The fourteenth edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen started shortly after lunchtime in Waregem. Over a 128-kilometre route, the riders faced eight climbs and six cobbled sections. A seven-rider group built up a substantial lead over the peloton, but were reeled in before the start of the final stretch.

The race opened up on the Eikenberg. Vollering made a strong move and caused a split in the peloton. Nooijen managed to hold on and was part of a select group that entered the finale. With ten kilometres to go, Vollering and Marlen Reusser broke away. The pair built a comfortable lead and looked set to battle it out for the victory.

Nooijen wasn’t about to let it go and decided to make an all-or-nothing attempt in the final kilometre. The Dutch rider, partly because Vollering and Reusser were watching each other, closed the gap and immediately launched the sprint. For a brief moment, it looked as though Nooijen might pull it off, but in the final metres she was overtaken by Reusser and Vollering.

"I’m absolutely delighted with this. I gave it my all, but unfortunately it just wasn’t quite enough for the win", Nooijen said afterwards. "I knew I wasn’t the fastest sprinter in the group, so I had to try something to secure a podium place. It was a matter of finding the right moment. I could feel I still had some energy left in my legs, so I couldn’t wait too much longer."

"At one point, I saw my chance and went full throttle. To my surprise, I saw Marlen and Demi closing in very quickly. I rode towards them, went for it and overtook them, but unfortunately they just managed to get past me. Had they waited a second longer, I would have won. Nevertheless, I’m very happy with my third place. This gives me confidence for the upcoming races."