The 2022 Classics season had plenty of predictable and surprise outcomes, with solo attacks, daring descents, crashes and COVID-19, first-time success and padded palmares. Cyclingnews sums up the season with the highlights of the biggest one-day races of the road calendar.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – Wout van Aert, Annemiek van Vleuten
Image 1 of 2
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) took the honours in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to start the Classics season at Opening Weekend. The then-Belgian champion finished off a dominant display by his team throughout the race. Van Aert went solo from the final climb of the day, the Bosberg, racing 13km home after leaving behind a select group.
Over in the women’s race, it was Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) who took her first victory of many in 2022. Only she and fellow Dutchwoman Demi Vollering (SD Worx) were left out front after the Bosberg, but it was the veteran champion who was the fastest finisher in the two-up sprint to the finish line. (DO)
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne – Fabio Jakobsen
Image 1 of 1
It was heartbreak for the breakaway on the second day of Opening Weekend as the peloton raced home to overhaul the three-man group in the dying metres of the 195km race. QuickStep sprinter Fabio Jakobsen was the first man home in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, beating Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) to the line and later making a plea for peace days after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine. (DO)
Strade Bianche – Tadej Pogačar, Lotte Kopecky
Image 1 of 2
A week after the first Classics of the season, the action turned to Tuscany and the white roads of Strade Bianche, where reigning Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar showed he can be the best just about anywhere. The Slovenian attacked 50km from Siena and was never caught, finishing off one of the most memorable performances of the spring.
The women’s race earlier in the day was a more tense affair, with Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) racing up the final ramp into Siena together. The Belgian champion was something of a surprise winner after the two women proved the strongest…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…