Two-time overall winner Chantal van den Broek-Blaak calls Simac Ladies Tour unpredictable

Two-time overall winner Chantal van den Broek-Blaak calls Simac Ladies Tour unpredictable

"Decision is taken towards the end”

29/08/2022

With Christine Majerus (2019) and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (2016, 2021), Team SD Worx has two former winners of the Simac Ladies Tour in its ranks. Together with Elena Cecchini, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Lonneke Uneken and Roxane Fournier, they will be looking for their third consecutive victory in the Dutch stage race at WorldTour level. "On the Dutch roads there is often chaos, so you have to ride as attentively as possible from the front," Chantal van den Broek-Blaak says.

Linked race Simac Ladies Tour - Linked cyclists Elena Cecchini Christine Majerus Lonneke Uneken Chantal Van Den Broek-Blaak - Gekoppelde ploegleiders: Anna van der Breggen Danny Stam

There are six stages on the programme of the Simac Ladies Tour (30/08-4/09). The stage will start in Lelystad, where the riders will have to complete 2.5 local laps of 60.4 kilometres. "The first stage can be treacherous. That is typical for races in the Netherlands. Something can always happen here, there is often chaos," says Chantal van den Broek-Blaak. "When there's a bit of wind, it can be pulled to the side and then it's important not to miss the right echelon."

Van den Broek-Blaak has already won the Ladies Tour twice. "In 2016 we were in a good position with the whole team because of the team time trial we won. Then we could play the team game. Last year I had a super day in the individual time trial and was then able to take time off Marlen Reusser in the penultimate stage in the Limburg hills. It's a cliché, but you really have to look at the Ladies Tour day by day. In the beginning it's not so much about winning time, but more about not losing any."

The Dutch stage race seems to be decided in the end again, with the stage around Landgraaf (including twice the Cauberg and Gulperberg) on Friday and the individual time trial (17.4K) on Saturday. "Last year with Roubaix you had a classic after the World Championships, now it is not the case. Therefore, on the one hand you have riders who are getting tired and on the other hand there are riders who are working towards the world championships. I've been sick, but I hope to take a stage," Van den Broek-Blaak looks ahead with renewed ambition.

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