Despite a very long list of victories in 2025, the season of Lorena Wiebes doesn’t end on a high as she would’ve hoped for. The new world champion in Omnium and Scratch did not complete her three-peat in Madison for which she partnered up Lisa van Belle. In fact, the Dutch favourites crashed during one of the relays while in provisional lead and the race ended for them earlier than planned.
National coach Nick Stöpler called the fall a “combination of circumstances” to the NOS. “I’m incredibly upset about it, and I feel so sorry for them. I really wanted them to win, after all the work all those people and organizations put into it. It went incredibly well, with a lot of control…”
“It was going fast, and it was at a difficult moment when they took over. Perhaps they came in a bit too slowly, and Lorena doesn’t have the experience to recognize the difference in speed. Because there’s not quite enough pressure on the front wheel, they end up crashing into each other.”
“That happens to every pro rider at some point, but you’d prefer not to have it at a World Championship,” said the national coach, who was able to assess the damage immediately after the crash. “Nothing seems broken, but they fell very hard. And if I’m disappointed, you can imagine how they feel. They seem healthy, so that’s good.” After the race, Wiebes appeared with her hand stabilized, hopefully only as a precaution.
Internet haters
Wiebes herself took to social media on Sunday to express her disapproval. “Luckily, I have a strong body and everything is okay under the circumstances,” she wrote alongside a screenshot of a hate message on Facebook. In it, a “fan” wished Wiebes as many broken bones as possible and called the Dutch woman the “most unsportswoman in existence.” “People are so nice!” Wiebes cynically commented.
Lorena Wiebes and Lisa van Belle on the ground after their incident
This is still an afterplay of the Gravel World Championships in Limburg from two weeks ago. There, the Dutch women once again raced one against another, with Yara Kastelin’s late attack essentially closing the gap to Shirin van Anrooij who had been on a solo attack for a long time at the time. This allowed Wiebes to sprint for victory – a scenario where Wiebes doesn’t make mistakes.
“I have to be honest: I didn’t say anything to Yara. I only had contact with Julia Kopecky. I do feel sorry for Shirin, being caught in the last 500 meters,” Wiebes said after that race.
Response from Dutch federation
The KNWU (Royal Dutch Cycling Union) already felt compelled to issue a press release after earlier online hateful comments. “We are shocked by the way some of our riders were personally approached via social media after the race. We believe it is completely unacceptable that athletes who put in their full commitment and pride are confronted with derogatory, insulting, or intimidating comments.”
“This can never be the intention of such a tournament or event within our cycling community. Insulting or belittling riders via social media is completely unacceptable. The KNWU stands unconditionally behind its athletes and condemns this behavior in the strongest terms. The KNWU calls on everyone to not tolerate inappropriate behavior on social media,” said chairman Maurice Leeser.