D’hoore ends again second in Ghent-Wevelgem: ‘Fitness never looked so good’

Martha Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini) has the vrouweneditie of Gent-Wevelgem win. The Italian defeated our compatriot Jolien D’hoore in a sprint with a depleted group . D’hoore ends so just like last year’s second and was after, of course, disappointed, remembering them also the positive. “My condition was probably never so good.”

Despite a few attempts drew a closed pack, the first set of slopes. With the passage of the ‘Plugstreets’ fractured the large group, but which later melted everything back together again. During the last passage on the Kemmelberg tore the peloton into several pieces. Jolien D’hoore, last Thursday is still the strongest in The Panne, was surprised and had to start chasing. In the run-up to the Monteberg, the final climb of the day at 35 kilometers from the finish, touched, group one and two together again and we got a package of 30 riders in the lead.

At the entrance of Ypres formed a compact peloton, with the exception of Rozanne Slik in the attack was gone. The Dutch was on the long straight stretch to Zonnebeke swallowed up by a group of about 35 cyclists. The pace remained high, but still tried in full final many cyclists in vain to sprint with this group to avoid. Marianne Vos started far her sprint, but was quickly geremonteerd by Jolien D’hoore. The Belgian champion seemed to pick up Bastianelli her bijbeende and even with the slight difference could win. D’hoore was the second consecutive second victory in Gent-Wevelgem, the German Lisa Klein was third. Marta Bastianelli follows on the roll of honour of the Finnish Lotta Lepistö.

‘Condition had never been better’

“I would have rather won,” commented D’hoore after the finish. “I sprinted and I could not rapper, my gear wish during the sprint does not change. Ten meters for the sprint and managed to that, all of a sudden. It is perhaps that little bit that I was deprived or really, really bad. After the hill section we were with a small group and I was the only sprinter who was. Coryn Rivera, the complete team, Alé Cipollini: all discharged. In the direction of Ieper, we had a headwind and that was a shame. I was always with them. It was a tough time, but races never at ease. Whether I’m reassured for the next races? Yes, the condition is good. I even think that it’s never better, so I should not complain.’