Lara Gillespie claimed an impressive fifth place in the sprint that decided the Classic Brugge-De Panne, confirming her excellent form. A strong team effort by Sofia Bertizzolo and Elynor Backstedt in the final kilometers helped position the Irish rider at the front, allowing her to battle for a top result in a challenging and unpredictable race.
The 152.7 km course from Bruges to De Panne is traditionally one for the sprinters, but as always, it was filled with traps and surprises. The race saw several crashes and a long solo attack by Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team), which was eventually neutralized by the peloton just a few kilometers from the finish.
In the closing stages, Bertizzolo and Backstedt worked to keep Gillespie well-positioned in the bunch. In the final kilometer, she had to navigate the sprint largely on her own but still managed to secure a solid fifth place. Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) took the victory, ahead of Chiara Consonni (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl – Trek).
A strong performance for UAE Team ADQ as they continue to collect good results in the Spring Classics.
(ph. @gettysport)
