The elite women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad kicks off the opening weekend of Belgian racing on Saturday, hours before the elite men take off. Two teams expected to factor in heavily to the women’s race are Orica-AIS and Argos-Shimano. The former will be starting the winners of the previous three editions of Het Nieuwsblad, and the latter is coming off of an impressive showing at the Ladies Tour of Qatar.
Wearing bib number one for Orica-AIS will be Loes Gunnewijk, as the Dutch rider is the returning champion. Also making the start, in her first season with the Australian squad, is Emma Johansson, the Het Nieuwsblad champion in 2011 and 2010 riding for the Red Sun Cycling team.
Gunnewijk and Johansson are two of three non-Australian starters for Orica-AIS in the Belgian opener, but the squad will also trot out current Australian road race champion Gracie Elvin, as well as 2012 Aussie champ Amanda Spratt.
The situation is more than ideal for Johansson, after accomplishing her dream of riding for a big time professional team, and now getting to race on familiar roads in a race she has won twice before.
“This is an extremely important race for the team. It’s the first race in Europe and the first race in Belgium – that really says it all,” Johansson wrote on the team website. “The winters always feel long and cycling fans wait with excitement for this day to come. Finally, it’s ‘Classics Time’ and both the fans and teams are ready for this special period of racing. For me, this race is extra significant because I live in the area. I feel like I’m racing on home soil here. Having all my supporters on the course cheering for me and for the team gives us extra motivation.”
Johansson said she understands the expectations of her squad and explained how the race is likely to shape up. “Our objective is clear. We race to win – and we have the team to do it,” she added. “Maybe there is a bit of extra pressure for the team on Saturday because, together, Loes and I have won the last three editions of the race, but the team knows how to use the pressure to motivate us. We’re ready. The two years that I won this race, the winning break was decided over two hills: the Côte de Trieu and the Paterberg. With no big sprinters in the move, everyone was willing to work hard to stay away. Both times, there were some attacks towards the end with a few riders dropping off from the pace during the way. We arrived with a small group for the sprint, which I was able to win.
“Taking the previous years of racing into consideration, I can say the race truly begins around the 50-kilometre mark when we reach the Kluisberg and shortly after head into both the Côte de Trieu and Paterberg. These three hard hills one after another are only the start. All the cobbles are still to follow!”
The ladies of Argos-Shimano will be hoping to carry the momentum they built in the Ladies Tour of Qatar into the Belgian Classics season. They won’t have triple Qatar stage winner (and overall champ) Kirsten Wild in their midst, as Wild is currently racing the track worlds, but Argos-Shimano is debuting a new rider with plenty of individual momentum, in two-time junior world champion Lucy Garner.
Garner starts her first race as a professional after signing with the Dutch squad late last year. The team also features debutants Willeke Knol and Kelly Markus. Garner and company will be able to lean on the expertise of track specialist and former German road champion Charlotte Becker. The notable absentee is Janneke Kanis, who is out injured.
“We will miss Janneke's experience, but we can still count on a rider like Charlotte Becker, who is in good shape and can play a key role in the finale,” stated team director Cees-Jan van der Zweep. “It will be the first race of the season for Willeke Knol, Lucy Garner and Kelly Markus. They have some good training camps behind them, so I think they are ready. This is always a nervous race, but if we work as a team and position ourselves well during the race we should be able to do some interesting things.”
Elite Women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Full Start list:
Orica-AIS
1 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned)
2 Emma Johansson (Swe)
3 Jessie MacLean (Aus)
4 Amanda Spratt (Aus)
5 Gracie Elvin (Aus)
6 Sungeun Gu (SKo)
Rabobank Liv/Giant
11 Lucinda Brand (Ned)
12 Megan Guarnier (USA)
13 Thalita De Jong (Ned)
14 Roxane Knetemann (Ned)
15 Rebecca Talen (Ned)
16 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned)
17 Liesbet De Vocht (Bel)
18 Iris Slappendel (Ned)
Specialized-lululemon
21 Katie Colclough (GBr)
22 Loren Rowney (Aus)
23 Carmen Small (USA)
24 Ina Teutenberg (Ger)
25 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned)
26 Trixi Worrack (Ger)
27 Lisa Brennauer (Ger)
Hitec Products UCK
31 Chloe Hosking (Aus)
32 Emilia Fahlin (Swe)
33 Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor)
34 Rossella Ratto (Ita)
35 Rachel Neylan (Aus)
36 Thea Thorsen (Nor)
37 Miriam Bjørnsrud (Nor)
38 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita)
Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
41 Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr)
42 Martine Bras (Ned)
43 Kim De Baat (Ned)
44 Jessie Daams (Bel)
45 Romy Kasper (Ger)
46 Nina Kessler (Ned)
47 Lucy Martin (GBr)
48 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned)
RusVelo
51 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus)
52 Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus)
53 Maria Mishina (Rus)
54 Elena Bocharnikova (Rus)
55 Aizhan Zhaparova (Rus)
56 Larisa Pankova (Rus)
57 Yulia Blindyuk (Rus)
58 Kseniya Dobrynina (Rus)
Endura Lady Force
61 Marjolein Claessen (Ned)
62 Henriette Woering (Ned)
63 Michelle Geoghegan (Irl)
64 Ines Klok (Ned)
65 Elke Bolangier (Bel)
66 Natasja Nieuwenhuizen (Ned)
67 Femke Verstichelen (Bel)
68 Carolien Haers (Bel)
Lotto Belisol Ladies
71 Marijn De Vries (Ned)
72 Jolien D'Hoore (Bel)
73 Ann-Sofie Duyck (Bel)
74 Kaat Hannes (Bel)
75 Steffi Lodewyks (Bel)
76 Marion Rousse (Fra)
77 Kim Schoonbaert (Bel)
78 Céline Van Severen (Bel)
Team Argos - Shimano
81 Charlotte Becker (Ger)
82 Marlen Jöhrend (Ger)
83 Lucy Garner (GBr)
84 Esra Tromp (Ned)
86 Kelly Markus (Ned)
87 Willeke Knol (Ned)
Wiggle Honda
91 Ana Bianca Schnitzmeier (Ger)
92 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus)
93 Lauren Kitchen (Aus)
94 Emily Collins (NZl)
95 Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn)
96 Joanna Rowsell (GBr)
97 Amy Roberts (GBr)
Sengers Ladies Cycling Team
101 Anna van der Breggen (Ned)
102 Kimberly Buyl (Bel)
103 Julia Soek (Ned)
104 Evelyn Arys (Bel)
105 Maaike Polspoel (Bel)
106 Sofie De Vuyst (Bel)
107 Christine Majerus (Lux)
108 Inge Roggeman (Bel)
Team TIBCO - To The Top
111 Chantal Blaak (Ned)
112 Claudia Häusler (Ger)
113 Shelley Olds (USA)
114 Jasmin Glaesser (Can)
115 Rushlee Buchanan (NZl)
116 Samantha Schneider (USA)
117 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl)
118 Meredith Miller (USA)
Faren - Let's Go Finland Team
121 Marta Bastianelli (Ita)
122 Sara Mustonen (Swe)
123 Sari Saarelainen (Fin)
124 Ashlynn Van Baarle (Ned)
125 Susanna Zorzi (Ita)
126 Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita)
127 Jutta Nieminen (Fin)
128 Stella Riverditi (Ita)
Team Polaris
131 Karen Elzing (Ned)
132 Alie Gercama (Ned)
133 Sarah-Lena Hofmann (Ger)
134 Anouska Koster (Ned)
135 Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned)
136 Laura van der Kamp (Ned)
137 Janine van der Meer (Ned)
138 Aurore Verhoeven (Fra)
Vienne Futuroscope
141 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can)
142 Audrey Cordon (Fra)
143 Jessica Allen (Aus)
144 Sandrine Bideau (Fra)
145 Pascale Jeuland (Fra)
146 Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra)
147 Manon Souyris (Fra)
148 Oriane Chaumet (Fra)
Topsport Vlaaderen - Bioracer
151 Nel De Crits (Bel)
152 Jessy Druyts (Bel)
153 Kelly Druyts (Bel)
154 Gilke Croket (Bel)
155 Stephanie De Croock (Bel)
156 Anisha Vekemans (Bel)
157 Rotem Gafinovitz (Isr)
158 Tessa De Moyer (Bel)
Cyclelive Plus - Zannata
161 Latoya Brulee (Bel)
162 Lieselot Decroix (Bel)
163 Daisy Depoorter (Bel)
164 Annelies Dom (Bel)
165 Elizabeth Hatch (USA)
166 Marissa Otten (Ned)
167 Monique Van De Ree (Ned)
168 Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel)
Cramo Go:Green
171 Madelene Olsson (Swe)
172 Jessica Kihlbom (Swe)
173 Isabelle Söderberg (Swe)
174 Hanna Nilsson (Swe)
175 Martina Thomasson (Swe)
176 Mirella Ehrin (Swe)
177 Linnea Sjöblom (Swe)
178 Johanna Nilsson (Swe)
Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
181 Elena Berlato (Ita)
182 Irene Bitto (Ita)
183 Francesca Cauz (Ita)
184 Silvia Cecchini (Ita)
185 Jennifer Fiori (Ita)
186 Chiara Pierobon (Ita)
187 Asja Paladin (Ita)
188 Francesca Stefani (Ita)
USA National Team
191 Jamie Bookwalter (USA)
192 Jacquelyn Crowell (USA)
193 Heather Fischer (USA)
194 Janel Holcomb (USA)
195 Kristin McGrath (USA)
196 Jade Wilcoxson (USA)
197 Ashley James (USA)
198 Emily Kachorek (USA)
Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team
201 Kayleigh Brogan (GBr)
202 Ciara Horne (GBr)
203 Eileen Roe (GBr)
204 Anne Ewing (GBr)
205 Penny Rowson (GBr)
206 Elinor Thorogood (GBr)
Autoglas Wetteren Cyclingteam VZ
211 Mariska Breyne (Bel)
212 Marieke Blomme (Bel)
213 Sarah Borremans (Bel)
214 Melanie Cattrysse (Bel)
215 Kristina Coolens (Bel)
216 Amy De Ridder (Bel)
217 Adeline De Vestele (Bel)
218 Kim Van Den Steen (Bel)
Keukens Redant Cycling Team
221 Evelien Debboudt (Bel)
222 Lensy Debboudt (Bel)
223 Valerie Demey (Bel)
224 Valerie Robert (Bel)
225 Shana Van Glabeke (Bel)
226 Elien Vercamer (Bel)
227 Ine Vercammen (Bel)
228 Kaat Van Der Meulen (Bel)
Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen
231 Eveline Dergent (Bel)
232 Terry Fremineur (Bel)
233 Chantal Hoffmann (Lux)
234 Shoshauna Laxson (Can)
235 Mieke Leeman (Bel)
236 Evy Roelen (Bel)
237 Steffy Van Den Haute (Bel)
238 Laure Werner (Bel)
Parkhotel Valkenburg
241 Aafke Eshuis (Ned)
242 Bianca Van Den Hoek (Ned)
243 Inge Klep (Ned)
244 Claudia Koster (Ned)
245 Rozanne Slik (Ned)
246 Jermaine Post (Ned)
247 Nathaly Van Wesdonk (Ned)
248 Riejanne Markus (Ned)