Before the final Flemish classic on Sunday, the Women’s program returned to the cobbles for Dwars door Vlaanderen. Following some echelons in the initial stages, the race regrouped but had to be neutralized due to a car accident on the course. After the restart, the peloton split again, with a select group of six breaking away on a cobbled section to contest the victory. Francesca Barale sprinted to a commendable 14th place from the following group, concluding a fast and tense day.
Reflecting on the race, Francesca Barale commented: “Today was a pretty hard race, which we expected, but we also hoped for a sprint with Rachele. It was hard and nervous from the start and the race had to stop due to a car accident, which was also a challenge for our rhythm. After the restart, it was just full gas and the group split on the last climb. Me and Eleonora made the jump into the first big chasing group and hoped a bit that the others could come back. In the end, we couldn’t catch the six riders in the front and focused on the sprint from the group. I wasn’t in the best position for the sprint, but I felt good during the day and am now looking forward to Sunday, where we want to build on the solid teamwork from today.”
