The twelfth edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen was almost halfway through when the race was neutralized due to an accident on the course. After a break of just under half an hour, the race resumed and Fem van Empel showed her attacking skills. The youngster, who was starting a road race for the first time since September, accelerated on the Ladeuze and caused a split in the peloton.

After everything came back together, six riders separated on the cobblestones of Doorn. Vos was one of them and reacted alertly when Van Anrooij attacked. The two worked well together and barely saw the chasers get any closer. In the sprint, Vos finished it off.

"It is always nice to win a race for the first time," said Vos, who won Omloop het Nieuwsblad last month. "At the beginning of spring, I didn't dare dream that I would start my season like this. The fact that I already have two victories now is definitely very special."

According to Vos, it was a race in which "all kinds of things" happened, but in which she did not let herself get off track. "Of course it takes some adjusting when the race is neutralized, but as a rider you undergo that and wait to see what decisions are made. After the restart, action followed immediately and a new breakaway quickly formed."

From that leading group, Van Anrooij and Vos jumped away from the other breakaway riders. "Shirin is an incredibly strong rider and when she accelerates, you shouldn't hesitate too long. In the sprint I tried to catch her and then it's sprinting with everything you have left. Luckily it worked out well."

With the win in Dwars door Vlaanderen, Vos not only added a missing prize to her palmares, but also booked her 250th victory on the road. "It's a number you don't dare think about at the beginning of your career. Over the years you can make a lot of memories of different highs and lows and then this is definitely a very nice highlight."