As it Happened – Late attackers hold off the chase group in thrilling finale in Dwars door Vlaanderen Women

2026-04-01T15:41:27.270Z

Here’s what Reusser had to say after the finish:

“I’m surprised. I didn’t expect it like this, so I’m so happy.”

“In the beginning of the race, I felt like I really had trouble positioning, but I kept being confident also to help the whole team because I think we have a super strong team. It felt so good to know that in the group behind you have Lianne and Cat: [both] so fast. If we don’t make it, we still probably can make it with them, which is just uplifting, super nice. And then you really go for it.”

2026-04-01T15:34:21.170Z

It all came down to a marvellous battle between two of the world’s best.

There were questions over Reusser’s form after her crash in the UAE in which she suffered deep cuts to her hands and knee. She took her time returning and is clearly fresh and in great form ahead of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, which will be her big spring targets before a tilt at La Vuelta Feminina in May.

2026-04-01T15:31:27.267Z

A few seconds behind, Zoe Backstedt won the sprint from the chase group to take fourth.

2026-04-01T15:31:04.572Z

Vollering and Reusser were so entranced with each other that they were almost mugged by Nooijen. It was an incredible move out of the bunch.

In the end, it was Reusser who was fastest in the final 200 metres, edging Vollering on the line by a wheel.

2026-04-01T15:28:46.819Z

Vollering in second, with an opportunistic Nooijen taking a brilliant third place.

2026-04-01T15:17:47.464Z

Vollering and Reusser lift it again just as a rider swings off the chase. The lead is increasing again.

2026-04-01T15:17:07.950Z

A big turn on the front of the bunch and the gap is down to 5 seconds now. The group has Vollering and Reusser in their sights, but can they finish the job?

2026-04-01T15:15:39.980Z

Persico is definitely finished now. She almost comes to a complete stop. So does Gasparrini.

2026-04-01T15:13:36.001Z

Persico is back working on the front again to support Longo Borghini in the chase.

SD Worx-ProTime have now committed Julia Kopecky to the chase in support of her namesake Lotte Kopecky.

2026-04-01T15:12:03.316Z

Vollering and Reusser are working well together now. Their lead is up to 20 seconds.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-01T15:11:01.572Z

UAE Team ADQ still have four riders in the group, so plenty of firepower still to use.

2026-04-01T15:10:22.171Z

It’s a Longo Borghini individual time-trial on the front of the chasing group at the moment. With Reusser and Vollering working together again, the gap is stabilising at 14 seconds.

2026-04-01T15:05:12.672Z

Now Persico returns to the front of the group along with Gasparrini.

The gap is coming down now.

2026-04-01T15:04:04.199Z

Ferguson and Lippert are playing the perfect team-mate role behind, disrupting the chase.

2026-04-01T15:03:17.286Z

18 seconds for the leaders now as Longo Borghini leads the group on the cobbles.

2026-04-01T14:59:39.167Z

Longo Borghini brings Kopecky back.

Vollering and Reusser have a lead of 15 seconds.

2026-04-01T14:59:10.135Z

Kopecky has been quiet so far, but she attacks on the Nokereberg with Swinkels and Backstedt on the wheel.

2026-04-01T14:56:06.591Z

Reusser attacks now ahead of the first passing of the Nokereberg.

2026-04-01T14:55:30.724Z

Flat tyre for Paternoster. She’s off the back of the bunch now.

2026-04-01T14:55:04.355Z

Reusser is now working on the front of the group and edges back towards Swinkels. The Swiss may be working for Ferguson in her first race back after injury.

2026-04-01T14:54:20.109Z

Swinkels has three team-mates in the group with Longo Borghini, Persico and Gasparrini, so this is a good move.

2026-04-01T14:53:32.669Z

The riders have once again found a gutter to ride in on the right side of the cobbles. Swinkels has a five second lead.

2026-04-01T14:48:21.350Z

Chabbey is tracked by Van Anrooij and the group is stretched out as riders try to find room in the gutter on each side of the cobbles.

2026-04-01T14:46:14.052Z

The chasing group has lost a bit of momentum and appears to be slipping further back.

2026-04-01T14:45:47.278Z

A shot of Vollering’s attack on the Eikenberg.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-01T14:43:45.131Z

A group led by Lotto-Intermarché and Uno-X Mobility is around 15 seconds behind the leaders.

2026-04-01T14:43:10.102Z

The leaders are approaching Doorn, the next cobbled section.

2026-04-01T14:42:27.309Z

Attack by Mischa Bredewold. Koch is pulling the group back to the former Dutch champion.

2026-04-01T14:41:41.550Z

FDJ United-SUEZ and UAE Team ADQ are present in this group in number.

Another, smaller, group is approaching the leaders as things stall.

2026-04-01T14:40:23.531Z

There are around 25 in the front group now, with all the favourites represented.

2026-04-01T14:40:00.313Z

Silvia Persico appears for UAE Team ADQ and singlehandedly brings the Vollering group back.

Team-mate Karlijn Swinkels makes a move as soon as the leaders are caught, but doesn’t get away.

2026-04-01T14:37:40.978Z

The lead group has a 10 second lead.

2026-04-01T14:37:21.145Z

Longo Borghini is contributing to the chase, bereft of team-mates. Ferguson is also pulling having dropped off the leaders when Vollering attacked.

2026-04-01T14:36:18.547Z

That’s the worst of the climb over with now. There are several cobbled sectors left and two ascents of the Nokereberg, which won’t be as selective as the Eikenberg.

2026-04-01T14:33:33.851Z

The German is causing some real damage here with splits opening up behind. Cat Ferguson is with her. The likes of Le Court and Longo Borghini are further back at the moment.

2026-04-01T14:03:41.285Z

Brodie Chapman has been a constant presence on the front of the peloton so far this spring.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-01T13:21:35.984Z

Soto Campos and Le Mouël have joined the leaders. We now have a breakaway of seven at the front of the race.

Bodine Vollering is around 90 seconds behind and will be absorbed by the bunch.

2026-04-01T13:19:27.898Z

The riders are about to pass through Oudenaarde.

2026-04-01T13:12:05.326Z

Charlotte Kool is back in the peloton.

The Dutch rider is in decent form at the moment and was 7th at In Flanders Fields on Sunday.

2026-04-01T13:09:33.061Z

The peloton is now almost four minutes behind the lead group of five.

2026-04-01T13:09:08.142Z

There can be little doubt that UAE Team ADQ have been one of the teams of the season so far. They are mobbing the front of the peloton in support of Longo Borghini.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-01T13:07:47.978Z

Bodine Vollering was dropped from the chase group over the Hellestraat and is around 20 seconds behind Le Mouël and Soto Campos, who in turn have a 30 second deficit to the front of the race.

2026-04-01T13:06:22.843Z

This race mostly goes the way of the attackers and the big favourites, but occasionally with a headwind the sprinters can have their day. Chiara Consonni is a former winner here, having taken the bunch sprint in 2022.

Consonni is joined on the start-list by the likes of Ally Wollaston, Georgia Baker, Linda Zanetti and Kool – of whom we are awaiting news as to whether she has continued the race after her fall.

2026-04-01T13:03:12.731Z

What of Puck Pieterse and Fenix-Premier Tech today? The Dutch rider has looked good so far this spring, but is yet to take a win.

Sprinter Charlotte Kool has just crashed in the peloton.

2026-04-01T12:51:26.310Z

27-year-old Mia Griffin is the most seasoned of this leading group, having taken part in the Tour de France Femmes last year for Picnic-PostNL. This is her third Dwars door Vlaanderen.

2026-04-01T12:47:17.330Z

There is around 7km until the first climb of the day.

2026-04-01T12:45:41.418Z

The front group now have a lead of one minute.

“I feel physically much stronger than last year. I think more in a sense of I sort of fatigue less, and that’s probably just due to the fact I did no cyclocross over the winter, and I just committed to training,” she told Cyclingnews in Belgium this week.

“As well as the fact I’m a year older and experienced as well. But I think I’m just enjoying each race a lot more now than last year. It’s not quite as nerve-racking going into a race, and I feel a bit more confident with positioning and understanding how professional racing is going.”

2026-04-01T12:27:09.768Z

There’s a gentle wind out on course today, so there’s little chance of echelons.

There is a bit of sun, too, and the temperature is around 13 degrees celsius.

2026-04-01T12:21:07.687Z

It’s a benign opening 40 kilometres as the peloton loops around Waregem before heading south towards the first hill of the day.

2026-04-01T12:19:45.573Z

There’s news of one DNS from the start-list today. Alana Castrique of AG Insurance-Soudal hasn’t taken to the start.

2026-04-01T12:16:02.917Z

After a difficult 2025, Lotte Kopecky has made a remarkable return to form this spring.

The former world champion was victorious at Nokere Koerse two weeks ago before taking a big win at Milan-San Remo a few days later.

Are these ominous signs for the rest of the spring? We will find out more today on a more challenging course about Kopecky’s shape.

2026-04-01T12:04:25.851Z

Let’s have a look at what the riders are facing today. With eight climbs and six cobbled sectors for the riders to contend with, it’s going to be a challenging day.

After a flat opening section, the difficulties will come thick and fast, particularly in the second half of the 128.8 kilometres.

Here are the key points out on course:

Climbs:

Hellestraat (1.5km @ 3.5% after 28km)

Volkegemberg (1.1km @ 4% after 46km)

Berg Ten Houte (1.1km @ 5.4% after 57km)

Knokteberg – Trieu (1km @ 7.8% after 74km)

Hotond (1.2km @ 3.2% after 77km)

Eikenberg (1.2km @ 5% after 89km)

Nokereberg (0.4km @ 4.6% after 107km)

Nokereberg (0.4km @ 4.6% after 119km)

Cobbles:

Holleweg (0.6km after 47km)

Mariaborrestraat (2.4km after 84km)

Doorn (1.6km after 99km)

Huisepontweg (1.6km after 102km)

Herlegemstraat (0.8km after 110km)

Herlegemstraat (0.8km after 122.5km)

2026-04-01T11:55:52.413Z

If Reusser has the form, she will no doubt be a contender today.

Other big favourites include Longo Borghini, Lotte Kopecky and Marianne Vos.

Here’s our analysis of how the race could pan out today.

“She’s in full preparation for La Vuelta which is the most important thing, but she’s ready to race and ready to go for Flanders,” Movistar Sports Director Kelvin Dekker told Cyclingnews this week.

2026-04-01T11:47:07.579Z

The race gets underway in just over half an hour.

2026-04-01T11:46:53.431Z

Almost all of the big favourites for Monument glory on Sunday are present today in Waregem as they look to get a final hit-out in the legs. The major absentee is Lorena Wiebes, who has already proven her form in a big way this spring.

2026-04-01T11:38:18.794Z

Welcome to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of the 2026 edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen Women. It’s the final tune-up ahead of the big one on Sunday, the Ronde van Vlaanderen.