Tour of Mendip 2024
- Startlists: 19th Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix Road Races
- Men’s Tour of Britain News: Teams for 2024 Race