Driedaagse Brugge - De Panne

French sprinter takes Movistar Team to the fore in inevitable bunch sprint, won by veteran specialist Kirsten Wild (WNT). More action in Belgium on Sunday at Gent-Wevelgem.

At a sprint with nearly every possible main sprinting name inside the UCI Women’s WorldTour field, the Movistar Team tried to contest success at the the fourth round of the series with Roxane Fournier during the 2nd edition of the Driedaagse Brugge – De Panne, a 134km course in West Flanders with more technical difficulties -road furniture, tramlines, narrow roads- than real elevations.

The vigilance and pace-making with attacks at the uncountable moves during the race by Gloria Rodríguez, Alba Teruel, Paula Patiño, Lourdes Oyarbide and Sheyla Gutiérrez -the latter briefly into a break early in the event- were all focused on securing a sprint with Fournier. The Frenchwoman, however, was boxed in and out of position in the narrow approach to De Panne, and had to make a big effort -in practice, a sprint more than 500 meters long- to take a respectable 11th place. Veteran Kirsten Wild (WNT) won in front of young guns Lorena Wiebes (PHV) and Lotte Kopecky (LSL).

The ‘Belgian roster’ directed by Jorge Sanz and Sebastián Unzué will be back into action in three days’ time at Gent-Wevelgem, just seven sleeps before the legendary Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Cover picture (c): Balint Hamvas / Velofocus