{"id":1869406,"date":"2026-04-07T08:47:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T05:47:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1869406"},"modified":"2026-04-07T08:47:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T05:47:19","slug":"cat-fergusons-spring-classics-column-tour-of-flanders-is-the-toughest-most-powerful-race-on-the-calendar-and-that-is-felt-in-every-pedal-stroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1869406","title":{"rendered":"Cat Ferguson&#8217;s Spring Classics column: Tour of Flanders is the toughest, most powerful race on the calendar, and that is felt in every pedal stroke"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1920-80.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRacing\n<\/li>\n<li>\nWomen&#8217;s Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRoad\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTour of Flanders Women\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Cat Ferguson&#8217;s Spring Classics column: Tour of Flanders is the toughest, most powerful race on the calendar, and that is felt in every pedal stroke<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><b>MEMBER EXCLUSIVE<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nCat Ferguson <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-07T08:47:19Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n7 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">&#8216;Everyone wants to be their best, and for me, it was a brutal, brutal race&#8217; 19-year-old Movistar talent writes about the importance of Belgium&#8217;s biggest one-day race of the season<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1920-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"caption-text\">This year&#8217;s Flanders was the hardest race I&#8217;ve ever tackled<\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Thomas Maheux\/SWpix.com)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative 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class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left 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whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-81f7957b-0a32-402e-bec6-42177eccf1bc\">I&#8217;m 19 years old, starting my second year as a professional, and just raced my second Tour of Flanders, a race that, for me, is 100% the hardest race that I&#8217;ve ever done and that there is on the calendar because of its history in cycling, how the women&#8217;s race has evolved into the level it is today, and the fact that it has been like an unknown World Championships to my team, Movistar, and to our directors &#8211; It is the most important one-day race on the calendar.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, everyone wants to be their best, and for me, it was a brutal, brutal race. It was hard in the moments when people watching on TV don&#8217;t realize how hard it is, that places that aren&#8217;t as obvious: the flat roads with corners, the approach to climbs, and the positioning in the peloton. It&#8217;s out of this world, and it is difficult to describe how much concentration and physical energy are involved. In a race like Flanders, it&#8217;s constantly positioning followed by a climb. The climbs are short, but that only makes it so much harder because you get over the climb, and if the positioning was good, that&#8217;s great, you&#8217;re in the front group, but then the next climb&#8217;s coming. So you can never, ever rest.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-81f7957b-0a32-402e-bec6-42177eccf1bc-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Compared to last year&#8217;s edition, this year was a lot harder for me. The race split up after the Koppenberg, and last year, I got dropped there, like I did this year, but the race came back together last year, whereas this year it didn&#8217;t. For my team, anyway, it was a complete disaster on the approach to the Koppenberg; Marlen Reusser crashed, and we were out of position going up the climb, one by one, not with each other at all. Over the top, I fought to try to come back with my teammate, Liane Lippert. We were in the second group, but it was just not possible, and the race was over for us after the Koppenberg, which is still very far from the finish, about 40km to go. It was still difficult, and compared to last year, there were some power records.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">As it happened: The race is made with the Oude Kwaremont producing the winner of the Tour of Flanders Women<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;The level is a thousand times higher than 2013&#8217; &#8211; Tiffany Cromwell on her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad victory and how the Classics have transformed since<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Tadej Poga\u010dar turns Tour of Flanders into a torture-fest as Remco Evenepoel silences critics<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"flanders-classics-doing-it-right-3\">Flanders Classics doing it right<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1f1fb3c1-3a78-4f0c-8751-cd7aff88a681\">Beyond my personal performance, Movistar has a strong history with the race, with Annemiek van Vleuten, who has spoken a lot about the Monuments and the Tour of Flanders and has commented on the progression of women&#8217;s cycling over the years. And now I&#8217;m on the same team as her, much younger and with much less on my palmares, but also talking about the same topics, which are really highlighted at Flanders; everyone is performing at their best, but it&#8217;s also the time where we are more conscious of how women&#8217;s cycling has progressed.<\/p>\n<p>The level of the race and the strength of the field have improved, even compared to last year. I don&#8217;t know if we broke a statistical record, but the level was mind-blowingly high yesterday. It plays a part in the increasing viewership of the women&#8217;s Tour of Flanders. In my eyes, the level is continually improving, and more people are paying attention to us. Both things go hand in hand; they help and assist each other. It&#8217;s nowhere near perfect; there are still many things we want to improve, but for example, we now have equal prize money at the Tour of Flanders. It&#8217;s not the most important thing in terms of equality and sport, but it certainly is something great, and something that we can talk about and be super proud about; that it&#8217;s now a thing in one of the biggest races in women&#8217;s cycling.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-d3b9a52f-a8c8-4a72-8537-4bdcf279ff58\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Movistar has a strong pedigree at De Ronde <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"going-up-kwaremont-i-honestly-couldn-t-even-think-about-how-painful-my-legs-felt-because-it-s-so-noisy-3\">&#8216;Going up Kwaremont, I honestly couldn&#8217;t even think about how painful my legs felt because it&#8217;s so noisy&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-2ffad51b-539d-4929-8e20-270a1ab2c03e\">Having the races on the same day is a really interesting talking point, too, and many people have different opinions. Some people think that it&#8217;s great for our race, the women&#8217;s race, because the fans will stay and keep watching our race, but some people also think that it&#8217;s better to have them on separate days, so that the women&#8217;s race doesn&#8217;t feel like an afterthought.<\/p>\n<p>When Paris-Roubaix was held over two days, most people made a weekend of it, rather than leaving after the men&#8217;s race. But, as someone who raced Flanders yesterday, I noticed that not many people left after the men&#8217;s race. Many people were on the roads supporting us. Flanders Classics&#8217; system of having both races on the same day works because of the design of the course and the fact that the people on the Kwaremont, if they come and stay there, are actually not allowed to leave until the races are over because there&#8217;s no way of getting out other than the road the cyclists are using.<\/p>\n<p>In that sense, as someone who hasn&#8217;t done the Tour de France, the crowds at Flanders were the biggest I&#8217;ve ever seen. Going up Kwaremont, I honestly couldn&#8217;t even think about how painful my legs felt because it&#8217;s so noisy. There&#8217;s too much to concentrate on when you are riding up, and fans were even leaning over the barriers holding out beers &#8211; like it was a feed zone &#8211; apparently thinking that was exactly what we needed at that moment.<\/p>\n<p>It was quite a powerful race. As I was in heart rate zone 5, I was also subconsciously appreciating the support, and it felt really powerful. I&#8217;m a young rider, so someone a bit older could compare it to Flanders five years ago; fewer crowds, more crowds, but for me, as a 19-year-old, I don&#8217;t know anything different. I&#8217;m still very aware that this is not the sort of normal in the women&#8217;s peloton, and that I&#8217;m the lucky one because I&#8217;m racing this race, and it&#8217;s the best version of this race they&#8217;ve ever experienced.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-1d98c1ea-07e9-4213-bdb0-ae0ce7c691ed\">So Flanders Classics&#8217; strategy to improve the visibility of its women&#8217;s races by running them on the same day and having the women&#8217;s races finish after the men&#8217;s races has been a big success. As women, we have to use the men&#8217;s races to grow. The men&#8217;s cycling world is already so developed, and what Flanders Classics has done by attaching us to that, at least in the beginning, to speed up the growth of women&#8217;s racing initially, in my eyes, is the best way that a race organizer can help.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">From &#8216;a bit of a sideshow&#8217; to &#8216;proper start to the season&#8217; &#8211; The changing shape of the Women&#8217;s Tour Down Under <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: The alternative way to beat the big hitters, and why Lorena Wiebes is a master<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Team unity will be the biggest advantage in this year&#8217;s Spring Classics \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Eventually, though, the women&#8217;s races will outgrow that approach &#8211; I think that will happen &#8211; and then Flanders Classics might come back and say they actually have to separate the two races because they could potentially make double the revenue by putting the women&#8217;s race on the Saturday and the men&#8217;s race on the Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>What they&#8217;ve done so far is great, and it&#8217;s appropriate for the point we&#8217;re at right now. Still, I hope in the future it can grow and that they&#8217;ll have to reassess their strategy because it&#8217;s worked and we&#8217;ve got the growth we needed, the boost from the men&#8217;s races, and built our own unique, and of course, crossover fan base as well. Thanks to Flanders Classics.<\/p>\n<p>You can also see how modern their race organisation is through their social media. I follow them on Instagram because their content is exciting, different, and modern. You get to see more riders&#8217; personalities, which is contributing to increased followers and engagement. Showing a more personal side of riders and making cycling more fun and interesting on and off the bike are great ways to make the sport more engaging.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f76ed4b0-c4ec-428b-a4d7-42f3835bd16b\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-2000-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The crowds for the women&#8217;s race were really strong and a testament to Flanders Classics&#8217; efforts <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"there-s-something-to-gain-by-televising-more-of-the-women-s-race-3\">&#8216;There&#8217;s something to gain by televising more of the women&#8217;s race&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-11e74535-76ea-4691-b586-814b201192a4\">And that leads me to talk about another part of the race: the coverage. This year, about 100km of the women&#8217;s race was filmed. The men had around 280km of the race filmed, and I remember watching the men&#8217;s race before we even started racing yesterday on the bus travelling there. That&#8217;s almost all of their race filmed on television, and obviously, that&#8217;s 280km compared to the 160km that we do. I would argue that our race, from start to finish, is a bit more engaging and exciting because it&#8217;s shorter: we get to the climbs faster, and there&#8217;s less downtime before racing starts. So, there&#8217;s something to gain there by televising more of the women&#8217;s race. We have to keep pushing for that, but the viewers and the general cycling community need to do the same.<\/p>\n<p>I think it would benefit women&#8217;s cycling as a whole; the sponsors and all the partners who put the money in, but it would benefit the race, and make the race more exciting for the early breakaways to know that if they put themselves in a break from kilometre zero, then they&#8217;re getting much more television time. Ultimately, that&#8217;s where the biggest gap in women&#8217;s cycling lies: smaller teams need more partners and sponsors to close the gap with the top tier, whereas in men&#8217;s cycling, there is much less disparity.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"gratitude-3\">Gratitude<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-71a53642-5ad6-48e6-a57e-f9e03e76182d\">After my second experience racing at the Tour of Flanders, I&#8217;d like to say thank you to all the people associated with the race; the riders for making the level so high and making everyone want to be the best versions of themselves; the race oranisers, teams and sponsors that support the teams and the race; all the people that came to watch, to be in the VIP tent, or just stood on the roadside and cheered us on.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a thank you for every race, because this sport is a privilege no matter the day of the week, the place, or whether you&#8217;re racing the Tour of Flanders or not. These things add up to make it the most special race on the calendar and shape how women&#8217;s cycling is seen at the highest level. It&#8217;s the most important race to have everything at 100%.<\/p>\n<p>So, although my race, personally, and from Movistar, was a disappointment, and we were not satisfied at all, I still rode the last 40km in the group, thinking about how lucky I am to be 19 in this race, riding with girls around me who I believe have contributed so much to the sport to the point where I wouldn&#8217;t be next to them in the peloton at my age and riding for Movistar team without their contribution to women&#8217;s cycling. Which is quite a concept to wrap your head around as a competitor when you&#8217;re both grateful for the level of women&#8217;s cycling while also in that very moment, at the Tour of Flanders, wishing your legs weren&#8217;t quite having to be ripped off to the same level that they are.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m very grateful to all the women in that race who ultimately led me there and also contributed to how women&#8217;s cycling has grown into what it is today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-LSvnAwkE8GhhU5hfzuTUWm\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-LSvnAwkE8GhhU5hfzuTUWm slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Cat Ferguson<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>British cyclist, Cat Ferguson, 19, is in her second full year in top-tier cycling racing for the Spain-based Women&#8217;s WorldTeam, Movistar, after joining the outfit as a trainee in August of 2024. As a junior rider, she won the Ronde van Vlaanderen Junior and the time trial at the British National Championships, along with the silver medal in the road race at the World Championships in Glasgow 2023. She followed those performances with double gold medals in the junior women&#8217;s road race and time trial at the World Championships, Zurich in 2024. Ferguson has excelled in cyclocross and road racing circuits. She opened this season with wins at Trofeo Llucmajor and a stage at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, before going on to finish fourth at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and sixth at Dwars door Vlaanderen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">As it happened: The race is made with the Oude Kwaremont producing the winner of the Tour of Flanders Women<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The level is a thousand times higher than 2013&#8217; &#8211; Tiffany Cromwell on her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad victory and how the Classics have transformed since<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Tadej Poga\u010dar turns Tour of Flanders into a torture-fest as Remco Evenepoel silences critics<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From &#8216;a bit of a sideshow&#8217; to &#8216;proper start to the season&#8217; &#8211; The changing shape of the Women&#8217;s Tour Down Under <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: The alternative way to beat the big hitters, and why Lorena Wiebes is a master<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Team unity will be the biggest advantage in this year&#8217;s Spring Classics \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From top riders&#8217; real form to the teams not quite thriving \u2013 Five key questions ahead of Milan-San Remo and the next Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Even for Mathieu the race is way over the limit&#8217; \u2013 Van der Poel may be king of the Classics, but here&#8217;s why he won&#8217;t race Strade Bianche in its current form<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot face off in what could be an epic showdown  \u2013 Analysing the Tour of Flanders Women contenders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">As it happened: Order is restored as the Kapelmuur-Bosberg duo make the difference at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;High trees catch a lot of wind&#8217; \u2013 From intense media scrutiny to social media abuse, the Classics bring out the pressure of expectation in Belgium<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Ronde de Mouscron: Clara Copponi blasts away opposition to clinch powerful bunch sprint victory<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Teams confirm Marlen Reusser and Kim Le Court-Pienaar both suffered fractures due to Tour of Flanders crash<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Everybody knows somebody who is struggling&#8217; \u2013\u00a0Powered by meditation, tearful Demi Vollering embraces emotions of first Tour of Flanders triumph<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The win was not in our reach today&#8217; \u2013 Loss of Lorena Wiebes on Koppenberg costly for Lotte Kopecky in Tour of Flanders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cresting the Koppenberg with leaders &#8216;gave me a few goosebumps&#8217; \u2013 Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt impresses with fifth in Tour of Flanders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s cycling (races)<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I was just not strong enough&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot bettered by Demi Vollering&#8217;s Kwaremont power to finish second in Tour of Flanders again<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tour of Flanders Women: Demi Vollering sails to victory after shedding rivals with a solo attack on Oude Kwaremont<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A big change to the team&#8217; \u2013 How Franziska Koch became a vital domestique for Demi Vollering and one of the best signings of the season<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Former Tour of Flanders winner Marianne Vos not racing Sunday to direct focus on family after father&#8217;s death<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I can give others some pressure&#8217; \u2013 Why Lorena Wiebes could be the most influential rider on the Tour of Flanders start line<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">With no Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Canyon-SRAM look to Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt and Chlo\u00e9 Dygert for Tour of Flanders success<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot face off in what could be an epic showdown  \u2013 Analysing the Tour of Flanders Women contenders<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Tadej Poga\u010dar turns Tour of Flanders into a torture-fest as Remco Evenepoel silences critics<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;High trees catch a lot of wind&#8217; \u2013 From intense media scrutiny to social media abuse, the Classics bring out the pressure of expectation in Belgium<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">What can Remco Evenepoel learn from Poga\u010dar, Nibali, and Valverde? 5 memorable Tour of Flanders debuts from big-name cobbles newbies<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;We lost three experienced riders, and replaced them with really young riders&#8217; \u2013 Can Lidl-Trek&#8217;s changed Classics core do enough for Mads Pedersen at the Tour of Flanders?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Quiz! Can you name all the Tour of Flanders winners since 2000?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Remco Evenepoel is right to make his Tour of Flanders debut now, and how he could challenge Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The next Australians on the path to the WorldTour? Taking a closer look at the riders who shot to the top at the 2026 ProVelo Super League<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Instagram DMs, quiet Belgian side streets, and phone calls with parents \u2013 Inside the race to snap up cycling&#8217;s next top talents<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A clinical Jonas Vingegaard and a long list of riders MIA \u2013 Philippa York analyses the Volta a Catalunya<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Soft pulls, subtle digs: The Tour of Flanders mind games have already begun \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have the makings of a great Tour of Flanders team, but is Remco Evenepoel the missing piece for taking on Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">The next Australians on the path to the WorldTour? Taking a closer look at the riders who shot to the top at the 2026 ProVelo Super League<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I didn&#8217;t expect to win by such a margin&#8217; \u2013 A time trial triumph for Paul Seixas as he carves out first WorldTour stage victory and claims leader&#8217;s jersey at Itzulia Basque Country<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Remco Evenepoel opts not to make debut at Paris-Roubaix, despite Tour of Flanders podium<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Itzulia Basque Country: Paul Seixas pours on the power to win individual time trial opener and claim leader&#8217;s jersey<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRacing\n<\/li>\n<li>\nWomen&#8217;s Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRoad\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTour of Flanders Women\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Cat Ferguson&#8217;s Spring Classics column: Tour of Flanders is the toughest, most powerful race on the calendar, and that is felt in every pedal stroke<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><b>MEMBER EXCLUSIVE<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nCat Ferguson <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-07T08:47:19Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n7 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">&#8216;Everyone wants to be their best, and for me, it was a brutal, brutal race&#8217; 19-year-old Movistar talent writes about the importance of Belgium&#8217;s biggest one-day race of the season<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1920-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"caption-text\">This year&#8217;s Flanders was the hardest race I&#8217;ve ever tackled<\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Thomas Maheux\/SWpix.com)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative 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class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-81f7957b-0a32-402e-bec6-42177eccf1bc\">I&#8217;m 19 years old, starting my second year as a professional, and just raced my second Tour of Flanders, a race that, for me, is 100% the hardest race that I&#8217;ve ever done and that there is on the calendar because of its history in cycling, how the women&#8217;s race has evolved into the level it is today, and the fact that it has been like an unknown World Championships to my team, Movistar, and to our directors &#8211; It is the most important one-day race on the calendar.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, everyone wants to be their best, and for me, it was a brutal, brutal race. It was hard in the moments when people watching on TV don&#8217;t realize how hard it is, that places that aren&#8217;t as obvious: the flat roads with corners, the approach to climbs, and the positioning in the peloton. It&#8217;s out of this world, and it is difficult to describe how much concentration and physical energy are involved. In a race like Flanders, it&#8217;s constantly positioning followed by a climb. The climbs are short, but that only makes it so much harder because you get over the climb, and if the positioning was good, that&#8217;s great, you&#8217;re in the front group, but then the next climb&#8217;s coming. So you can never, ever rest.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-81f7957b-0a32-402e-bec6-42177eccf1bc-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Compared to last year&#8217;s edition, this year was a lot harder for me. The race split up after the Koppenberg, and last year, I got dropped there, like I did this year, but the race came back together last year, whereas this year it didn&#8217;t. For my team, anyway, it was a complete disaster on the approach to the Koppenberg; Marlen Reusser crashed, and we were out of position going up the climb, one by one, not with each other at all. Over the top, I fought to try to come back with my teammate, Liane Lippert. We were in the second group, but it was just not possible, and the race was over for us after the Koppenberg, which is still very far from the finish, about 40km to go. It was still difficult, and compared to last year, there were some power records.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">As it happened: The race is made with the Oude Kwaremont producing the winner of the Tour of Flanders Women<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;The level is a thousand times higher than 2013&#8217; &#8211; Tiffany Cromwell on her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad victory and how the Classics have transformed since<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Tadej Poga\u010dar turns Tour of Flanders into a torture-fest as Remco Evenepoel silences critics<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"flanders-classics-doing-it-right-3\">Flanders Classics doing it right<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1f1fb3c1-3a78-4f0c-8751-cd7aff88a681\">Beyond my personal performance, Movistar has a strong history with the race, with Annemiek van Vleuten, who has spoken a lot about the Monuments and the Tour of Flanders and has commented on the progression of women&#8217;s cycling over the years. And now I&#8217;m on the same team as her, much younger and with much less on my palmares, but also talking about the same topics, which are really highlighted at Flanders; everyone is performing at their best, but it&#8217;s also the time where we are more conscious of how women&#8217;s cycling has progressed.<\/p>\n<p>The level of the race and the strength of the field have improved, even compared to last year. I don&#8217;t know if we broke a statistical record, but the level was mind-blowingly high yesterday. It plays a part in the increasing viewership of the women&#8217;s Tour of Flanders. In my eyes, the level is continually improving, and more people are paying attention to us. Both things go hand in hand; they help and assist each other. It&#8217;s nowhere near perfect; there are still many things we want to improve, but for example, we now have equal prize money at the Tour of Flanders. It&#8217;s not the most important thing in terms of equality and sport, but it certainly is something great, and something that we can talk about and be super proud about; that it&#8217;s now a thing in one of the biggest races in women&#8217;s cycling.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-d3b9a52f-a8c8-4a72-8537-4bdcf279ff58\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Movistar has a strong pedigree at De Ronde <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"going-up-kwaremont-i-honestly-couldn-t-even-think-about-how-painful-my-legs-felt-because-it-s-so-noisy-3\">&#8216;Going up Kwaremont, I honestly couldn&#8217;t even think about how painful my legs felt because it&#8217;s so noisy&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-2ffad51b-539d-4929-8e20-270a1ab2c03e\">Having the races on the same day is a really interesting talking point, too, and many people have different opinions. Some people think that it&#8217;s great for our race, the women&#8217;s race, because the fans will stay and keep watching our race, but some people also think that it&#8217;s better to have them on separate days, so that the women&#8217;s race doesn&#8217;t feel like an afterthought.<\/p>\n<p>When Paris-Roubaix was held over two days, most people made a weekend of it, rather than leaving after the men&#8217;s race. But, as someone who raced Flanders yesterday, I noticed that not many people left after the men&#8217;s race. Many people were on the roads supporting us. Flanders Classics&#8217; system of having both races on the same day works because of the design of the course and the fact that the people on the Kwaremont, if they come and stay there, are actually not allowed to leave until the races are over because there&#8217;s no way of getting out other than the road the cyclists are using.<\/p>\n<p>In that sense, as someone who hasn&#8217;t done the Tour de France, the crowds at Flanders were the biggest I&#8217;ve ever seen. Going up Kwaremont, I honestly couldn&#8217;t even think about how painful my legs felt because it&#8217;s so noisy. There&#8217;s too much to concentrate on when you are riding up, and fans were even leaning over the barriers holding out beers &#8211; like it was a feed zone &#8211; apparently thinking that was exactly what we needed at that moment.<\/p>\n<p>It was quite a powerful race. As I was in heart rate zone 5, I was also subconsciously appreciating the support, and it felt really powerful. I&#8217;m a young rider, so someone a bit older could compare it to Flanders five years ago; fewer crowds, more crowds, but for me, as a 19-year-old, I don&#8217;t know anything different. I&#8217;m still very aware that this is not the sort of normal in the women&#8217;s peloton, and that I&#8217;m the lucky one because I&#8217;m racing this race, and it&#8217;s the best version of this race they&#8217;ve ever experienced.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-1d98c1ea-07e9-4213-bdb0-ae0ce7c691ed\">So Flanders Classics&#8217; strategy to improve the visibility of its women&#8217;s races by running them on the same day and having the women&#8217;s races finish after the men&#8217;s races has been a big success. As women, we have to use the men&#8217;s races to grow. The men&#8217;s cycling world is already so developed, and what Flanders Classics has done by attaching us to that, at least in the beginning, to speed up the growth of women&#8217;s racing initially, in my eyes, is the best way that a race organizer can help.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">From &#8216;a bit of a sideshow&#8217; to &#8216;proper start to the season&#8217; &#8211; The changing shape of the Women&#8217;s Tour Down Under <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: The alternative way to beat the big hitters, and why Lorena Wiebes is a master<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Team unity will be the biggest advantage in this year&#8217;s Spring Classics \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Eventually, though, the women&#8217;s races will outgrow that approach &#8211; I think that will happen &#8211; and then Flanders Classics might come back and say they actually have to separate the two races because they could potentially make double the revenue by putting the women&#8217;s race on the Saturday and the men&#8217;s race on the Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>What they&#8217;ve done so far is great, and it&#8217;s appropriate for the point we&#8217;re at right now. Still, I hope in the future it can grow and that they&#8217;ll have to reassess their strategy because it&#8217;s worked and we&#8217;ve got the growth we needed, the boost from the men&#8217;s races, and built our own unique, and of course, crossover fan base as well. Thanks to Flanders Classics.<\/p>\n<p>You can also see how modern their race organisation is through their social media. I follow them on Instagram because their content is exciting, different, and modern. You get to see more riders&#8217; personalities, which is contributing to increased followers and engagement. Showing a more personal side of riders and making cycling more fun and interesting on and off the bike are great ways to make the sport more engaging.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f76ed4b0-c4ec-428b-a4d7-42f3835bd16b\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-2000-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The crowds for the women&#8217;s race were really strong and a testament to Flanders Classics&#8217; efforts <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"there-s-something-to-gain-by-televising-more-of-the-women-s-race-3\">&#8216;There&#8217;s something to gain by televising more of the women&#8217;s race&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-11e74535-76ea-4691-b586-814b201192a4\">And that leads me to talk about another part of the race: the coverage. This year, about 100km of the women&#8217;s race was filmed. The men had around 280km of the race filmed, and I remember watching the men&#8217;s race before we even started racing yesterday on the bus travelling there. That&#8217;s almost all of their race filmed on television, and obviously, that&#8217;s 280km compared to the 160km that we do. I would argue that our race, from start to finish, is a bit more engaging and exciting because it&#8217;s shorter: we get to the climbs faster, and there&#8217;s less downtime before racing starts. So, there&#8217;s something to gain there by televising more of the women&#8217;s race. We have to keep pushing for that, but the viewers and the general cycling community need to do the same.<\/p>\n<p>I think it would benefit women&#8217;s cycling as a whole; the sponsors and all the partners who put the money in, but it would benefit the race, and make the race more exciting for the early breakaways to know that if they put themselves in a break from kilometre zero, then they&#8217;re getting much more television time. Ultimately, that&#8217;s where the biggest gap in women&#8217;s cycling lies: smaller teams need more partners and sponsors to close the gap with the top tier, whereas in men&#8217;s cycling, there is much less disparity.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"gratitude-3\">Gratitude<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-71a53642-5ad6-48e6-a57e-f9e03e76182d\">After my second experience racing at the Tour of Flanders, I&#8217;d like to say thank you to all the people associated with the race; the riders for making the level so high and making everyone want to be the best versions of themselves; the race oranisers, teams and sponsors that support the teams and the race; all the people that came to watch, to be in the VIP tent, or just stood on the roadside and cheered us on.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a thank you for every race, because this sport is a privilege no matter the day of the week, the place, or whether you&#8217;re racing the Tour of Flanders or not. These things add up to make it the most special race on the calendar and shape how women&#8217;s cycling is seen at the highest level. It&#8217;s the most important race to have everything at 100%.<\/p>\n<p>So, although my race, personally, and from Movistar, was a disappointment, and we were not satisfied at all, I still rode the last 40km in the group, thinking about how lucky I am to be 19 in this race, riding with girls around me who I believe have contributed so much to the sport to the point where I wouldn&#8217;t be next to them in the peloton at my age and riding for Movistar team without their contribution to women&#8217;s cycling. Which is quite a concept to wrap your head around as a competitor when you&#8217;re both grateful for the level of women&#8217;s cycling while also in that very moment, at the Tour of Flanders, wishing your legs weren&#8217;t quite having to be ripped off to the same level that they are.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m very grateful to all the women in that race who ultimately led me there and also contributed to how women&#8217;s cycling has grown into what it is today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-LSvnAwkE8GhhU5hfzuTUWm\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-LSvnAwkE8GhhU5hfzuTUWm slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Cat Ferguson<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>British cyclist, Cat Ferguson, 19, is in her second full year in top-tier cycling racing for the Spain-based Women&#8217;s WorldTeam, Movistar, after joining the outfit as a trainee in August of 2024. As a junior rider, she won the Ronde van Vlaanderen Junior and the time trial at the British National Championships, along with the silver medal in the road race at the World Championships in Glasgow 2023. She followed those performances with double gold medals in the junior women&#8217;s road race and time trial at the World Championships, Zurich in 2024. Ferguson has excelled in cyclocross and road racing circuits. She opened this season with wins at Trofeo Llucmajor and a stage at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, before going on to finish fourth at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and sixth at Dwars door Vlaanderen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">As it happened: The race is made with the Oude Kwaremont producing the winner of the Tour of Flanders Women<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The level is a thousand times higher than 2013&#8217; &#8211; Tiffany Cromwell on her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad victory and how the Classics have transformed since<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Tadej Poga\u010dar turns Tour of Flanders into a torture-fest as Remco Evenepoel silences critics<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From &#8216;a bit of a sideshow&#8217; to &#8216;proper start to the season&#8217; &#8211; The changing shape of the Women&#8217;s Tour Down Under <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: The alternative way to beat the big hitters, and why Lorena Wiebes is a master<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Team unity will be the biggest advantage in this year&#8217;s Spring Classics \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Mjn5kXszgCzChPUPEwWpF6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From top riders&#8217; real form to the teams not quite thriving \u2013 Five key questions ahead of Milan-San Remo and the next Classics<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hzM6c5GgJrbmmxurxK6Rk3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Even for Mathieu the race is way over the limit&#8217; \u2013 Van der Poel may be king of the Classics, but here&#8217;s why he won&#8217;t race Strade Bianche in its current form<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot face off in what could be an epic showdown  \u2013 Analysing the Tour of Flanders Women contenders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UEciKMEFrBFxjDvvcbrifg-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">As it happened: Order is restored as the Kapelmuur-Bosberg duo make the difference at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad <\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;High trees catch a lot of wind&#8217; \u2013 From intense media scrutiny to social media abuse, the Classics bring out the pressure of expectation in Belgium<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6KqJ39QfbRbnCTKbsGZzKY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Ronde de Mouscron: Clara Copponi blasts away opposition to clinch powerful bunch sprint victory<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jcwvRUEuzovt7SHYCg2xNG-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Teams confirm Marlen Reusser and Kim Le Court-Pienaar both suffered fractures due to Tour of Flanders crash<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dNXJHS5WBEQ92bf9uQVsfZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Everybody knows somebody who is struggling&#8217; \u2013\u00a0Powered by meditation, tearful Demi Vollering embraces emotions of first Tour of Flanders triumph<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/f3zvCtE6GbvAo5UHRwbBsX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The win was not in our reach today&#8217; \u2013 Loss of Lorena Wiebes on Koppenberg costly for Lotte Kopecky in Tour of Flanders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cr2RTiBiu8RcetVeVCih9X-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cresting the Koppenberg with leaders &#8216;gave me a few goosebumps&#8217; \u2013 Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt impresses with fifth in Tour of Flanders<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nWjVwHL6JaxuctmPiujKvg-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s cycling (races)<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I was just not strong enough&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot bettered by Demi Vollering&#8217;s Kwaremont power to finish second in Tour of Flanders again<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tour of Flanders Women: Demi Vollering sails to victory after shedding rivals with a solo attack on Oude Kwaremont<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/HHPHX8i8rfnTbH9RPda9M5-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A big change to the team&#8217; \u2013 How Franziska Koch became a vital domestique for Demi Vollering and one of the best signings of the season<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/w3FiB6T4ivzDnQn4Mhc586-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Former Tour of Flanders winner Marianne Vos not racing Sunday to direct focus on family after father&#8217;s death<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Vh34BooamCivwXpsDSrfAZ-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I can give others some pressure&#8217; \u2013 Why Lorena Wiebes could be the most influential rider on the Tour of Flanders start line<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rgsBNinvxShtJQJLdgF5TN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">With no Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Canyon-SRAM look to Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt and Chlo\u00e9 Dygert for Tour of Flanders success<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Zg3H59SrqAJ8yUL58dyFQG-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot face off in what could be an epic showdown  \u2013 Analysing the Tour of Flanders Women contenders<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aWp3CcerQq6gptxa76AMjF-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Tadej Poga\u010dar turns Tour of Flanders into a torture-fest as Remco Evenepoel silences critics<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v2f6yDEapxtfhcsY9Wmqi5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;High trees catch a lot of wind&#8217; \u2013 From intense media scrutiny to social media abuse, the Classics bring out the pressure of expectation in Belgium<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yN5KaYUdxVizZ7fQmeidq6-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">What can Remco Evenepoel learn from Poga\u010dar, Nibali, and Valverde? 5 memorable Tour of Flanders debuts from big-name cobbles newbies<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LsHmBtnTxiYK3jFBQJLi7S-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;We lost three experienced riders, and replaced them with really young riders&#8217; \u2013 Can Lidl-Trek&#8217;s changed Classics core do enough for Mads Pedersen at the Tour of Flanders?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LicjXPEYhXddW3XAUkQwgK-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Cycling Culture<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Quiz! Can you name all the Tour of Flanders winners since 2000?<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bHLxGrWU2fCg4Mw43wZRES-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Remco Evenepoel is right to make his Tour of Flanders debut now, and how he could challenge Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The next Australians on the path to the WorldTour? Taking a closer look at the riders who shot to the top at the 2026 ProVelo Super League<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Q3J95fBiX8AU8aJKCfy8gT-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Instagram DMs, quiet Belgian side streets, and phone calls with parents \u2013 Inside the race to snap up cycling&#8217;s next top talents<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rcETCoJsDCpoif83S8uocA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A clinical Jonas Vingegaard and a long list of riders MIA \u2013 Philippa York analyses the Volta a Catalunya<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Soft pulls, subtle digs: The Tour of Flanders mind games have already begun \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have the makings of a great Tour of Flanders team, but is Remco Evenepoel the missing piece for taking on Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5b5JsNcrpyxRR7CHit7MLj.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">The next Australians on the path to the WorldTour? Taking a closer look at the riders who shot to the top at the 2026 ProVelo Super League<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I didn&#8217;t expect to win by such a margin&#8217; \u2013 A time trial triumph for Paul Seixas as he carves out first WorldTour stage victory and claims leader&#8217;s jersey at Itzulia Basque Country<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Everything the Tour of Flanders can tell us about Paris-Roubaix \u2013 The Monument quintuple, no Remco Evenepoel, and Lotte Kopecky&#8217;s chances<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Remco Evenepoel opts not to make debut at Paris-Roubaix, despite Tour of Flanders podium<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Itzulia Basque Country: Paul Seixas pours on the power to win individual time trial opener and claim leader&#8217;s jersey<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRacing\n<\/li>\n<li>\nWomen&#8217;s Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRoad\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTour of Flanders Women\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Cat Ferguson&#8217;s Spring Classics column: Tour of Flanders is the toughest, most powerful race on the calendar, and that is felt in every pedal stroke<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><b>MEMBER EXCLUSIVE<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nCat Ferguson <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-04-07T08:47:19Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n7 April 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">&#8216;Everyone wants to be their best, and for me, it was a brutal, brutal race&#8217; 19-year-old Movistar talent writes about the importance of Belgium&#8217;s biggest one-day race of the season<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"!m-0\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 sm:ml-1.5 font-base text-xs\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-81f7957b-0a32-402e-bec6-42177eccf1bc\">I&#8217;m 19 years old, starting my second year as a professional, and just raced my second Tour of Flanders, a race that, for me, is 100% the hardest race that I&#8217;ve ever done and that there is on the calendar because of its history in cycling, how the women&#8217;s race has evolved into the level it is today, and the fact that it has been like an unknown World Championships to my team, Movistar, and to our directors &#8211; It is the most important one-day race on the calendar.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, everyone wants to be their best, and for me, it was a brutal, brutal race. It was hard in the moments when people watching on TV don&#8217;t realize how hard it is, that places that aren&#8217;t as obvious: the flat roads with corners, the approach to climbs, and the positioning in the peloton. It&#8217;s out of this world, and it is difficult to describe how much concentration and physical energy are involved. In a race like Flanders, it&#8217;s constantly positioning followed by a climb. The climbs are short, but that only makes it so much harder because you get over the climb, and if the positioning was good, that&#8217;s great, you&#8217;re in the front group, but then the next climb&#8217;s coming. So you can never, ever rest.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-81f7957b-0a32-402e-bec6-42177eccf1bc-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Compared to last year&#8217;s edition, this year was a lot harder for me. The race split up after the Koppenberg, and last year, I got dropped there, like I did this year, but the race came back together last year, whereas this year it didn&#8217;t. For my team, anyway, it was a complete disaster on the approach to the Koppenberg; Marlen Reusser crashed, and we were out of position going up the climb, one by one, not with each other at all. Over the top, I fought to try to come back with my teammate, Liane Lippert. We were in the second group, but it was just not possible, and the race was over for us after the Koppenberg, which is still very far from the finish, about 40km to go. It was still difficult, and compared to last year, there were some power records.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/48G7Ub9epDscFwryKc93Na-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">As it happened: The race is made with the Oude Kwaremont producing the winner of the Tour of Flanders Women<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/epoo5sZdZxthJiTbUJFXUf-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;The level is a thousand times higher than 2013&#8217; &#8211; Tiffany Cromwell on her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad victory and how the Classics have transformed since<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KiVa7oUDmqAuyQjJXbm4c-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: Tadej Poga\u010dar turns Tour of Flanders into a torture-fest as Remco Evenepoel silences critics<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"flanders-classics-doing-it-right-3\">Flanders Classics doing it right<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1f1fb3c1-3a78-4f0c-8751-cd7aff88a681\">Beyond my personal performance, Movistar has a strong history with the race, with Annemiek van Vleuten, who has spoken a lot about the Monuments and the Tour of Flanders and has commented on the progression of women&#8217;s cycling over the years. And now I&#8217;m on the same team as her, much younger and with much less on my palmares, but also talking about the same topics, which are really highlighted at Flanders; everyone is performing at their best, but it&#8217;s also the time where we are more conscious of how women&#8217;s cycling has progressed.<\/p>\n<p>The level of the race and the strength of the field have improved, even compared to last year. I don&#8217;t know if we broke a statistical record, but the level was mind-blowingly high yesterday. It plays a part in the increasing viewership of the women&#8217;s Tour of Flanders. In my eyes, the level is continually improving, and more people are paying attention to us. Both things go hand in hand; they help and assist each other. It&#8217;s nowhere near perfect; there are still many things we want to improve, but for example, we now have equal prize money at the Tour of Flanders. It&#8217;s not the most important thing in terms of equality and sport, but it certainly is something great, and something that we can talk about and be super proud about; that it&#8217;s now a thing in one of the biggest races in women&#8217;s cycling.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-d3b9a52f-a8c8-4a72-8537-4bdcf279ff58\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xeGoPhJxPB9HbnudvGbkdY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Movistar has a strong pedigree at De Ronde <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"going-up-kwaremont-i-honestly-couldn-t-even-think-about-how-painful-my-legs-felt-because-it-s-so-noisy-3\">&#8216;Going up Kwaremont, I honestly couldn&#8217;t even think about how painful my legs felt because it&#8217;s so noisy&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-2ffad51b-539d-4929-8e20-270a1ab2c03e\">Having the races on the same day is a really interesting talking point, too, and many people have different opinions. Some people think that it&#8217;s great for our race, the women&#8217;s race, because the fans will stay and keep watching our race, but some people also think that it&#8217;s better to have them on separate days, so that the women&#8217;s race doesn&#8217;t feel like an afterthought.<\/p>\n<p>When Paris-Roubaix was held over two days, most people made a weekend of it, rather than leaving after the men&#8217;s race. But, as someone who raced Flanders yesterday, I noticed that not many people left after the men&#8217;s race. Many people were on the roads supporting us. Flanders Classics&#8217; system of having both races on the same day works because of the design of the course and the fact that the people on the Kwaremont, if they come and stay there, are actually not allowed to leave until the races are over because there&#8217;s no way of getting out other than the road the cyclists are using.<\/p>\n<p>In that sense, as someone who hasn&#8217;t done the Tour de France, the crowds at Flanders were the biggest I&#8217;ve ever seen. Going up Kwaremont, I honestly couldn&#8217;t even think about how painful my legs felt because it&#8217;s so noisy. There&#8217;s too much to concentrate on when you are riding up, and fans were even leaning over the barriers holding out beers &#8211; like it was a feed zone &#8211; apparently thinking that was exactly what we needed at that moment.<\/p>\n<p>It was quite a powerful race. As I was in heart rate zone 5, I was also subconsciously appreciating the support, and it felt really powerful. I&#8217;m a young rider, so someone a bit older could compare it to Flanders five years ago; fewer crowds, more crowds, but for me, as a 19-year-old, I don&#8217;t know anything different. I&#8217;m still very aware that this is not the sort of normal in the women&#8217;s peloton, and that I&#8217;m the lucky one because I&#8217;m racing this race, and it&#8217;s the best version of this race they&#8217;ve ever experienced.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-1d98c1ea-07e9-4213-bdb0-ae0ce7c691ed\">So Flanders Classics&#8217; strategy to improve the visibility of its women&#8217;s races by running them on the same day and having the women&#8217;s races finish after the men&#8217;s races has been a big success. As women, we have to use the men&#8217;s races to grow. The men&#8217;s cycling world is already so developed, and what Flanders Classics has done by attaching us to that, at least in the beginning, to speed up the growth of women&#8217;s racing initially, in my eyes, is the best way that a race organizer can help.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2SmV3kctohAYDFdhPpQjsN-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">From &#8216;a bit of a sideshow&#8217; to &#8216;proper start to the season&#8217; &#8211; The changing shape of the Women&#8217;s Tour Down Under <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/h46gUSG89XyXEozhPuUTX8-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Sean Kelly&#8217;s Classics column: The alternative way to beat the big hitters, and why Lorena Wiebes is a master<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bCb2MziDGJyweG2pFEED3g-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Team unity will be the biggest advantage in this year&#8217;s Spring Classics \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Eventually, though, the women&#8217;s races will outgrow that approach &#8211; I think that will happen &#8211; and then Flanders Classics might come back and say they actually have to separate the two races because they could potentially make double the revenue by putting the women&#8217;s race on the Saturday and the men&#8217;s race on the Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>What they&#8217;ve done so far is great, and it&#8217;s appropriate for the point we&#8217;re at right now. Still, I hope in the future it can grow and that they&#8217;ll have to reassess their strategy because it&#8217;s worked and we&#8217;ve got the growth we needed, the boost from the men&#8217;s races, and built our own unique, and of course, crossover fan base as well. Thanks to Flanders Classics.<\/p>\n<p>You can also see how modern their race organisation is through their social media. I follow them on Instagram because their content is exciting, different, and modern. You get to see more riders&#8217; personalities, which is contributing to increased followers and engagement. Showing a more personal side of riders and making cycling more fun and interesting on and off the bike are great ways to make the sport more engaging.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-f76ed4b0-c4ec-428b-a4d7-42f3835bd16b\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-2000-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ba7aCYM9bW6yrvPYQc78Ch-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The crowds for the women&#8217;s race were really strong and a testament to Flanders Classics&#8217; efforts <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"there-s-something-to-gain-by-televising-more-of-the-women-s-race-3\">&#8216;There&#8217;s something to gain by televising more of the women&#8217;s race&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-11e74535-76ea-4691-b586-814b201192a4\">And that leads me to talk about another part of the race: the coverage. This year, about 100km of the women&#8217;s race was filmed. The men had around 280km of the race filmed, and I remember watching the men&#8217;s race before we even started racing yesterday on the bus travelling there. That&#8217;s almost all of their race filmed on television, and obviously, that&#8217;s 280km compared to the 160km that we do. I would argue that our race, from start to finish, is a bit more engaging and exciting because it&#8217;s shorter: we get to the climbs faster, and there&#8217;s less downtime before racing starts. So, there&#8217;s something to gain there by televising more of the women&#8217;s race. We have to keep pushing for that, but the viewers and the general cycling community need to do the same.<\/p>\n<p>I think it would benefit women&#8217;s cycling as a whole; the sponsors and all the partners who put the money in, but it would benefit the race, and make the race more exciting for the early breakaways to know that if they put themselves in a break from kilometre zero, then they&#8217;re getting much more television time. Ultimately, that&#8217;s where the biggest gap in women&#8217;s cycling lies: smaller teams need more partners and sponsors to close the gap with the top tier, whereas in men&#8217;s cycling, there is much less disparity.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"gratitude-3\">Gratitude<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-71a53642-5ad6-48e6-a57e-f9e03e76182d\">After my second experience racing at the Tour of Flanders, I&#8217;d like to say thank you to all the people associated with the race; the riders for making the level so high and making everyone want to be the best versions of themselves; the race oranisers, teams and sponsors that support the teams and the race; all the people that came to watch, to be in the VIP tent, or just stood on the roadside and cheered us on.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a thank you for every race, because this sport is a privilege no matter the day of the week, the place, or whether you&#8217;re racing the Tour of Flanders or not. These things add up to make it the most special race on the calendar and shape how women&#8217;s cycling is seen at the highest level. It&#8217;s the most important race to have everything at 100%.<\/p>\n<p>So, although my race, personally, and from Movistar, was a disappointment, and we were not satisfied at all, I still rode the last 40km in the group, thinking about how lucky I am to be 19 in this race, riding with girls around me who I believe have contributed so much to the sport to the point where I wouldn&#8217;t be next to them in the peloton at my age and riding for Movistar team without their contribution to women&#8217;s cycling. Which is quite a concept to wrap your head around as a competitor when you&#8217;re both grateful for the level of women&#8217;s cycling while also in that very moment, at the Tour of Flanders, wishing your legs weren&#8217;t quite having to be ripped off to the same level that they are.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m very grateful to all the women in that race who ultimately led me there and also contributed to how women&#8217;s cycling has grown into what it is today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/cat-fergusons-spring-classics-column-tour-of-flanders-is-the-toughest-most-powerful-race-on-the-calendar-and-that-is-felt-in-every-pedal-stroke\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EX4hRi9pXrjGizQoJjHMYc-1920-80.png&#8221;] Pro Cycling Racing Women&#8217;s Cycling Road Tour of Flanders Women Cat Ferguson&#8217;s Spring Classics column: Tour of Flanders is the toughest, most powerful race on the calendar, and that is felt in every pedal stroke MEMBER EXCLUSIVE Features By Cat Ferguson published 7 April 2026 &#8216;Everyone wants to be their best, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-1869406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1869406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1869406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1869406\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1869406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1869406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1869406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}