#shirin van androoij

[womensworldtour]

They call her the GOAT for a reason! When Shirin van Androoij (Lidl-Trek) broke away from the other five leaders, Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease-a-Bike) was the only one fast enough to respond and go with her on the winning move of Dwars door Vlaanderen.

As van Androoij's teammate Elisa Longo Borghini sat on in the group of Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-ProTime), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceunick), and Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla - Jayco), Vos and van Androoij powered away, until it was clear that the victory would be down to the two. Van Androoij stopped cooperating with Vos with a couple kilometers left, but there was no stopping Vos, who led out the sprint and won by a bike length.

Paternoster was the fastest of the group behind, winning the sprint for the last step on the podium ahead of Kopecky.

#womensworldtour #wwt #lidl-trek #bikegirls #sdworx #lottekopecky #shirin van androoij #elisalongoborghini #Dwars door Vlaanderen #Letizia Paternoster #Liv AlUla-Jayco #Puck Pieterse #Fenix-Deceunick #Marianne Vos

[womensworldtour]

Elisa Longo Borghini wins de Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders), despite a crash earlier in the race. #ELB

We're going to talk about this race later this week, how SD Worx looked weaker, how Kasia Niewiadoma was so strong but just missed out again, and how Shirin van Androoij is an absolute weapon for Lidl-Trek. But for now, can we all just acknowledge that the women's race was way more fun to watch than the men's race? (Sorry, MVDP, but dominance isn't always fun to watch.)

#womensworldtour #wwt #bikegirls #lidl-trek #shirin van androoij #elisa longo borghini #Kasia Niewiadoma #Tour of Flanders #ronde van vlaanderen

[womensworldtour]

ELB rightly deserved the win, she was the strongest on the day, despite her earlier crash. But it was made possible by Shirin van Androoij, who made it all the way from group 2 up to the front group and then did this:

As the commentators said, she attacked the front group "like she'd been fired from a cannon!" And then actually held her advantage all the way over the Paterberg. And when she was joined by ELB and Kasia Niewiadoma (more on her later this week) she did massive turns on the front. And led out the sprint. She deserved that podium place, and her cyclocross experience served her well in some pretty wretched conditions. You love to see her celebrate behind ELB, it was her win as well.

#womensworldtour #wwt #bikegirls #lidl-trek #shirin van androoij #girlsonbikes #elisa longo borghini #tour of flanders #ronde van vlaanderen #kasia niewiadoma

[womensworldtour]

Shirin van Anrooij has animated several of the early road races this season, particularly Omloop and Strade Bianche. Clearly, she is carrying her stellar form from the cyclocross season. Here she celebrates winning the women's elite race Duinencross 2023 in Koksijde.

#womensworldtour #wwt #bikegirls #omloop het nieuwsblad #Strade Bianche #Shirin van Androoij #Lidl-Trek

[womensworldtour]

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) wins Trofeo Alfredo Binda by a bike length over Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck). Balsamo had managed to stay with the top group over the last climb, and her teammate (and last year's winner) Shirin van Androoij buried herself to catch the breakaway riders and give Balsamo the go-ahead sprint, which she took in commanding fashion. The teamwork that Lidl-Trek displayed is *exactly* how to win a race, and what the other teams are starting to deploy to give a super-team like SD Worx-Protime some real competition.

Van Androoij and Balsamo celebrate after the finish—this duo has been one of the most effective in this season so far.

#wwt #womensworldtour #bikegirls #shirin van androoij #Elisa Balsamo #Trofeo Alfredo Binda #Lidl-Trek #SD Worx-Protime

[womensworldtour]

What kind of Trofeo Alfredo Binda will we see this weekend? A breakaway win like Shirin van Anrooij's solo victory last year, or a sprint finish like Elisa Balsamo's win in 2022? Either way, it's going to be an exciting race, one of our favorites on the UCI Women's calendar!

#womensworldtour #wwt #bikegirls #Elisa Balsamo #Shirin van Androoij #Trofeo Alfredo Binda #girls on bikes

[womensworldtour]

Can we talk about Kasia Niewiadoma for a moment? Her second-place finish at Tour of Flanders was heartbreaking for her fans, who are longing to see her atop the podium of a road race again. When Shirin van Androoij and Elisa Longo Borghini made the final move, only Niewiadoma was strong enough to answer. Does she contribute more than she should in groups like this? Maybe, but we love to see her fight, and her participation in the group of three was what guaranteed cooperation and set the podium. Any race she is in is more exciting as a result.

And if you need to see her winning again, just remind yourself that she's the reining gravel champ!

#kasia niewiadoma #womensworldtour #wwt #bikegirls #Canyon-SRAM #tour of flanders #ronde van vlaanderen #gravel #girlsonbikes #pro cycling