World Champion Lotte Kopecky powered her way to record third victory at the Tour of Flanders in a four-up sprint.
The Belgian now moves clear of other greats including greats including Elisa Longo Borghini, Judith Arndt, Annemiek Van Vleuten and Mirjam Melchers all of whom have won the race twice.
Longo Borghini was unable to contend for a third win after she crashed out of the race in its early stages.
The day’s decisive selection was made on Oude Kwaremont when Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) attacked and took Kopecky, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram zondacrypto) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) with her.
The quartet worked together smoothly and although the gap remained just 20 seconds over the top of the final climb of the day, the steep cobbled Paterberg, the riders behind were unable to muster enough energy to close it on the 12km run in to the finish.
Kopecky led out the sprint for victory and no one could come past her with Ferrand-Prévot finishing second and Lippert third.
The SD Worx-Protime leader’s victory made it two wins from two races for the respective men’s and women’s World Champions after Tadej Pogačar took victory in the men’s race earlier in the day.
Kopecky told TNT Sports: “It was a crazy race with a lot of crashes in the beginning. It was pretty nervous.
“I didn’t have good legs in the beginning but after a few climbs my legs felt better and better and I knew that in the end I’d have a pretty good shot. Once we worked with the four of us I was pretty confident.”
How it happened
A break of seven riders was quickly established, comprising Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance-Soudal), Franziska Brauße (Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team), Romy Kasper (Human Powered Health), Alison Avoine (St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93), Britt de Grave (DD Group Pro Cycling Team), April Tacey (Coop-Repsol) and Aoife O'Brien (DAS-Hutchinson).
Early stages of the race saw several crashes including one for pre-race favourite Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), though she recovered to rejoin the peloton. Once the race settled down the break built a gap of over five minutes before the race hit the cobbles.
With 116km to race a crash in the peloton took down a gaggle of riders including Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE-ADQ), who would later abandon the race, and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime).
It wasn’t until 39km remained in the race that last rider from the day’s break was caught. By that point the peloton had been whittled down to around 40 riders.
Attacks from Chloe Dygert (Canyon-Sram zondacrypto), Lauretta Hanson (Lidl-Trek), Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) and Brit Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease a Bike) were shut down and Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) took-up duties setting a brisk pace on the front of a group. By now they had shed sprinter Wiebes and numbered around just 17 riders.
Everything was set to be decided on the final two climbs of Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg.
On the Kwaremont Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) accelerated bringing a group of four clear including World Champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Lippert and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram zondacrypto). By the top of the climb they had a gap of 12 seconds.
Behind them Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Van Dijk led the chase.
On the Paterberg, Niewiadoma came to the front to set the pace and the quartet crested the day’s final ascent together with 20 seconds in hand. On the road to the finish in Oudenaarde the chase group was no match for the front four and their margin stretched out to 40 seconds.
Under the red kite, Niewiadoma, the weakest sprinter of the four, made a bid to go solo but it was shut down by the World Champion. Kopecky was then left on the front to lead out the sprint into a headwind. But that minor disadvantage made no difference as the others lacked the power to come close to matching her.
Results: Tour of Flanders 2025 (169km)
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, in 4:24:34
2. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike
3. Line Lippert (Bel) Movistar, at s.t.
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-Sram zondacrypto, +0:01
5. Kimberley Pienaar (Mri) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:13
6. Leitzia Borghesi (Ita) EF Education-Oatly
7. Elise Chabbey (Sui) FDJ-Suez
8. Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Lidl-Trek
9. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
10. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, at s.t.
