‘Wiebes is an absolute animal’ – Cat Ferguson says riders need to believe SD Worx-Protime star is beatable, or ‘it’s never going to happen’

Ferguson returned to racing with Lloyd on Sunday at In Flanders Fields, but recalled pre-race at the complete disbelief she had reacted with to her teammate’s first professional victory.

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“It was incredible, because you watch a race like that, and honestly, everyone, even me, a teammate of Carys’, expects that Wiebes is going to win, and she didn’t,” Ferguson told Cyclingnews in Wevelgem.

“Carys won, and I was watching it in a pottery shop with Imogen Wolff; it was her birthday, and we were painting a pot together, and we were screaming, because it was just something out of this world, almost.

“The notifications started coming through because we were a bit behind on the live stream, and it didn’t say that she had won or anything, so I thought that she’d done very well, and then I saw her cross the line first. I was honestly in disbelief for a while, because what she has done is really just historic, to be honest.”

Of course, Wiebes didn’t take long to take her revenge after missing out on a chance even to sprint three days before. In Flanders Fields, she dominated both the climbs and the five-rider group sprint to win for the fifth time already in 2026.

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She’s coming off the back of her best season yet with SD Worx-Protime, having claimed 25 wins in 2025 and with her overall tally now sitting at 123 at the professional level. Ferguson’s point of belief being key does still stand, though. That’s because what the Ronde van Brugge did expose is how Wiebes is not immune to getting boxed in or following the wrong wheel in a sprint, despite her clear superiority against anyone when it comes to pure speed.

“Wiebes is an absolute animal, but I think it shows that she can be beaten. She is only human, and she does make mistakes, which, as a whole, probably makes cycling more interesting,” said Ferguson.

“Because if the riders don’t believe that we can beat Wiebes, then, of course, it’s never going to happen. So if we can start believing that, then hopefully teams stop riding with SD Worx and things like that, to make a change and allow things to happen again.

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“Of course, I respect Wiebes and I also enjoy when she wins; she’s an incredible athlete, but it’s always nice to see an underdog win like Carys did, especially as she’s my teammate.”