The opening stage of the Simac Ladies Tour in Belgium came down to a hectic sprint in Leuven, where Karlijn Swinkels claimed 11th place for UAE Team ADQ.
The team lined up with Sofia Bertizzolo, Lara Gillespie, Lizzie Holden, Tereza Neumanova, Karlijn Swinkels, and Sofie van Rooijen, and played an active role throughout the day, helping to keep the race under control on the challenging Leuven circuit.
In the finale, a two-rider breakaway managed to open a gap, but the peloton reeled them back in just a few hundred meters from the line. The sprint that followed was very crowded, with UAE Team ADQ riders slightly boxed in. Swinkels managed to secure the team’s best result of the day with her 11th place.
Victory went to Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime), ahead of Elisa Balsamo and Clara Copponi (both Lidl–Trek).
Tomorrow’s Stage 2 will cover 124.5 kilometers, starting and finishing in Gennep.
(ph. Getty Sport)
