{"id":562671,"date":"2026-03-26T19:12:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/562671\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T19:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:12:17","slug":"volstad-in-the-mix-at-a-very-rainy-bruges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/562671\/","title":{"rendered":"Volstad in the mix at a very rainy Bruges"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a race shaped as much by weather as by wheels, 19-year-old Movistar pro Carys Lloyd surged to a breakthrough win at the Tour of Bruges<\/a>. The Brit took the dub from a disordered bunch sprint after a brutal afternoon of wind, crashes and hail.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s race followed the same route as the men on Thursday, where Dylan Groenewegen took victory. Although it was one lap shorter, it followed the same script. Flat roads, crosswinds threatening splits, and the expectation that it would all come back together for a sprint.<\/p>\n

For a long stretch, that\u2019s exactly how it played out. The peloton stayed largely intact through the opening kilometres before crosswinds finally bit around halfway, briefly shattering the group into echelons. The damage proved temporary, however, and a near-complete bunch rolled into the final lap.<\/p>\n

Then the race unravelled.<\/p>\n

There was a big crash, and then, a sudden hailstorm lashed the peloton. As conditions deteriorated, UAE Team ADQ forced the pace, stretching the field thin once more.<\/p>\n

Horrible conditions! \ud83c\udf26\ufe0f Hailstones and brutal weather for the riders at the Ronde van Brugge \ud83d\ude2b pic.twitter.com\/VIPvqhJ1IW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

On the cobbles of the Brieversweg, national champ Alison Jackson lit things up, driving clear and stringing the bunch into a line. It\u2019s the only cobbled sector, so it makes sense the former Paris-Roubaix winner would give \u2018er. The move didn\u2019t stick, but it certainly broke some legs.<\/p>\n

Late attacks followed, but the sprinters\u2019 teams restored order inside the final 20 km.<\/p>\n

All signs pointed to a showdown for Lorena Wiebes. Instead, the Dutch ace never got a clear run. Pinned along the barriers, she was boxed in as the sprint opened and could do little more than roll home ninth. Charlotte Kool was already out of contention after a late crash.<\/p>\n

That left the door open, and Lloyd didn\u2019t hesitate. Timing her effort to perfection, the teenager powered through the chaos to take the biggest win of her young career, ahead of Elisa Balsamo and Nienke Veenhoven.<\/p>\n

EF Education Oatly\u2019s Alex Volstad was right there, taking a solid 10th. Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health) was 31st, Ava Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) 58th and Jackson was 63rd.<\/p>\n

Racing continues on Friday with the men in action. The E3 Saxo Classic is next up. Then, on Sunday, there\u2019s Ghent-Wevelgem. And April is chock-full of all kinds of stuff, so get ready, sportsfans!<\/p>\n