Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Jolien D’hoore dominated the BeNe Ladies Tour for the second year in succession, winning three of the four stages and taking the overall victory once again. The former Belgian Champion took the opening stage, in Philippine, Netherlands, on Friday, the Stage 2b time trial in Sint-Laureins, Belgium, on Saturday, and then the final stage in Zelzate, Belgium, on Sunday.
“The first day was pretty good,” D’hoore said of the 103km opening stage. “Me and Chloe [Hosking] were in the first big group and it ended up in a bunch sprint. Chloe did a perfect lead out again, and I just had to come over in the last 200 metres; and I won.
The 75km Stage 2a did not go so much to plan, with D’hoore and Hosking unable to contest the sprint finish. Hosking herself crashed in the finale, and it was decided that it was best for the Australian to withdraw.
“The second day was a bit more hectic,” D’hoore explained. “There was a breakaway of three girls in the last lap, and the plan was to for Chloe in the sprint so I had to chase it down. I couldn’t close it by myself, so Chloe had to help, so then neither of us could sprint any more in the end. Chloe had a crash as well, so that wasn’t really good. I was a bit frustrated after the race, and then there was the time trial; so I could go full-gas in the time trial, and that’s what I did.”
“It was another bunch sprint today,” D’hoore continued. “There was a breakaway of two girls – two girls from Parkhotel, Vera Koedooder and Ilona Hoeksma – and they had a gap of about 1’40”. But we chased it down, along with Lotto-Soudal, and we got Vera back in the last 500 metres. It was really close!”
With D’hoore’s season focused on the Olympic Omnium in Rio, Brazil, next month, the former Belgian champion has been concentrating all of her 2016 training on the track. Despite several sections of cobblestones in the road stages, however, the flat parcours and short, fast time trial proved to be suited to her characteristics once again.
“The race was perfect preparation for the track,” she smiled. “But I came in a bit tired because I did a lot of training in the last couple of weeks. But I still pulled off some great results; and that’s hopeful for the future if I can do this when I’m tired!”
Result Stage 1
1. Jolien D’hoore (Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling)
2. Emilie Moberg (Hitec Products)
3. Nina Kessler (Lensworld-Zannata)
Result Stage 2b
1. Jolien D’hoore (Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling)
2. Floortje Mackaij (Liv-Plantur)
3. Elise Delzenne (Lotto-Soudal)
Result Stage 3
1. Jolien D’hoore (Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling)
Marta Tagliaferro (Alé-Cipollini)
3. Elise Delzenne (Lotto-Soudal)
Final General Classification
1. Jolien D’hoore (Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling)
2. Floortje Mackaij (Liv-Plantur)
3. Elise Delzenne (Lotto-Soudal)
Photo Credit: Marc Van Hecke
