Bad luck before Brugge-De Panne

There were high expectations for one of the fastest and flattest races on the World Tour calendar but the day of Classic Brugge – De Panne started with bad news. Both Maaike Boogaard and sprint ace Lotta Henttala couldn’t start due to illness. Lone Meertens, Julia Borgström, Romy Kasper and Marthe Goossens started the 163-kilometer-long race for AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step.

The weather predictions were unforgiving: rain and wind but when the peloton made their way to the Belgian coast the sun came out and the wind was not as bad as predicted. Despite that, the nervousness that comes with racing in Belgium stayed. Romy was involved in a crash leading towards the Moeren, where the wind – no matter how little there is - always plays havoc on the bunch. While she always raced attentively at the front, the crash caused her to miss the decisive split of ten riders.

Julia was in the second group of 25 riders that finished at just over four minutes with Romy, Marthe and Lone in a third group at six minutes.