Tour of Flanders 2023 - women: Kopecky solos to back-to-back win

image: Cor VosLotte Kopecky drops Silvia Persico on the Oude Kwaremont. The hot favorite solos to her second consecutive victory in the women's Tour of Flanders, while Demi Vollering outsprints Elisa Longo Borghini for second place. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2023 Tour of Flanders for women

1. Lotte Kopecky (bel)
2. Demi Vollering (nld) + 0.36
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (ita) s.t.
4. Silvia Persico (ita) s.t.
5. Kasia Niewiadaoma (pol) s.t.
6. Juliette Labous (fra) s.t.
7. Marlen Reusser (swi) s.t.
8. Shirin van Anrooij (nld) + 0.44
9. Anna Henderson (gbr) + 2.40
10. Arlenis Sierra (cub) + 3.38

Race report
Katrijn De Clercq is the first attacker of the day, but she is reeled in shorly. The first real attack happens in the run-up to the Wolvenberg. Ally Wollaston opens up a 45 seconds gap, while Elise Chabbey and Susanne Andersen track her down on the Valkenberg

Double winner Annemiek van Vleuten hits the deck in the run-up to the Koppenberg tegen de grond. Marlen Reusser and Silvia Persico overhaul the attackers in the climb before title defender Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes bridge across.

Wiebes can’t follow the on thee Taaienberg and Reusser loses contact on the Kruisberg.

Kopecky drops Persico on Oude Kwaremont and pushes on alone to the Paterberg. She reaches the summit of the last climb with a comfortable lead.

Persico is caught on the flat run-in to Oudenaarde by a chase group featuring Niewiadama, Van Anrooij, Longo Borghini, Vollering, Labous and Reusser, while Kopecky solos to her second consecutive victory in De Ronde. Her SD Worx team mate Vollering outguns Longo Borghini in the sprint for second place.

Other interesting reads: route and start list women’s Tour of Flanders 2023.