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Belgian Bonanza '23: 18th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad WWT + 18th Omloop V/H Hageland + 12th Le Samyn Dames (Feb 25-26 + 28)

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The Flemish Fandango continues with today's Omloop Van Het Hageland.
A race that usually ends in a sprint. SD Worx are bringing the full lead out train for Wiebes, so I don't expect a different outcome this year.

As already pointed out by others, this is Puck Pieterse's first ever elite road race.
It's also her teammate Laura Süßemilch's first road race since she crashed out of the Tour de France Femmes last year.

Start list: https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=9201&y=2023&k=8

 
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Saw Pieterse struggling on the last climb, she rode on the other side in between cars to the top unlike all the others. But she also worked for the faster Julie de Wilde before that so logically she was done. Still a very strong debut!
And she did crash at 15k to go. That explains why she was behind the whole group at that climb, on the other side. Trying to come back. She was one of the best on the cobble climb, really impressive.
 
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Fidanza looked so strong! Maybe could've been closer if she didn't went in the attack before the final.

She might have been able to finish on the podium, but when you're up against Wiebes, it's not stupid to try and avoid a sprint finish if you want to win. Too many teams and riders have failed to understand that over the years.

SD Worx is not riding Le Samyn, so Fidanza will definitely be among the favourites there.
 
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It's time for the third and final race in the Belgian trident. The past two editions of Les Samyn have seen Emma Norsgaard¨s powerfull sprinting in action. Lotte Kopecky wa sable to pass the Dane in the final emters in 2021, but Chiara Consonni failed do the same last year (after Clara Copponi had opened up the sprint too ealry, thinking the finish line was closer thatn it was, and by doing so brought back her own teammate Vittoria Guazzini).

Neither Norsgaard, Kopecky, Copponi or other top sprinters like Loeena Wiebes, Charlotte Kool and Elisa Balsamo are taking part this time, so there isn't a clear favourite. But if it does end in a sprint, Consonni, Marta Bastianelli, Lotta Henttala, Maria Giulia Confalonieri, Arianna Fidanza, Audrey Cordon-Ragot and others will fancy their chances.

The race has started and the broadcast begins at 13:45 CET.

Start list: https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=9206&y=2023&k=8