Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) takes the win at Tour of Flanders 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
Elisa Longo Borghini celebrates her win at Tour of Flanders 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
Elisa Longo Borghini celebrates her win at Tour of Flanders 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
The final breakaway group of Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini and van Anrooij(Image credit: Getty Images)
Shirin Van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) on a solo break in the final 20km(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx – Protime) battling the elements at the Tour of Flanders Women(Image credit: Getty Images)
Demi Vollering (SD Worx Protime) climbing the Paterberg at the Tour of Flanders Women 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lotte Kopecky on a cobbled sector at Tour of Flanders Women 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lotte Kopecky chasing the breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lotte Kopecky climbing a cobbled sector at Tour of Flanders Women 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) leading the breakaway at the Tour of Flanders 2024(Image credit: Getty Images)
Early breakaway at the Tour of Flanders Women 2024 – Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) Gladys Verhulst-Wild (FDJ-Suez) Elena Pirrone (Roland) Josie Talbot (Cofidis) Mieke Docx (Lotto-DSTNY)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Early breakaway at the Tour of Flanders Women 2024 – Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) Gladys Verhulst-Wild (FDJ-Suez) Elena Pirrone (Roland) Josie Talbot (Cofidis) Mieke Docx (Lotto-DSTNY)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Early breakaway at the Tour of Flanders Women 2024 – Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) Gladys Verhulst-Wild (FDJ-Suez) Elena Pirrone (Roland) Josie Talbot (Cofidis) Mieke Docx (Lotto-DSTNY)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Coryn Labecki at the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Getty Images)
World Champion and two-time defending champion Lotte Kopecky(Image credit: Getty Images)
US Champion Chloe Dygert at Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Getty Images)
Christine Majerus at the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Getty Images)
Canadian Champion Alison Jackson at the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Getty Images)
The pack of riders pictured in action during the women’s race of the ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen(Image credit: Getty Images)
Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini attacked from a chase group on the Paterberg and closed the gap to Van Anrooij 12km from the finish line in the outskirts of Oudenaarde, and the three worked together to hold off the five remaining chasers.
On the final kilometre, Van Anrooij led out the group and started the sprint. Niewiadoma came past, but Longo Borghini then passed her to win. Nine seconds later, Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) took fourth place in a sprint of five.
“I would like to thank my coach, Paolo Slongo, my husband, Jacopo [Mosca], the entire team for the way they supported me today. The girls were really good and the staff in the car were super supportive when I had a crash because of a flat tyre.
“It’s just amazing, Shirin was a motorbike. We can be proud, first and third in a race like this, it’s a huge team performance. And to our chef Mirko, I did it for the crostata,” Longo Borghini said after the finish.
“I let SD Worx do most of the work, and then Jeroen Blijlevens in the team car said: ‘on the Paterberg, you can try to go’. I knew Niewiadoma was really keen to go, and when I turned back, we were just two. I was like, ‘OK, now full gas to the top and I win this’. Shirin was waiting. We know that our strength is in the team, and this was a planned team move,” she explained why she went after her own teammate in the final.
“This is really different. I won with the tricolore on my shoulder, and I’m a more mature woman. I was just a kid when I won back in 2015, now I can realise it more and am more conscious of what I’ve been achieving,” said the Italian champion.
