Letizia Borghesi (AG Insurance-Soudal) claimed the second victory of her career and her first in seven years with a powerful punch on the Col du VAM on stage 4 of the Eneco Tour Women.
The Italian, whose only previous career victory came with a stage of the 2019 Giro d’Italia, stomped clear of the rest of the favourites on the steep cobbled section of the climb, which is built on a rubbish dump on the otherwise flat landscape of Drenthe in the Netherlands.
Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) made a late burst to take second place on the stage, with race leader Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) coming up for third place to retain her orange jersey.
Only around 15 riders remained in the lead group as they approached the foot of the Col du VAM for the seventh and final time on the 115km circuit-based course. Julia Kopecky led the way in on behalf of her SD Worx teammate and Nooijen’s closest challenger, Femke Markus, but Borghesi snuck in behind with a bold move through a right-hand bend.
Nooijen was the first of the favourites to hit the front inside the final kilometer, but Borghesi soon made her move powering clear on the smooth cobblestones and dropping the race leader in the process. She opened a small gap by the top of the first section of the climb, and extended it with some aggressive cornering on the short downhill, which was made treacherous by the rain.
Although the chasers started to close in on the final haul to the line in the last 250 metres, Borghesi had done enough to take out a memorable victory. Georgi crossed the line in second place four seconds down, just ahead of Nooijen.
With one stage remaining, Nooijen retains her overall lead, extending her margin over Markus by six seconds to now stand at 38 seconds. Borghesi’s win saw her jump four places onto the overall podium at 39 seconds.
Results
Position | Rider (Country) Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
1 | Letizia Borghesi (Ita) AG Insurance-Soudal | 2:58:05 |
2 | Pfeiffer Zara Georgi (GBr) Picnic PostNL | 0:00:04 |
3 | Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike | |
4 | Florien Bolks (Ned) Volkerwessels | |
5 | Maud Rijnbeek (Ned) Volkerwessels | |
6 | Sandrine Tas (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché | 0:00:06 |
7 | Quinty Ton (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco | 0:00:10 |
8 | Nienke Vinke (Ned) SD Worx-Protime | |
9 | Femke Markus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime | |
10 | Lonneke Uneken (Ned) Volkerwessels | |
11 | Charlotte Kool (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech | 0:00:13 |
12 | Sophie Julia Kopecký (Cze) SD Worx-Protime | 0:00:22 |
13 | Femke De Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike | 0:00:26 |
14 | Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco | |
15 | Tess Moerman (Bel) Ag Insurance Soudal Devo Team | 0:00:31 |
16 | Femke Gerritse (Ned) SD Worx-Protime | 0:00:37 |
17 | Katharina Sadnik (Aut) Visma-Lease a Bike | 0:00:39 |
18 | Fariba Hashimi (Afg) Vini Fantini- Bepink | 0:00:40 |
19 | Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco | 0:00:57 |
20 | Puck Langenbarg (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech Development Team | 0:01:30 |
21 | Linda Riedmann (Ger) Lotto-Intermarché | |
22 | Marthe Truyen (Bel) Fenix-Premier Tech | 0:01:45 |
23 | Julia Borgström (Swe) Hitec Products-Fluid Control | |
24 | Scarlett Souren (Ned) Volkerwessels | 0:01:49 |
25 | Nicole Steigenga (Ned) AG Insurance-Soudal | |
26 | Elisabeth Ebras (Est) Lotto-Intermarché | 0:02:17 |
27 | Evie Smith (GBr) O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes | 0:04:30 |
28 | Isère Koster (Ned) WV Schijndel | |
29 | Dina Boels (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché | |
30 | Amber Van Der Hulst (Ned) Volkerwessels | 0:04:32 |
31 | Imogen Wolff (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike | |
32 | Magdalene Lind (Nor) Hitec Products-Fluid Control | |
33 | Antje Valkeneers (Bel) Carbonbike Giordana Sofré by Gen Z | |
34 | Rose Kloese (Ned) Carbonbike Giordana Sofré by Gen Z | 0:04:35 |
35 | Kristy Ton (Ned) Regio Midden | |
36 | Femke Van Goethem (Bel) Citymesh- Customm Pro Cycling Team | |
37 | Ida Krickau Ketelsen (Den) O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes | 0:04:38 |
38 | Anabelle Thomas (Can) Liv AlUla Jayco | |
39 | Anneke Dijkstra (Ned) Volkerwessels | |
40 | Mylene De Zoete (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech | |
41 | Nina Lavenu (Fra) Ag Insurance Soudal Devo Team | |
42 | Anna Van Wersch (Ned) Lotto-Intermarché | 0:04:42 |
43 | Sveva Klok (Ned) Regio Midden | |
44 | Mia Griffin (Irl) Picnic PostNL | 0:04:45 |
45 | Anna Vanderaerden (Bel) Fenix-Premier Tech Development Team | |
46 | Kaia Schmid (USA) O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes | 0:04:48 |
47 | Billy Goossens (Bel) Ag Insurance Soudal Devo Team | 0:04:49 |
48 | Andrea Casagranda (Ita) Vini Fantini- Bepink | |
49 | Fauve Bastiaenssen (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal | 0:04:53 |
50 | Lene Robyn Clay (GBr) Picnic PostNL | |
51 | Daniela Hezinová (Cze) Picnic PostNL | |
52 | Gaia Masetti (Ita) Picnic PostNL | 0:04:55 |
53 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) SD Worx-Protime | 0:04:58 |
54 | Lani Wittevrongel (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché | 0:05:07 |
55 | Eleonora Ciabocco (Ita) Picnic PostNL | 0:05:12 |
56 | Sidney Swierenga (Can) Liv AlUla Jayco | |
57 | Talia Appleton (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco | 0:05:14 |
58 | Sara Sonnemans (Ned) WV Schijndel | 0:05:16 |
59 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) SD Worx-Protime | 0:05:19 |
60 | Quinty Van Klink (Ned) Regio Midden | 0:10:11 |
61 | Misia Belotti (Ita) Vini Fantini- Bepink | |
62 | Lieke Van Weereld (Ned) Regio Midden | 0:10:13 |
63 | Eline Van Rooijen (Ned) Citymesh- Customm Pro Cycling Team | 0:10:16 |
64 | Stine-Marie Snortheim (Nor) Hitec Products-Fluid Control | 0:10:20 |
65 | Margaux Vigie (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike | 0:10:22 |
66 | Grace Ward (GBr) O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes | 0:10:26 |
67 | Yilla Threels (Ned) O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes | |
68 | Lotte Van Ombergen (Bel) Citymesh- Customm Pro Cycling Team | 0:10:30 |
69 | Dina Scavone (Bel) Carbonbike Giordana Sofré by Gen Z | 0:10:40 |
70 | Carmen Van Der Veen (Ned) Carbonbike Giordana Sofré by Gen Z | 0:11:01 |
71 | Fenna Hoegee (Ned) WV Schijndel | 0:18:56 |
72 | Josse Nonneman (Bel) Carbonbike Giordana Sofré by Gen Z | |
73 | Vittoria Grassi (Ita) Vini Fantini- Bepink | 0:20:34 |
DNF | Viktória Chladoňová (Svk) Visma-Lease a Bike | |
DNF | Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Fenix-Premier Tech | |
DNF | Elise Timmerman (Ned) Citymesh- Customm Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Zoë Van Velzen (Ned) WV Schijndel | |
DNF | Sophia Zwaan (Ned) WV Schijndel |
General Classification after stage 4
Position | Rider (Country) Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
1 | Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike | 7:21:59 |
2 | Femke Markus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime | 0:00:38 |
3 | Letizia Borghesi (Ita) AG Insurance-Soudal | 0:00:39 |
4 | Maud Rijnbeek (Ned) Volkerwessels | 0:00:43 |
5 | Nienke Vinke (Ned) SD Worx-Protime | 0:00:52 |
6 | Quinty Ton (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco | 0:00:58 |
7 | Pfeiffer Zara Georgi (GBr) Picnic PostNL | 0:01:01 |
8 | Charlotte Kool (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech | 0:01:10 |
9 | Femke De Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike | 0:01:13 |
10 | Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco | 0:01:23 |
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