Lara Gillespie claims victory at the Beobank Samyn Ladies, celebrating her first win of the season in Belgium.
A flawless performance by the Irish sprinter, who starred alongside teammate Elynor Bäckstedt in the decisive phase of the 113.4 km race from Quaregnon to Dour.
The race came alive around 65 kilometres from the finish, when a group of ten riders went clear and ultimately shaped the outcome of the day. The leading group included Gillespie and Bäckstedt for UAE Team ADQ, alongside Kamilla Aasebø and Alessia Vigilia (Uno-X Mobility), Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck), Marta Jaskulska (Human Powered Health), Marthe Goossens (AG Insurance–Soudal Team), Caroline Andersson and Quinty Ton (Liv AlUla Jayco), and Amber Van der Hulst (VolkerWessels Cycling Team).
The cooperation at the front was excellent and the gap quickly grew beyond one minute. When the bell rang to signal the start of the final lap, the advantage of the breakaway had already exceeded two minutes.
Inside the final ten kilometres Van der Hulst dropped back, leaving nine riders in front. UAE Team ADQ controlled the situation well, with Bäckstedt and Gillespie responding calmly to every attack. Bäckstedt delivered a monumental performance, taking on a huge workload at the front: despite losing contact on the cobbled and uphill sections, she showed great determination to fight her way back each time, returning to the front inside the final kilometre to give one last decisive pull for her teammate.
With 150 metres to go, Gillespie launched a powerful sprint, proving untouchable to take the win. It marks UAE Team ADQ’s sixth road victory of the season, while Bäckstedt finished ninth. Behind them, American rider Megan Jastrab won the bunch sprint.
After the finish, Lara Gillespie said: “I’m incredibly happy with this victory. The team did an excellent job from the very beginning today. Elynor was amazing – she’s truly a top rider. Racing with teammates who are so strong and selfless makes a huge difference. She deserves a special round of applause, and this win is also hers.”
Reflecting on the race strategy, the almost 25-year-old added: “It wasn’t exactly the plan we had this morning, but when that move went we immediately knew it was important to be there. We committed to the break and worked hard to make it stick. We managed the race very well and in the finale I was confident in my sprint. I’m really happy with this win, for myself and for the team.”
(ph. Getty Sport)
