🇧🇪 Egmont Cycling Race Women (1.1)
💨 Zottegem – Zottegem (130.2 km)
The day's breakaway featured K. Verkerk, A. Schweikart and T. Huys (a Lidl-Trek trainee). With ~45 km to go it was caught by an eight-rider chase sparked by Lucinda Brand. The bunch regrouped at 35 km, but Brand kept lifting the pace, repeatedly splitting the field.
On the final lap the attacks flew — Adegeest, Jackson and Knijnenburg all tried and were caught. The decisive move came from Lily Williams on the cobbles of the Lippenhovestraat, forcing Lidl-Trek to chase and cutting the front group to around ten. Williams was reeled in, and inside the final kilometre Lucinda Brand delivered a massive lead-out for Elisa Balsamo, who took a dominant win at this fourth edition of the Egmont Cycling Race. Hélène Hesters was a distant second, edging Solbjørk Minke Anderson, with Katja Verkerk fourth for her career-best UCI result.
🏆 Podium: 1) Elisa Balsamo · 2) Hélène Hesters · 3) Solbjørk Minke Anderson