Ladies Katrijn De Clercq continues consistent form with sixth place in GP Lucien Van Impe

With climbs like La Houppe, Hostellerie, and Leberg on the course and an average speed of nearly 41 km/h, Katrijn looks back on a challenging GP Lucien Van Impe, a race she normally wouldn’t have ridden. “Unfortunately, Julie Hendrickx fell ill, so I got the call yesterday to step in,” Katrijn explained. “It took a moment to adjust, but I was eager to race.”

“The plan was for Anna (Van Wersch, ed.) and me to sprint. We both felt really good today, always well positioned at the front, and climbing with the leaders each time. But when I tried to lead Anna out in the finale, we lost each other in the chaos. Waiting wasn’t an option, that would risk us both missing out, so I just kept going, managed to gain some positions in the last 500 meters, and finished sixth. Anna still managed to take 12th place. It’s a pity we lost each other, but overall, we delivered a solid result in a very strong field (with Lorena Wiebes sprinting to victory, ed.).”

With her sixth place today, Katrijn continues her run of consistent results. On Tuesday, she finished eighth in the Egmont Cycling Race, and in the Baloise Ladies Tour, she scored two top-10 finishes. “I learn something from every race, and today’s performance gives me confidence. It felt good out there. Next weekend I’ll be on the track in Prague with the national team. After that, there’s the Simac Ladies Tour, so there are more opportunities coming up.”

Picture: Brecht Steenhouwer