“I’m really happy that everyone gave it their absolute best again,” a satisfied Veenhoven said afterwards. “We were immediately in a good position from the start. We were never chasing the race and were always there whenever a group tried to get away. It was a very controlled race and we rode really well as a team.”

With 25 kilometers to go, the pace was particularly high. Several riders tried to split the peloton, and Imogen Wolff was also part of a group that managed to get clear for a short while. “We also tried to open up the race ourselves, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough wind. Towards the end, Imogen was in the front group, which was also really good for us,” Veenhoven explained.

With the finish in Écourt-Saint-Quentin approaching, the peloton prepared for a sprint. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders kept Veenhoven out of trouble and positioned her perfectly for the decisive meters. The Dutchwoman kept her cool in the finale and sprinted convincingly to victory. “The girls did an amazing job in the finale. We executed the plan perfectly, exactly as we had discussed on the bus yesterday. I’m incredibly grateful for everything they did for me,” the Dutchwoman concluded.