Longo Borghini crowns herself as record holder
Elisa Longo Borghini has shown that she has fully recovered from her crash in the Tour of Flanders. On the final ascent of the Moskesstraat, she launched her solo attack just like last year. The Italian champion narrowly held off the chasing peloton at the finish line, with Vos and Gerritse completing the podium.
At around 11:30 a.m., the women's peloton officially got underway for the 8th edition of the Brabantse Pijl. With 13°C and bright sunshine, the weather was favorable for the riders. The first hour of racing was relatively uneventful. A minor crash involving birthday girl Anna van der Breggen (Team SD-Worx – Protime) caused a brief stir, but the team leader quickly returned to the peloton.
The real action only began 83 km from the finish. A few riders tried to break away, but even during the first pass over the Holstheide and the S-Bend in Overijse, the peloton remained compact. However, a surge from Bredewold on the Moskesstraat caused a significant split in the group. With 50 km to go, the favorites positioned themselves at the front and the peloton broke into two.
On the slope after the Holstheide, a trio managed to break free: Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Chapman (UAE Team ADQ), and Häberlin (Team SD-Worx – Protime) quickly built a 30-second gap. They were soon joined by Wiel (FDJ-Suez), Trinca Colonel (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Van Agt (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), and Knijnenburg (Volkerwessels Cycling Team). With 43 km to go, the breakaway was finally formed.
On the Moskesstraat, a group of favorites broke away from the peloton. Among them were Vos (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Longo Borghini, and Persico (UAE Team ADQ), who joined the chase. On the climb up Holstheide, Longo Borghini launched a powerful acceleration, bridging directly to the lead group. Behind her, the chasers and peloton regrouped, and shortly after, the front group was also reeled in, including the Italian champion.
The final ascent of the Moskesstraat once again proved to be the decisive moment. Longo Borghini used the steepest section to launch a final attack, dropping the reduced peloton. The chasers came dangerously close, but her effort was just enough. Longo Borghini thus crowns herself as record holder in the Brabantse Pijl, with Vos and Gerritse sprinting to second and third place behind her.
