The course of ‘De Ronde’ has changed considerably compared to last year. The race has been extended to more than 152 kilometres and has no fewer than thirteen slopes and five cobbled sections.

“I am prepared for a very tough race”, Vos says. “The level is high, as the past races have shown. You cannot just wait and hide in the bunch and wait for the final. You have to be attentive and alert all the time. The motivation after the victory in Ghent-Wevelgem is very high, so we are really looking forward to this race.”

Race coach Lieselot Decroix agrees with her leader’s reaction. “Everyone gained a lot of confidence last weekend. Of course you want to go for the win again. It is important that Marianne does not end up alone. We learned from Ghent-Wevelgem that we should not count on other teams to close the gaps. We will certainly include that in our tactics this time.”