Although Scheldeprijs is not a Women's World Tour event, it is certainly high up there when it comes to the most presitigious races pointed towards the sprinters throughout the season. Lorena Wiebes continues to make history as after four editions, she continues to be the only rider having won here.
It was a hard earned victory for the peloton who had to chase down the day's early breakaway, something which was only concluded at the final kilometer. Still, the sprinter teams managed their efforts well and a classic sprint took place in Schoten, where Lorena Wiebes outsprinted Charlotte Kool and Martina Fidanza to win for the sixth time this season. She has triumphs at UAE Tour, Ronde van Drenthe and Gent - wEVELGEM.
“I saw that Balsamo went to the left. At that moment I also turned on. We were fighting a bit for her wheel. I didn't have Barbara [Guarischi] and Lotte [Kopecky] with me today, so I had to find my own way a bit," the Dutchwoman described the sprint. "The girls did great. They chased hard so I could sprint. In such a sprint everything has to be in place, especially if you don't have a real last lead-out. The chance of being trapped is simply very high. It was a little more pushing and pulling, but it turned out fine.”
Here celebration, as in flapping wings, was one that struck out as being unusual, following the finish she explained why she chose that this Wednesday: “With the team we have something with Jan Smit (a Dutch singer, ed.) and this was Vogelvrij. I played my guitar in the Ronde van Drenthe. Now I have to think about the next one.”
Lorena Wiebes takes her 4th victory in a row in Scheldeprijs. “I almost made no mistakes today. The team dropped me perfectly off at the wheel of Kool. And from there I could fully sprint to the finish line. This was a straight sprint at full speed and this way I could show that…
