On the local laps, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women immediately made their presence felt, staying active at the front of the race. Among others, Lieke Nooijen and Vigié tested the waters with early moves, before the Frenchwoman managed to carve out a small gap with 30 kilometers to go.

Her courageous effort, together with breakaway companion Pfeiffer Georgi, was brought back in the final 500 meters, leaving fifth place as the maximum reward. Lorena Wiebes proved the fastest in the streets of Leuven.

“I felt really good today,” Vigié reflected afterwards. “As a team we were constantly visible at the front and involved in a lot of attacks. Eventually I got away with Georgi, and we both thought: ‘Let’s just go and see how far we can get.’ It’s a pity we were caught so close to the line, but overall it was a good day.”

The coming stages are expected to favor the sprinters, where Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women aim to feature again. “The next stages will probably be less demanding than today. But, just like today, we want to take the fight to SD Worx. The feeling within the team is very positive,” Vigié concluded.