Norbert Riberolle is the strongest in Ruddervoorde
In an exciting first round of the Telenet Superprestige, the Belgian champion claimed victory. After a lightning-fast opening lap and a merge with two laps remaining, she saw her moment had come.
Top favorite Fem van Empel (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) had a strong start, but the lead in the first corner went to French rider Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa - B&B Hotels Women). After a minor setback, the world champion immediately had to go into chase mode. The French champion was joined in the second lap by Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw CT), while Manon Bakker (Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team) lost her third position due to a crash.
Not long after, the merge occurred. The group of favorites, including Van Empel, Sara Casasola, and Marion Norbert Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon), remained balanced at the start of the third lap. After a lap of calm, Casasola and Bentveld launched a quick acceleration. Van Empel had to resume the chase due to team tactics.
The world champion did not sit back and put her competitors at a distance with an impressive passage through the sand. Only Bentveld and Van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) could hold on. However, the acceleration was short-lived, as by the start of the penultimate lap, everyone had regrouped. Norbert Riberolle skillfully took advantage of the timing and made a break.
The Belgian champion looked incredibly strong and gradually extended her lead. In the background, Van Empel slowly fell behind. Norbert Riberolle proved dominant and becomes the first leader in the Telenet Superprestige standings. Casasola and Fouquenet completed the podium.
