Strong Vos sprints to victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Strong Vos sprints to victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Marianne Vos' first participation in the Belgian spring classic was immediately successful. The 36-year-old rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike survived the final hills among the best, before beating world champion Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini in the sprint. It was the first win of the season for Vos, who is all the way back after a long revalidation.

After the start, the peloton allowed a leading group of three riders a big lead. In the hilly finale, an elite group, including Vos, quickly closed the gap towards the front of the race. Together with companions Kopecky, Longo Borghini and Shirin van Anrooij, Vos tackled the Kapelmuur and the Bosberg. After no one could make the difference, the four riders rode together towards the finish in Ninove. In the sprint, Vos proved to have the fastest legs. She secured her first victory of the season. Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women has secured two wins now.

"This victory means a lot to me," Vos said afterwards. "To be able to start the new season like this, I never dared to dream beforehand. That it was also my debut in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad made it even more beautiful."

"All hands on deck to follow Kopecky"

Marianne Vos

"It was a very tough race," the triple world champion continued. "Everyone knew how strong Kopecky was. On the road she showed she had a set of good legs. It was clear she was going to try to attack on the Kapelmuur and on the Bosberg. So it was all hands on deck to follow her there. In the end, I hoped I would have an extra gear in the sprint. Fortunately, that was the case."

Vos did not have a carefree winter. In August 2023, she underwent surgery on her femoral artery. This was followed by a long rehabilitation. "It's very nice to see how my family, my girlfriend and my friends sympathised with this story. It was a long road to be back here, but I was able to prepare optimally for this start of the season. I am very happy," she concluded.

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