Balsamo extends winning streak with sprint victory at Gent-Wevelgem

Elisa Balsamo extended her impressive winning streak to three races on Monday after pipping both Marianne Vos and Maria Giulia Confalonieri to the line at Gent-Wevelgem.

Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) celebrates after winning Gent-Wevelgem Source: Getty Images

Balsamo came off the wheel of Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) at the perfect time to add another WorldTour title to her belt alongside the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Brugge de Panne Classic.

It’s been a whirlwind week for the Trek-Segafredo star, who is now one of the firm favourites to take out the Tour of Flanders next weekend.

“It was a very hard race, and there were a lot of attacks,” Balsamo said.

“We decided to go for the sprint after the last Kemmelberg, and my team did a great job closing everything down.

“Ellen, Elisa and Shirin were so, so strong, I really want to thank them and the whole team.”

The 159-kilometre quest from Menin Gate saw a flurry of attacks entering the hill zone, but the peloton was able to quickly close them down on each occasion.

SD Worx tried to spoil a bunch sprint during the last 30 kilometres, with Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, Marlen Reusser and Elena Cecchini alternating attacks, however they, too, were reeled in.

It wasn’t until the final 12 kilometres that the peloton split in two, and though European champion Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) brought them together some five kilometres later, Grace Brown’s (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine) burst had everyone on high alert.

The Australian made her move with less than four kilometres remaining in the race and was eventually caught by Trek-Segafredo and Jumbo-Visma just before the flame rouge.

From there, Balsamo was unbeatable in the sprint, edging out Jumbo-Visma’s Vos and Confalonieri of Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling.