Ronde van Drenthe 2024: European Championship feeling on the rubbish mountain

Sebastian Lindner

· 08.03.2024

Lorena Wiebes has now won the Ronde van Drenthe three times in a row. But the change in route means there are more candidates for victory.

This year, the race finishes on a paved section of the VAM mountain, which makes the course very similar to the European Championships of the previous season.

In 2023, the onset of winter in the Netherlands led to the race being shortened, but that is not expected to happen this year.

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Photo: DPA Picture Alliance

The Ronde van Drenthe is the sixth race of the Women's World Tour this season. The one-day race has been won by Lorena Wiebes for the past three years. There will be changes to the route in 2024.

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Ronde van Drenthe 2024: the most important facts in brief

Date: 10 March 2024
Distance: 158 kilometres
Start: Hatchets, GoalVAM mountain
Profilemostly flat, but uphill finish with cobblestones
UCI category: Women's World Tour
Premiere: 2007, 17th edition

The list of problems was long and still is. That's why the full programme will not take place in 2024. The Profronde van Drenthe, the men's race, falls victim to them. The women, on the other hand, get off lightly. Both the little sister Drentse Acht van Westerveld (1.1) and the main race, the Miron Ronde van Drenthe (1.WWT), only have to cope with changes to the route.

Ronde van Drenthe 2024: Similarities to the European Championships - This is the route

Above all, the "nitrogen crisis", which has kept the over-fertilised Netherlands in suspense for years and has slowed down pretty much all areas in which the sport is still the least affected, but also the police's refusal to secure a route across the province of Drenthe, has forced the organisers to impose restrictions. And so, for the first time in its history, which began in 2007, the Ronde no longer finishes in Hoogeveen, but on the VAM mountain near Drijber.

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Photo: VeranstalterThe route of the Ronde van Drenthe

The highest point in the region, a green landfill site, has been part of the one-day race programme for years and was the starting point last season. There are only around ten kilometres between the starting point in Beilen, which is also new, and the finish. The total distance of 158 kilometres is therefore mainly made up of a circular route.

Photo: VeranstalterRonde van Drenthe 2024: The approach to the circuit including the first lap in profile

In addition to the ten-kilometre start, a 29-kilometre lap around the landfill, which leads over the VAM mountain each time, will have to be completed five times. This makes the race very reminiscent of last year's European Championships, which were also held in the province of Drenthe and ended on the rubbish mountain.

>> The women's cycling calendar 2024 at a glance

Defending champion Wiebes wins in the snow in 2023

European champion in the women's road race was Mischa Bredewold at the time. Ahead of Lorena Wiebes. The two Dutchwomen from the SD Worx - Protime team will also be at the start of the Ronde van Drenthe and are therefore favourites. Wiebes has also won the last three editions of the race and is therefore the defending champion.

In 2023, she won a race that had been shortened to 94 kilometres on the flat finish in Hoogeveen. The day before, the onset of winter had caused the cancellation of the Drentse Acht van Westerveld, but the WWT race went ahead. However, without the slippery cobblestone sections, which will be missing again this year. However, there will be some cobblestones in the finale on the VAM hill, which was newly created as part of the conversion of the landfill site into a race course, but it cannot be compared with roads that are decades old.

Alongside Wiebes and Bredewold: these are the favourites for the Ronde van Drenthe 2024

Despite crossing the VAM mountain several times and the finish line on the hill, it will be the fast women who come out on top in the end. Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) is normally one of the favourites, but the Dutchwoman hasn't really got going yet after an illness at the start of the season. As a result, the mountain could end up being too big for her.

This does not apply to Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek): The former world champion has already celebrated two victories this season and should be able to cope well with the profile. It might even be a little too easy for her. In this case, however, the team has a second strong sprinter in Clara Copponi.

Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-Suez) can also count herself in with a chance of success. The 23-year-old Italian recently won Le Samyn. Ahead of the young Finn Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility), who has also qualified for the extended group of favourites. Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ), Georgia Baker (Liv Jayco AlUla) and all-rounder Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) are also worth keeping an eye on

Ronde van Drenthe 2024: TV broadcast & live stream

A live broadcast of the race on German television is not planned. A recording can be seen on Eurosport 1 on Monday from 14:30. Nevertheless, cycling fans will not have to do without live coverage altogether. At discovery+ (subject to a charge) is available for 16:00 - 18:00 A live stream is planned for Sunday.

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