With defending champion Ferrand-Prévot and returning rider Vos in the lineup, the yellow-and-black squad immediately positioned itself at the front on the key cobbled sectors. As the race split apart, the Dutch team remained well grouped at the front and set a relentless pace.

With 46 kilometers to go, the decisive break was made. Vos and Ferrand-Prévot accelerated, with only Blanka Vas and Koch able to follow. Vas eventually could no longer match the pace, leaving the remaining trio to head together toward the Roubaix Velodrome. In the sprint, Vos ultimately came up just short of victory.

“I’m happy with the race I rode, but when you come that close, it’s obviously disappointing,” Vos reflected afterward. “I noticed I could no longer produce the speed I wanted and felt that I was coming up short. Pauline and the whole team did a fantastic job, and then it’s frustrating not to be able to finish it off.”

“We did everything we could,” Ferrand-Prévot said. “I gave everything to help Marianne take the victory. I’m incredibly proud of the performance from our women’s team, and congratulations as well to Franziska Koch—she was very strong. We can look back on a good day.”