Célia Gery sprints to victory in Flanders’ Finest for Women U19

After an impressive acceleration on the Wolvenberg, Cat Ferguson and Célia Géry sprinted to the finish on the Markt in Oudenaarde. France's Géry had the fastest legs. The sprint of the chasing group was won by the Canadian Alexandra Volstad.

A little before halfway through the race, two riders, Roos Müller and Megan Arens, had gained a small lead over the peloton. They were caught just before turning onto the second passage on Karel Martelstraat. And this was the moment for six riders to launch a new attack: Paula Ostiz Taco, Célia Gery, Carys Lloyd, Imogen Wolff, Cat Ferguson and Roos Müller. Notable: At that point, Gent-Wevelgem Youth Day winner Amelia Cebak was dropped.

With a 15-second lead, the six went into the final round. A lead they gave away on the flanks of the Achterberg. Truce in the peloton.

We had to wait until Berg Ten Stene for another attack, 12 km from the finish. An attack that thinned out the peloton but that was not decisive. The thinning continued on the cobblestones of Karel Martelstraat and Holleweg. Thirteen riders were together approaching the foot of the Wolvenberg. Clearly feeling the strongest, Célia Gery jumped away with Cat Ferguson. The decisive attack was now a fact. The two of them set off into the final kilometres.

The big lead they had led to some cat-and-mouse tactics between the two. A game that lasted until 200 metres from the finish. Ferguson made the first move, but was quickly caught by Gery who convincingly crossed the finish line first. Alexandra Volstad took the final podium spot.

See the full results here.