A day after the men, the women take on the Tour of Bruges/Ronde van Brugge. If Wednesday was any indication, expect an exciting race.
Last year, Lorena Wiebes powered to victory in 2025 beating Chiara Consonni and Elisa Balsamo. British star Cat Ferguson nearly stole the show with a late solo move.
The 143.7 km route is flat but exposed.
Two large loops, south through Torhout and Beernem, then north via Damme and Dudzele, mean wind could be decisive. If it gets gusty, there may very well be some big splits. Anyone who wants to go for the dub needs to be at the front if there are crosswinds.
The short cobbled section is unlikely to split things, though, so if it stays together, expect a sprint in Brugge.
There are also three Canucks racing.
Lidl-Trek’s Ava Holmgren, Human Powered Health’s Maggie Coles-Lyster, and national champion Alison Jackson (St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93) are racing. For Holmgren, she will most likely be covering moves or working for her team leader, Elisa Balsamo.
But if she gets away, she can always mix it up with the best. Jackson and Coles-Lyster are definitely suited for a fast finale and could have a good day. Coles-Lyster took her first pro win earlier this year, and national champ Jackson has been up there in multiple races thus far.
The men’s race had quite a bit of drama on the only cobbled section–and not because of the riders. A protester jumped in the way and caused multiple riders to crash, including defending champ Juan Sebastián Molano. The activist, Wouter Mouton, has since been detained and may be facing charges.
You can watch the women at the Tour of Bruges on Flobikes.com. Looks like coverage starts at 10:15 a.m. EDT. And on Friday, the men will race the E3 Saxo Classic, in the preamble to Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday.
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