Brabantse Pijl Ladies LIVE: Peloton takes on hilly one-day race via Flanders and Wallonia

As at all times, loads of help for former world champion Lotte Kopecky in Lennik this morning.

After victory at Milano-Sanremo, the Cobbled Classics did not fairly go to plan for the SD Worx-ProTime rider, simply off the rostrum at each the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Can she get again to successful methods within the Ardennes?

120km to go

No assaults within the opening levels.

Franziska Koch should be on a excessive after her victory on Sunday. The German champion has had a exceptional season thus far, despite the fact that she has largely ridden in help of Demi Vollering.

The FDJ United-SUEZ rider has one other alternative to steer the staff right here and must be counted among the many high favourites.

The opening climb of the day, the Beerselberg, comes after 12.5km of racing.

125.9km to go

The flag has dropped. Time to race.

The riders will start by heading south in the direction of the primary few climbs of the day earlier than heading east to Overijse the place they are going to tackle three native laps. The laps embody 4 key climbs which can possible determine the race: Herstraat, Moskesstraat, Holstheide and S-Bocht Overijse.

Impartial Begin

The riders are leaving Lennik.

The groups have been introduced to the crowds in Lennik and we’re nearly prepared to start.

This race is nearly a ceremonial passing of the baton from the cobbles of Flanders to the hills of the Ardennes. The race begins in Lennik, in Flanders to the west of Brussels, and concludes in Overijse, simply to the Belgian capital’s east, in Wallonia.

The bike of a world champion. Magdeleine Vallieres has been targetting this era of racing.

The riders will set off for the impartial begin in 5 minutes, with the official flag-drop at 11:35 CET.

Most of the largest riders are sitting this one out, with one eye on the Ardennes Classics week, which begins on Sunday with Amstel Gold.

Franziska Koch is right here for FDJ United-SUEZ, contemporary off her spectacular victory at Paris-Roubaix Femmes.

As ever, SD Worx-ProTime seem like they are going to dictate a lot of this race. The Dutch staff has Lotte Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen on the start-list.

Others who might contend embody world champion Magdeleine Vallieres, who has mentioned that this subsequent ten days of racing is her large focus for the primary a part of the yr.

UAE Staff ADQ is right here with a powerful squad, too. Dominika Włodarczyk will look to proceed her robust season and has Karlijn Swinkels and Paula Blasi alongside her.

Brabantse Pijl might not get the popularity of different one-day Classics, however this is without doubt one of the most relentless race days of the yr. There are 19 climbs on the route, most of them quick and sharp.

The Moskesstraat will likely be a key level of the race, and the riders will sort out the five hundred metre climb 3 times. Longo Borghini used the 8% gradient final yr to get away from her rivals.

The race is because of start in simply over 20 minutes.

Final yr, it was Elisa Longo Borghini who attacked solo with 11km to go to assert victory in Overijse.

The Italian is absent from the race at the moment, and it is a very open start-list to search out her successor.

Learn our report from final yr to refresh your reminiscence of the race:

De Brabantse Pijl Ladies: Elisa Longo Borghini goes solo to take second consecutive win

Welcome to Cyclingnews’ stay protection of Brabantse Pijl Ladies 2026. We’re in for a hilly day that bridges the hole between the Classics in Flanders and the Ardennes.