Speaking to Felix Mattis after the finish, Ferguson
reflected on the challenge of staying ahead of a charging peloton with such a
slender advantage.
"I was told it was only around 15, 20 seconds, so I was
trying not to look back because I knew how little that gap was," she said.
"It needed to be more for it to stay in the final. On a better day,
hopefully, I could make the gap bigger, but I'm a little bit ill and have had a
few days off since the last race. No excuses, but I will try again next
time."
For Ferguson, the experience wasn’t just about tactics or
results. The solo break became a lesson in resilience and determination, and a
chance to push her mental limits on the road.
"You learn a lot being out at the front, mentally – how
to push yourself and to keep going when I knew my gap was 20 seconds for the
whole time. So I think, for sure, I learned the most I could today."
That learning process also included practical gains. Being
out in front gave her the rare opportunity to work on her aerodynamics and time
trialling, key skills for a rider looking to develop in all areas of the sport.
"It's so important, especially in a flat race like
this," Ferguson said. "The wind's not super strong today, but aero is
everything, especially when it's just you, solo in a breakaway. I had a big
focus on keeping my head down as much as I could."
With her debut season in the pro ranks already off to a
promising start, Ferguson now looks ahead to the next block of races, which
will test her across a wide range of terrain and challenges.
"Next, I have Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday," she
explained. "And then I do Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Brabant and Flèche, and
then sort of a rest after the Belgian Classics."