Sofie van Rooijen took her first victory wearing the UAE Team ADQ jersey with a brilliant sprint finish at the Omloop van Zwartewaterland, a national-level race held in the Netherlands, where she participated on her own.
It was a hard-fought and tactical race, marked by strong winds that caused echelons to form halfway through. A front group of 15 riders emerged.
In the final kilometres, the attacks came thick and fast. “In those moments, you really miss having teammates around,” Sofie admitted. With just 1.5 km to go, a solo rider launched a late attack, gaining a small gap. Unable to follow immediately, Sofie focused on staying calm and preparing for the sprint.
Her patience and power paid off: the group caught the attacker just before the finish line, and Sofie launched her sprint to perfection, crossing the line first — ahead of none other than her sister Anne van Rooijen.
“I’m really happy to take my first victory in the UAE Team ADQ jersey,” said a smiling Sofie after the race.
