Ladies Katrijn De Clercq sprints to a top 10 finish in the Simac Ladies Tour

The second stage of the Simac Ladies Tour was another flat ride, this time between the Dutch towns of Coevorden and Assen. "There was quite a bit of wind, and some riders tried to split the peloton into echelons, but in the end, everything stayed together—except for one rider who was caught with one kilometer to go," says Katrijn De Clercq.

The team initially focused on their lead rider, Thalita de Jong. However, she crashed after just 15 kilometers. Fortunately, de Jong was not seriously injured but did not join the sprint. "It was pretty hectic. I tried to stay with Thalita, but we lost each other quickly, and she told me I could take my chance. With ten kilometers to go, Alberte (Greve) did a lot of work to keep me well-positioned at the front. I’m satisfied with this ninth place; there wasn't much more in it. But I hope that in the coming days, we can fully aim for a sprint with Thalita again."

Picture: Brecht Steenhouwer