Irish champion Griffin on the attack at Dwars door Vlaanderen

Irish champion Mia Griffin, second from right, in the breakaway at Dwars door Vlaanderen (Photo: Rafa Gomez-SCA-Cor Vos)

Mia Griffin (Picnic PostNL) was on the attack in Belgium today when she went clear in a breakaway that gained three minutes at Dwars door Vlaanderen (1.WWT).

As the Irish road race champion was up the road, animating the Belgian classic, featuring eight cobble sections and eight short and sharp bergs, former Irish champion Fiona Mangan (Mayenne Monbana My Pie) was in the bunch.

Griffin got clear in a five-rider group, not long after the start, that also included Alison Avoine (Ma Petite Entreprise), Mia Gjertsen (Uno-X Mobility), Natalie Quinn (Mayenne Monbana My Pie), Idoia Eraso (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi).

They combined well, stretching their advantage to three minutes, during a breakaway that continued for almost 70km of the 128.8km race.

Though they were caught with 42km to go to the finish in Waregem, they had put in a big shift, leading over the first five climbs. However, when the FDJ United-SUEZ  of one of the favourites, Demi Vollering, put the hammer down on the Mariaborrestraat, the game was up for Griffin and the others.

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And as they moved onto the next ascent, the Eikenberg, the race exploded. Marlen Reusser (Movistar) later attacked, after the Huisepontweg cobbles with 24km to go, with Vollering going after her.

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Though it was not exactly a harmonious two-up move, they eventually began working and pulled out a gap over the chasing group, of just over 20 riders.

The two leaders messed around again in the final kilometre, allowing attacker Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) get across to them. However, though Nooijen tried to catch them by surprised, attacking them as she caught them, Reusser and Vollering were straight on to her.

Reusser just about beat the Dutch rider in a photo finish for victory, with Nooijen in 3rd. Zoe Bäckstedt (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) led in the chasing group for 3rd at seven seconds.

Griffin and Mangan finished side-by-side, in 58th and 59th place, in a group at 7:22.

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