For many the true beginning of the season is marked by the Omloop Nieuwsblad in Belgium. This year, the race promises to be as thrilling as ever. Canyon SRAM Zondacrypto will line up with a dynamic squad, naming Chiara Consonni, Tiffany Cromwell, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Soraya Paladin, Alice Towers, and Maike van der Duin in their team.
Last season, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney claimed an impressive 7th place, and she is returning with renewed determination after a stint at the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana.
“I love classic racing! The quicker I can start them, the better I can get for my target races. Nieuwsblad is very hard, especially in the last two hours. It is just all out on every sector and climb, and you only have the descents to recover. This kind of racing forces you to switch into the fighting mindset needed for the whole spring.”
“I always want to do my best and with that there are some ambitions associated! From past editions, you can see that the winner is decided on the Muur, so I want to get over it in the front – powering through and not just holding onto the nearest wheel for dear life.”
“It was an adjustment to go from winter training into full gas efforts at the start of stage one in Valenciana, but I was getting better with each day. Having two weeks between the last stage and Nieuwsblad has allowed me to fine-tune all the little details that needed more attention.”
Soraya Paladin, who also finished in the top 10 in 2023, is eager to face the cobbles once more. She highlighted the importance of teamwork and positioning, especially in the nerve-racking final stretches of the race.
“It’s a good race because it’s open to different scenarios – it can be a sprint but it can also be raced really aggressively. I really like the passage on the Muur. We have a strong team here, so I hope to be a part of the games when the real racing starts. If we arrive to a sprint, I hope to also be helpful for our sprinter. Like every race now, I expect it to be very nervous and chaotic, especially because positioning is very important here. Racing as a team and being in the right place at the right time will be crucial.”
The course will largely follow the traditional route, extending slightly to 137.9 kilometres with the inclusion of the Paddestraat cobbles and Holleweg. The race will commence from the iconic ’t Kuipke Velodrome and conclude in Ninove, featuring a mix of familiar terrains like the Molenberg, Berendries, and the famous Muur and Bosberg.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this year’s race will see Tiffany Cromwell embarking on her 12th Omloop Nieuwsblad. She reminisced about the race’s evolution, noting how it has become a mini version of the Tour of Flanders.
The race has changed a lot since 2013. The course has evolved into almost a mini Tour of Flanders. It used to be a race that started at kilometre 50. There was a block of climbs, both cobbled and tarmac, before finishing with three long, flat cobbled sectors and a flat run-in to the line. Now, the cobbles and climbs are spread throughout, using the old Flanders finale with the Muur and Bosberg before a shorter dash to the finish.It also used to truly be the opening race weekend of the season so there were more unknowns about everyone’s form. Now, we’ve had a month and a half of racing, and people have already had a chance to show themselves.”
How to watch:
Live coverage starting at 16:00 CET on channels like Sporza, TNT Sports, Discovery+, and Flobikes in North America. Updates will also be shared via social media on platforms like X with hashtags #OHN25 and #OHNwomen.
