Women's Simac Ladies Tour Kickoff: Lorena Wiebesobliterates Sprint in Stage 1

Lorena Wiebes Claims Victory in Stage 1 of Simac Ladies Tour

In a thrilling race that took place in the historic city of Leuven, Belgium, Lorena Wiebes secured her 18th victory of the season and the 111th of her career, winning Stage 1 of the Simac Ladies Tour 2025.

The race, which was the first of six stages in the penultimate Women's World Tour stage race of 2025, was relatively short at 81.3 kilometres and featured eleven laps of a circuit. The early stages of the race were controlled by Team SD Worx-ProTime and Lidl-Trek, setting the pace for the bunch sprint.

A breakaway was established by Lauretta Hanson of Lidl-Trek, but she was quickly brought back by the peloton. Jeanne Korevaar (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Letizia Borghesi (EF Education-Cannondale) launched attacks, but were chased down by Wiebes. Pfeiffer Georgi and Femke Gerritse of Team SD Worx-ProTime played a crucial role in bringing back Hanson.

Ellen van Dijk attacked for Lidl-Trek, forming a trio with Lieke Nooijen (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) and Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ). However, the peloton managed to reel them in, setting the stage for an exciting finish.

Margaux Vigié (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) made a long-range attack and enjoyed the most sizeable gap of the day. Georgi bridged across to form a lead duo with Vigié, and their lead opened out to half a minute and held into the penultimate lap of the circuit.

Riejanne Markus and Lucinda Brand attempted to attack for Lidl-Trek, but it was Wiebes who split the bunch in her wake, with her own teammates chasing on behind as part of a select group that included four riders from Lidl-Trek.

In the final lap, Georgi and Vigié maintained their lead, but were closed down with just 200 metres to go. Lidl-Trek launched their lead-out, and Wiebes came around Elisa Balsamo to win the race. Georgi and Vigié finished 4th and 5th respectively, fighting all the way to the line.

The riders from UAE Team ADQ who participated in the Simac Ladies Tour 2025 included Maeva Squiban and Sofie Van Rooijen, with Elisa Balsamo also being a notable rider from the team mentioned in the stage 4 live ticker. Additionally, Gillespie from UAE Team ADQ was listed in the results for stage 3.

Wiebes' victory in Leuven marks another significant milestone in her impressive career, as she continues to dominate the Women's World Tour. The Simac Ladies Tour continues tomorrow, with stages 2 and 3 taking place in the Netherlands.