The first stage of the Simac Ladies Tour was a typical flat Dutch stage. However, the winding and open course made it an exciting race, partly due to the strong wind. On the local circuit in Hardenberg the chase started for the two riders in the early breakaway. However, the duo outsmarted the peloton and battled each other for the win. A few seconds later, 34-year-old Vos crossed the line in fourth place. She lost her leader’s jersey but still holds the lead in the points classification.

“Today was a good day”, the Dutch rider said. “We did not take the initiative in the pursuit. Whether the gap was really impossible to close is difficult to say. In any case, it is great that the two leaders were able to maintain a lead. Lorena Wiebes was simply the fastest in the sprint of the peloton.”

“Today was a race without a very big story. It was a solid day for us with a good result”, sports director Marco Postma agreed. “There are some very nice stages still coming up where we would like to show ourselves.”