Copenhagen Sprint Women: Lorena Wiebes confirms she is fastest sprinter in the women’s peloton

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) left no doubt as to who is the best sprinter in the women’s peloton, winning the Copenhagen Sprint by several bike lengths.

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) took second place while Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) just edged out Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL) for third place.

After an early break had been brought back, there were no attacks on the three laps of the finishing circuit in the centre of Copenhagen.

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A crash on the final lap split the peloton, and Wiebes was led out perfectly by her teammate Barbara Guarischi to win the sprint.

“It feels really great, it was a nice race. The crowds were amazing, in every town there were so many people cheering for us, and in the city centre, so many people came out and watched us, it’s special,” said Wiebes after her 104th professional victory.

The European champion was never out of position on the final lap and Guarischi gave her a world-class lead-out.

“We had to adjust a bit because we were missing one rider [Blanka Vas]. I let somebody in between Barbara Guarischi and me. She did a really, really strong lead-out; she was putting me in a perfect position. I started a bit early, but it was better than going too late,” Wiebes said, describing the sprint.

(Image credit: Getty Images)How it unfolded

From the sign-in and start in Roskilde, the peloton faced a 151km course, snaking through North Zealand before reaching the Danish capital and finishing with three laps of a 10.3km circuit in the city centre and the Nørrebro quarter.

Along the way, there were three town sprints counting for a separate classification, and Meis Poland (VolkerWessels) attacked just before Frederikssund to win the first one. She then became part of a breakaway of four that formed with 110km to go, the other three riders being Julia Borgström (AG Insurance-Soudal), Britt de Grave (DD Group), and April Tacey (Coop-Repsol).

They were just over a minute ahead with 80km to go. Poland tried to go for the second town sprint in Ganløse but was outsprinted by Tacey, Borgström, and De Grave. A large central reservation then caused a crash in the peloton that took down over a dozen riders, including Balsamo and four of her Lidl-Trek teammates. Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), Cindy Pomares (CJ O’Shea), and Nora Tveit (DAS-Hutchinson) had to abandon the race.

April Tacey in the breakaway (Image credit: Getty Images)

Only a few kilometres later, there was a second crash as a rider hit the protective haybale tied to a bollard head-on. Again, around a dozen riders went down, and Elynor Bäckstedt (UAE Team ADQ), Romy Kasper, Daria Pikulik, and her sister Wiktoria Pikulik (all Human Powered Health) could not continue.

With 50km to go and the peloton bearing down on the breakaway, only 25 seconds behind, Poland tried to get away in order to reach the final town sprint. She dropped De Grave and Borgström, but Tacey jumped across and soon dropped Poland herself.

Tacey won the final town sprint in Rødovre, but the peloton then reeled her in on the hill of Valby Bakke. On the city centre circuit, the sprinters’ teams controlled proceedings, keeping the pace high enough to discourage any attacks, and a big peloton entered the final lap together.

Danish champion Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) crashed as they turned left onto the cobbles of Adelgade with 8.5km to go. Although only two riders hit the deck, this crash split the peloton as many riders were held up, and the speed was high on the final lap.

The peloton racing at the Copenhagen Sprint (Image credit: Getty Images)

Only some 30 riders remained in front, and although more riders got back on, it was a reduced peloton that entered the final kilometres. Picnic PostNL surged to the front at the 2km mark, entering the right-hand turn into Nørre Allé at the front with Josie Nelson, Pfeiffer Georgi, and Megan Jastrab ahead of Kool.

Georgi led the field through the penultimate turn on Skt. Hans Torv but was too strong for Jastrab, who had to leave a small gap. At the flamme rouge, Lidl-Trek came alongside with Fleur Moors and Clara Copponi leading out Balsamo, and Guarischi jumped from Kool’s wheel to that of Moors to get the optimal line through the final corner for herself and Wiebes.

On the 900-metre finishing straight, Georgi was still pulling at the front with the Lidl-Trek train on her wheel until Guarischi began her lead-out on Fredens Bro with 550 metres to go. Kool was in Guarischi’s wheel, followed by Wiebes, who had Balsamo and Consonni jostling for position behind her.

Wiebes started her sprint 200 metres from the line, and Kool hesitated briefly before launching herself. Consonni and Balsamo went after Wiebes right away but were no match for her acceleration, and Wiebes won the sprint by several bike lengths.

(Image credit: Getty Images)ResultsSwipe to scroll horizontallyElite Women

Position

Rider (Team)

Time Gap

1

Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime)

3:32:30

2

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl – Trek)

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3

Chiara Consonni (Canyon//SRAM Racing)

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4

Charlotte Kool (Team Picnic PostNL)

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5

Nienke Veenhoven (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

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6

Lily Williams (Human Powered Health)

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7

Susanne Andersen (Uno‑X Mobility)

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8

Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis Women Team)

,,

9

Mylène De Zoete (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team)

0:03

10

Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ)

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11

Lonneke Uneken (VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team)

,,

12

Meike Uiterwijk Winkel (BePink – Imatra – Bongioanni)

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13

Michaela Drummond (Arkéa B&B Hotels Women)

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14

Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health)

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15

Barbara Guarischi (Team SD Worx – Protime)

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16

Jeanne Korevaar (Liv – AlUla – Jayco)

,,

17

Pfeiffer Georgi (Team Picnic PostNL)

0:08

18

Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)

0:09

19

Monica Greenwood (Team Coop – Repsol)

0:11

20

Imogen Wolff (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

,,

21

Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv – AlUla – Jayco)

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22

S’annara Grove (CJ O’Shea Racing)

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23

Franziska Brauße (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team)

,,

24

Kristýna Burlová (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team)

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25

Aoife O’Brien (DAS – Hutchinson)

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26

Grace Lister (Hess Cycling Team)

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27

Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)

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28

Eugenia Bujak (Cofidis Women Team)

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29

Elisabeth Ebras (BePink – Imatra – Bongioanni)

,,

30

Alberte Greve (Uno‑X Mobility)

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31

Liv Wenzel (Hess Cycling Team)

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32

Victoire Berteau (Cofidis Women Team)

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33

Linda Riedmann (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

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34

Karlijn Koops (Hess Cycling Team)

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35

Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team)

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36

Clara Copponi (Lidl – Trek)

0:16

37

Femke Markus (Team SD Worx – Protime)

0:18

38

Fleur Moors (Lidl – Trek)

,,

39

Anastasiya Kolesava (Canyon//SRAM Racing)

0:21

40

Sara Fiorin (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team)

0:22

41

Megan Jastrab (Team Picnic PostNL)

0:24

42

Emilia Fahlin (Arkéa B&B Hotels Women)

0:31

43

Marjolein Van ‘T Geloof (Arkéa B&B Hotels Women)

,,

44

Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//SRAM Racing)

0:34

45

Valentine Fortin (Cofidis Women Team)

,,

46

Maeve Plouffe (Hess Cycling Team)

0:38

47

Femke Gerritse (Team SD Worx – Protime)

0:46

48

Lauretta Hanson (Lidl – Trek)

0:49

49

Scarlett Souren (VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team)

0:52

50

Yonna Van Dam (DD Group Pro Cycling Team)

,,

51

Camilla Rånes Bye (Team Coop – Repsol)

,,

52

Ellen Hjøllund Klinge (Denmark)

,,

53

Christina Bragh Lorenzen (Denmark)

,,

54

Daniek Hengeveld (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team)

,,

55

Magdalene Lind (Team Coop – Repsol)

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56

Vittoria Grassi (BePink – Imatra – Bongioanni)

,,

57

Libby Smithson (DAS – Hutchinson)

,,

58

Kirstie Van Haaften (Cofidis Women Team)

,,

59

Julia Van Bokhoven (DAS – Hutchinson)

,,

60

Marthe Goossens (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)

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61

Julia Borgström (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)

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62

Amber Van Der Hulst (Liv – AlUla – Jayco)

,,

63

April Tacey (Team Coop – Repsol)

,,

64

Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa B&B Hotels Women)

,,

65

Maurène Trégouët (Arkéa B&B Hotels Women)

,,

66

Marita Jensen (Denmark)

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67

Mari Hole Mohr (Team Coop – Repsol)

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68

Caroline Kirk Schad (Denmark)

,,

69

Maaike Coljé (Arkéa B&B Hotels Women)

,,

70

Anne Dorthe Ysland (Uno‑X Mobility)

,,

71

Femke Beuling (VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team)

,,

72

Mia Gjertsen (Uno‑X Mobility)

,,

73

Margaux Vigié (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

,,

74

Stina Kagevi (Team Coop – Repsol)

,,

75

Sophie Von Berswordt (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

,,

76

Josie Nelson (Team Picnic PostNL)

,,

77

Elizabeth Holden (UAE Team ADQ)

,,

78

Alice Towers (Canyon//SRAM Racing)

,,

79

Laura Auerbach-Lind (Denmark)

,,

80

Marina Garau (BePink – Imatra – Bongioanni)

,,

81

Beatrice Caudera (BePink – Imatra – Bongioanni)

1:01

82

Sofie Van Rooijen (UAE Team ADQ)

1:11

83

Tereza Neumanova (UAE Team ADQ)

,,

84

Jony Van Den Eijnden (DD Group Pro Cycling Team)

,,

85

Martina Fidanza (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

,,

86

Valerie Demey (VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team)

,,

87

Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno‑X Mobility)

1:13

88

Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health)

,,

89

Elizabeth Deignan (Lidl – Trek)

,,

90

Alexandra Manly (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)

1:19

91

Rachele Barbieri (Team Picnic PostNL)

1:21

92

Rebecca Koerner (Uno‑X Mobility)

1:39

93

Fauve Bastiaenssen (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)

,,

94

Julie Stockman (DD Group Pro Cycling Team)

3:23

95

Quinty Ton (Liv – AlUla – Jayco)

3:31

96

Andrea Casagranda (BePink – Imatra – Bongioanni)

,,

97

Ida Krickau Ketelsen (CJ O’Shea Racing)

,,

98

Britt De Grave (DD Group Pro Cycling Team)

3:53

99

Gertrud Riis Madsen (Denmark)

,,

100

Silje Bader (Team Picnic PostNL)

,,

101

Marion Borras (Cofidis Women Team)

,,

102

Skylar Schneider (Team SD Worx – Protime)

,,

103

Elise Timmerman (DD Group Pro Cycling Team)

4:41

104

Maria Martins (Canyon//SRAM Racing)

,,

105

Wilma Aintila (Canyon//SRAM Racing)

,,

106

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl – Trek)

,,

107

Josie Talbot (Liv – AlUla – Jayco)

6:05

108

Georgia Baker (Liv – AlUla – Jayco)

,,

109

Meis Poland (VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team)

8:10

110

Yilla Threels (CJ O’Shea Racing)

,,