Embarrassing display, bewilderment, and a cold war: analysts condemn Omloop debacle

The riders themselves were quite baffled about what had just happened—because they couldn't even explain what had actually transpired. No team dared to take the initiative in the women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, leading to a bizarre scenario where the early breakaway entered the final 35 kilometers with a ten-minute lead. Lotte Claes took the victory, but the post-race discussion revolved around the failure of the top teams, who refused to give each other anything.

Afterward, Sep Vanmarcke, Sven Vanthourenhout, and Marijn de Vries were still stunned by the spectacle in Ninove. "This is unacceptable," said a shocked Vanthourenhout to Sporza. "This goes against all logic. If you list the top favorites for this race beforehand, you end up with names like Demi Vollering and Lorena Wiebes. Those teams should take responsibility in the race, but that didn’t happen. No, instead, the gap even grew to thirteen minutes! That should never happen."

Vanmarcke believes the race was ultimately decided from the team cars, pointing to an old rivalry as the cause of the deadlock. "The egos of the team directors played a role. Neither FDJ-Suez nor SD Worx-Protime took responsibility, which led to them both losing." De Vries added: "There’s still so much tension between those teams, with Lars Boom now working as a team director at FDJ-Suez and everything that happened around Vollering."

Read more below the photo!

Lidl-Trek rode, but not all-out: the rest just watched and waited

"It was an embarrassing performance"

The commentators at Sporza were just as baffled. Ruben Van Gucht and Ine Beyen were thrilled for Claes, who secured a massive victory with her first-ever win. "But at the same time, we have to say that what happened here is unprecedented," said Van Gucht. "I’ve seen big gaps before, but back then, the race still turned around."

Beyen couldn’t believe her eyes. "I remember the moment we openly questioned whether this could really be how the race would unfold. It was a pathetic performance from the peloton." Van Gucht agreed. "This will be an Omloop Het Nieuwsblad that we’ll remember for a long time—but not for the right reasons when it comes to women’s cycling."

Read more below the photo!

FDJ-SUEZ finally took responsibility, but it was already too late.

"It's ridiculous for her to say it wasn't up to her team"

"This is not the kind of publicity we need," Beyen continued. "It was an absolute mess. But even more shocking than the way the race played out were the post-race interviews," said the former rider. "Lars Boom and Demi Vollering shifted the blame onto SD Worx-Protime, while Wiebes pointed the finger at FDJ. Who’s actually supposed to take control of the race? There was absolutely no organization within the teams. They were all just waiting for someone else to take the lead."

Someone Has to Take Responsibility During the Race, and That’s the Favorites "Based on the past seasons, there’s a clear hierarchy: Lorena Wiebes is the fastest, Vollering the strongest," explained Van Gucht. "Those are the riders you have to race for. Niewiadoma, as the Tour winner and with a strong Canyon team, also has to take responsibility. Those three teams have no excuse."

After the race, Vollering stated that SD Worx-Protime didn’t want to cooperate with FDJ-SUEZ. It turned into a waiting game, which ultimately everyone lost. "It’s ridiculous that she says it wasn’t her team’s responsibility," Van Gucht fumed. "She, along with Kopecky, is the number one in the world. If Pogacar said that, everyone would tell him to stop whining." Meanwhile, SD Worx and Wiebes shifted the blame back to Vollering’s camp. "We’re not always going to be the ones doing the work anymore," said the European champion.

Read more below the photo!

In the end, Lotte Claes was the surprising winner in Ninove.

Zonneveld: "This was bizarre to watch"

Thijs Zonneveld had mixed feelings after the race. On one hand, it was fascinating to watch, but on the other, it nearly made him pull his hair out. "This was bizarre to watch, right? I found it to be a surreal spectacle," he laughed on his In het Wiel podcast. He saw it as a new chapter in the ongoing battle between Vollering and SD Worx. "We already had that little mini-Cold War between Vollering and Van der Breggen in Valencia."

Like Van Gucht, the sporting director of BEAT Cycling believes that FDJ-SUEZ and SD Worx-Protime deserve most of the blame. "Those two teams are usually the ones responsible for reeling in the early break. And they have enough riders who, along with Ellen van Dijk, could have easily brought the break back earlier in the race."

Read more below the photo!

Lorena Wiebes won the sprint for fifth place.

A Cold War between two team directors

But according to Zonneveld, this isn't the first time SD Worx has refused to chase. He has seen the Dutch team let other squads do all the work before, only to take the victory in the end with their designated leader. "Boom knows this. He knows that SD Worx never wants to chase. It’s something they almost take pride in. So what happens? SD Worx refuses to ride again. But this time, FDJ responds by saying: ‘Then we won’t ride either.’"

And so, Boom and Danny Stam—once colleagues, now rivals—found themselves staring at each other: Who is going to solve this problem? In the end, no one took responsibility. "It turned into a game of bluff poker. That’s all it was. Who could hold their nerve the longest? The race was decided behind the peloton." Zonneveld predicts a thrilling spring filled with drama. "What we have here is a kind of Cold War between the two teams that consider themselves the biggest in the peloton. But the other teams have taken note of that, too."

Read also

"I won't race for any other team than Visma | Lease a Bike for the rest of my career"—It’s a huge compliment to the team

"Not a blame game, but the start of misery" – Visma | Lease a Bike seeks answers after Omloop

Stuyven explains what makes Mathieu van der Poel so different: "That doesn't apply to riders of my caliber"

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe