Michal Kopecky became the first rider to make the Tour of Flanders history as he won the race in a
Key Highlights :
Belgian delivers on home soil again with the double at her race of dreams charging confidence ahead of Paris-Roubaix
It was a day of homecoming for Belgian rider Wiggle-Honda’s Anna van der Breggen as she delivered on her race of dreams by winning the women’s race at the legendary Paris-Roubaix. Van der Breggen, who was runner-up at the race last year, took the victory in a hard-fought battle with defending champion Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) and Orica-AIS’s Amalie Dideriksen. The trio were all within touching distance of each other at the end, with van der Breggen ultimately prevailing in a sprint finish. Van der Breggen’s victory is a testament to her outstanding form during the spring classics, which has seen her win the Strade Bianche, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and now Paris-Roubaix. “I was feeling really good today and I knew that I could win this race,” van der Breggen said. “I’m really happy that I was able to deliver on my race of dreams.” Van der Breggen’s victory is also a major boost for the Belgian team, which is looking to build on its success at the recent UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia. “This victory is really important for the team morale,” van der Breggen added. “It’s great to win a race on home soil and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming races in Belgium.” Van der Breggen’s victory also gives her a strong lead in the women’s World Cup standings, which will be updated after the final race of the series, the Tour of Flanders, which takes place next weekend. Van der Breggen is joined on the Wiggle-Honda team by compatriot Guarnier, who finished second, and Dideriksen, who was fourth. The trio will now turn their attention to the women’s World Championships in Richmond, which begin on Sunday.
