Full disclosure: we always cheer for the break.
Sure, the sprint teams and the GC teams usually spoil the fun, and the list of long-range attacks that don't pan out is too long to even catalogue. But we still love a good break, and take perverse satisfaction when the teams behind miscalculate and or when the riders out front cooperate well and ride so hard that the chasers can't bring them back.
But we're not sure if last Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is what we had in mind, a day defined by negative tactics, massive group-two syndrome, and maybe some race radio issues and inaccurate time gaps. Whatever the case, the break went immediately, and got a 15-minute gap. And no one (other than maybe Ellen van Dijk of Lidl-Trek, who brought it back to 7 minutes at one point) seemed motivated to do anything about it for far too long.
The gap went out again, and though a few break riders were dropped, the surviving two riders—Lotte Claes of Arkéa-B&B Hotels and Aurela Nerlo of Winspace Orange Seal—had more than 3 minutes when they crossed the line. Kudos to both riders, and the long-range drag to the finish was a real battle between the two, with Claes winning out in the end. That expression at the line is definitely exhaustion, and maybe surprise as well. What was even going on in this race, could Claes and Nerlo even tell? Regardless, they put on a great show, and this was fun to watch.
More than four minutes behind, when the group hit the Bosborg, Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) launched her attack, and only Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) could go with her, with Niewiadoma getting dropped shortly thereafter. Vollering and Pieterse cooperated until the final sprint, which Vollering won handily, showcasing her form and the strategy that should have been enough to get her the win, if her team had rode more to bring back the break. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) won the sprint about 10 seconds back from Vollering and Pieterse, showcasing what she could have done if her team had worked on the front. Very puzzling stuff, and I guess the Vollering-SD Worx beef is alive and well.
We do like to see under-the-radar talent sharing the podium with the big-named riders, and Vollering was all smiles with Claes and Nerlo. We also loved to see Claes' teammates celebrating with her, the team bus must have been a happy scene that evening. Kudos to Claes and Arkéa-B&B Hotels!
