"I shouldn’t give my sports director a heart attack" - Lorena Wiebes nearly throws away In Flanders Fields win with criminal early celebration
Cycling
Lorena Wiebes delivered one of the most dominant performances of her spring, but very nearly undid it all in the final metres of In Flanders Fields, easing up too early before narrowly holding off a charging Fleur Moors on the line.
The Dutch rider had been the strongest throughout the decisive phase of the race, forcing the selection herself on the Kemmelberg before finishing it off from a five-rider move that never looked likely to be caught.
Yet after timing her sprint to perfection, Wiebes briefly celebrated before the finish, allowing Moors to surge back into contention with a desperate bike throw that brought the gap down to less than half a wheel.
“Maybe next time, I shouldn’t give my sports director a heart attack,” the Dutch national champion said afterwards, reflecting on the moment that almost cost her victory.
Kemmelberg move lays the foundations
Long before the chaotic finish, Wiebes had already shaped the race.
On the final ascent of the Kemmelberg, the Team SD Worx - Protime rider took control, driving the pace herself and splitting the front of the race. That acceleration proved decisive, forming a leading group with Eleonora Gasparrini, Fleur Moors, Karlijn Swinkels and Elise Chabbey. “I had good legs on the Kemmelberg, so I thought: I’ll keep pushing, why not?”
With the peloton unable to organise a coherent chase behind, the quintet quickly established a gap that would hold all the way to the finish. Cooperation in the group remained steady for much of the run-in, though the balance shifted in the final kilometres as UAE Team ADQ began to apply pressure through Gasparrini.
Late hesitation, early celebration
That pressure forced Wiebes into a more reactive role than expected. “Eventually, we got away with a nice group and worked well together. Only in the final kilometres did UAE really make it difficult for me. When Gasparrini went, I couldn’t respond immediately. I first had to find my space and a good rhythm, so I wouldn’t blow up.”
As the group approached the finish, the cooperation broke down completely, with no one willing to lead into the sprint. Wiebes, the clear fastest finisher on paper, was left to take responsibility. “In the last kilometre, no one wanted to pull anymore, which makes sense. That’s why I launched quite early, but it was enough.”
It was... just.
Wiebes surged clear and looked to have the race won, but her early celebration opened the door for Moors, who never stopped driving to the line. The Belgian closed rapidly and threw her bike at the finish, turning what had seemed a comfortable win into a razor-thin margin.
Despite the scare, Wiebes held on to secure victory, making it a third successive win at the race and a rare triumph from a reduced break rather than a bunch sprint. “It’s nice to win from a break for once, that makes this victory extra special. It was a beautiful race today,” she said.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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