Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) ran out the winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad today after towing rival and compatriot Demi Vollering (SD Worx) all the way to the line.
Van Vleuten did all of the work on the front of the two-rider move that went away on the Bosberg with just under 15km to go. The 39-year-old Movistar rider had accelerated up the climb after several small groups came together on the run-in to the decisive final test.
Van Vleuten put her head down and didn't seem to mind for a long time that Vollering, who had team mates chasing behind, did no work at all on the run-in to the finish.
However, with about 2km to go the nerves and frustration began to bubble over and Van Vleuten turned to her Dutch compatriot saying "come on, take your turn", which Vollering refused to do. At the finish Van Vleuten went far too early in the two-up sprint, which turned it into a drag race and saw her claim the victory.
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The winner and runner-up were 25 seconds up the next riders on the road, with Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) making it a Dutch 1-2-3 as she won the sprint for 3rd place. Alice Sharpe was the sole Irish woman in the race and the IBCT rider finished in 87th place in a group 5:34 down.
