Lotte Claes takes shock Omloop Het Nieuwsblad WE win from breakaway as main favourites horrifically mistime chase
CyclingSaturday, 01 March 2025 at 17:18
The breakaway has prevailed at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad WE 2025. After a day where no one from the peloton seemed interesting in leading a chase, Lotte Claes outsprinted Aurela Nerlo to a stunning, upset win.
Somewhat crazily, heading into the final 30km, the breakaway had a mammoth lead over the peloton of around 8:20, giving those in the main bunch a hell of a lot of work to do to get back into potentially race-winning contention. With 12km to go and the break still well clear in the distance, Demi Vollering decided to take matter into her own hands and attacked the peloton, being joined by Puck Pieterse in the chase of the leaders.
At the head of the race meanwhile, the fight for victory was looking increasingly like a two-woman battle between Lotte Claes and Aurela Nerlo, who had dropped their companions from the break. In the end, the pair went all the way to the finish line together, where in the fight for the line it was
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Lotte Claes wins #OHNwomen 2025https://t.co/KtL5G1dtLL pic.twitter.com/5t3vNxoSy6
— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) March 1, 2025
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It was a complete and total failure by all of the race favorites, but a nice victory nonetheless by an opportunist who took her chance.
Honestly, this is why I love breakaways. Sometimes they win! Isn’t it great?!
Every time this happens I think back to the Tokyo Olympics and Anna Kiesenhofer’s amazing win.