Team SD Worx is thundering through the season like an express train. In Ronde van Drenthe, modified to a shorter 94 kilometres because of the snowfall, the team had the race under control. A supreme Lorena Wiebes then sprinted to a third WorldTour victory in a row for Team SD Worx. The European champion is also the first rider to be win three times consecutively at Ronde van Drenthe. “This is very special. Also because the team is in a winning mood. Everything went completely right and then I am happy I could finish it,” Wiebes said.
‘Spring begins in Drenthe’, is the slogan for the Tour of Drenthe, although the snow played spoilsport this year. Due to the icy conditions, the course had to be changed. Instead of three local laps around VAM Mountain and a 40-kilometre local lap in Hoogeveen, the peloton had to complete six local laps around VAM Mountain before heading to the finish.
“We prepared for the race like any other race, so for us that change didn’t make much of a difference mentally. We just felt like racing,” said winner Lorena Wiebes afterwards. “We wanted a hard course, so in that respect we were happy that the VAM Mountain had to be climbed six times. There we were also alert at the front all the time. At the third passage, Mischa (Bredewold) was in front, after which I also pulled away. However, everything came together again.”
The sprint for victory took place in the streets of Hoogeveen. Wiebes said, “The pressure was great beforehand, but we had the whole race under control. So I went to the finish with a lot of confidence. The team kept me in front just fine. The lead-out went well, but at one point I lost the wheel a bit. I saw it open on the right and then went full on.”
Lorena Wiebes sprinted impressively to a unique third win in a row at the Tour of Drenthe. “This was a goal for me. It’s special to get a hat-trick here as a Dutch rider. Especially also because this is a fourth win in a row for Team SD Worx after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Omloop van het Hageland and Strade Bianche. This winning streak gives a lot of confidence for what is still to come.”
