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Less than a month into the peloton: Sandrine Tas sprints to 3rd place at the Simac Omloop der Kempen

Sandrine Tas claimed an impressive third place in the women’s Simac Omloop der Kempen Ladies, finishing behind Lorena Wiebes and Charlotte Kool. “I knew I had it in me, but I didn’t expect it to happen this quickly.”
Race 16 May 2026
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Last winter, she was still competing as a long-track speed skater at the Olympic Winter Games. Tonight, she stood on the third step of the podium at the Simac Omloop der Kempen Ladies. Sandrine Tas is surprising everyone- including herself- by already mixing it up with some of the biggest names in the sport after less than a month of racing in the peloton, and in a UCI 1.1 race no less. “I know I can produce the watts to compete in a bunch sprint,” she explained. “But you still have to get yourself into position, trust your team, and then finish it off. Today, everything came together. Finishing third, and alongside those two names… I’m really, really happy.”

Those two big names are Lorena Wiebes and Charlotte Kool. Tas secured a convincing third place in the bunch sprint. “The race started off pretty chaotic,” Tas said. “We were riding slowly, then it started raining, and I even had to put on a jacket. It was only once we reached the local laps that the racing really began.”

“The team did a perfect job. Lani Wittevrongel piloted me all the way to the front, Julie Brouwers dropped me off at the key point before the narrow road, and Sterre Vervloet kept me near the front throughout the final ten kilometres. With two kilometres to go, I found my own way forward and was able to launch my sprint from around tenth position.”

Tas only made her peloton debut at La Flèche Wallonne Féminine on April 22. Even she is surprised that she is already sprinting to podium places. “I knew it was possible, but I didn’t expect it to come this fast. From inline skating, I already have the experience of knowing how to finish something like this. Of course, on the bike I don’t have my arms free, so that’s different. But I’m trained to make decisions very quickly, commit fully, and not overthink things. In a final like this- just like in speed skating and inline skating- I become a different person,” she laughed. “I’m happy I haven’t lost that yet.”