Tour of Flanders 2025, Kopecky wins the women's edition. Fear for Longo Borghini

Oudenaarde (Belgium), 6 April 2025 - The iris shines twice a Oudenaarde within a couple of hours: after the triumph of Tadej pogacar, here comes the one of Lotte Kopeky, who scores a hat-trick (a historic record at women's level) in a Tour of Flanders who loses the reigning champion halfway through the race Elisa Longo Borghini due to a fall, the consequences of which will need to be assessed in the next few days in view of the continuation of the season.  

Race report

As usual, the first part of the race, marked by an almost completely flat track, slips away in the name of a breakaway without Italians and also without particular ambitions. The first twist of the day comes on the Kruisberg, on which he is having difficulty Lorraine Wiebes, the European champion, as well as one of the athletes in the best shape in this first part of the season. The rest is done by the duo Old Kwaremont-Paterberg, with the same Kopecky to lead the dance: with the Belgian they remain Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot e Liana Lippert. Nothing to do instead for Letizia Paternoster, despite a strenuous initial resistance. The quartet thus goes to play for a success that will go to Kopecky, curiously still dry in season so far, with Ferrand-Prévot e Lippert to complete the podium: the best Italian is an excellent Letizia Borghesi, which finished sixth. The sad face of the Italian expedition is Longo Borghini, fell about 100 km from the finish line: for the Piedmontese, who was present at the Round with the excellent business card of last Wednesday's success at Dwars Door Vlaanderen, a blow to her right side which initially did not prevent her from getting back in the saddle, escorted by some of her companionsUAE Team ADQ. Then the surrender for the one who in the program would have (now the conditional becomes obligatory) also the Paris-Roubaix, L 'Amstel Gold Race, the Vallone Arrow la Liège-Bastogne-Liège, before of course diving into the season of Grand Tours.

Van Der Poel's statements

Speaking of Paris-Roubaix and moving on to the men's, there is a desire for immediate revenge for Mathieu van der Poel, today only third after last year's victory. "pogacar was stronger and I know I gave everything I had: all this eases my sorrow. As always, the last passage on theOude-Kwaremont made the difference because the strength left at that point is always limited. However, I ran well despite two small misfortunes: the fall and, precisely, the attack of Tadej. At that moment I was pushed to the left and I lost many positions, having to chase and leaving precious energy on the road. Now however there is the Paris-Roubaix, which for me should be less hard: I can't wait to see pogacar on the stones of theHell of the North".