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Belgium 24 May 2026 Class 1.Pro – 1 day – UCI ProSeries
Website www.antwerpportepic.be
One Day Race Antwerp Port Epic Ladies
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Marie Schreiber (born April 17, 2003) is a Luxembourgish professional racing cyclist who has rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting dual-discipline talents in women’s cycling. Competing at the highest level in both cyclo-cross (CX) and road racing, she rides for the premier UCI Women’s WorldTour squad, Team SD Worx–Protime.
Known for her lightning-fast starts and aggressive racing style, Schreiber is already the leading figure of a new generation of cycling talent coming out of Luxembourg.
Early Life and Junior Dominance
Born in Bettborn, Luxembourg, Schreiber gravitated toward cycling at an early age, quickly showing massive potential off-road.
- As a junior rider, she dominated her local scene, capturing the Luxembourg National Junior Championships in both the road race and time trial.
- She made her breakthrough on the international stage during the 2020–2021 cyclo-cross season, securing a highly impressive 2nd-place finish at the legendary World Cup in Tábor in the junior category.
Recognizing her talent, the Belgian development squad Tormans Cyclo Cross Team signed her for the 2021–2022 season as she transitioned into the Under-23 (U23) ranks. Under their guidance, she took her first Elite-level international UCI win at Contern in October 2021.
The Breakthrough and WorldTour Sign-Up (2023)
The 2022–2023 winter cyclo-cross season was Schreiber’s true launching pad into the elite world tier. She consistently placed in the top 10 of elite World Cups and captured her first Elite National Cyclo-cross Title for Luxembourg.
Her explosive power off the starting line caught the eye of Team SD Worx, widely considered the strongest team in the women’s road peloton. In March 2023, mid-way through the year, they signed Schreiber to a professional contract, allowing her to balance her off-road ambitions with an elite road calendar.
Later that year, she proved her championship mettle by taking the Silver Medal at the U23 UEC European Cyclo-cross Championships behind Zoe Bäckstedt.
Career Milestones (2024–Present)
Historic Cyclo-cross Milestones
Schreiber made history during the 2024–2025 cyclo-cross season by winning the Hulst World Cup. With this victory, she became the first rider from Luxembourg—male or female—to win an elite UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup race, breaking years of Dutch and Belgian dominance.
Developing Road Engine
While she self-identifies primarily as an off-road racer, her road racing development has progressed rapidly. Utilizing her explosive power, she has become an asset for SD Worx in prologues and short, technical time trials:
- 2024: Swept the Elite Luxembourg National Championships, winning both the Road Race and Individual Time Trial (ITT).
- 2024: Won the Bronze Medal in the U23 Individual Time Trial at the European Road Championships in Limburg.
- 2025: Maintained her dominance locally by defending her national road and time trial titles while securing top-10 finishes in elite stage races like the Baloise Ladies Tour.
Recognizing her vast potential, Team SD Worx–Protime extended her contract through the 2028 season, signaling their intent to develop her into a major contender for the Spring Classics on the road while backing her dreams of becoming a Cyclo-cross World Champion.
Palmarès Highlights
Cyclo-cross
- 1st 🥇 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup – Hulst (2024)
- 4x 🥇 Luxembourg National CX Champion (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
- 2nd 🥈 UEC European U23 CX Championships (2023)
Road
- 2x 🥇 Luxembourg National Road Race Champion (2024, 2025)
- 2x 🥇 Luxembourg National Time Trial Champion (2024, 2025)
- 3rd 🥉 UEC European U23 Time Trial Championships (2024)
- 1st 🥇 Games of the Small States of Europe – Road Race & ITT (2025)
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
The Antwerp Port Epic Ladies is one of the most unique, gritty, and rapidly growing one-day events on the women’s professional cycling calendar. Characterized by its industrial backdrop, punishing unpaved sectors, and unpredictable coastal winds, the race has carved out a distinct identity in a very short period.
Here is the history and evolution of this modern Belgian classic.
The Origins: A Different Kind of Belgian Classic
While the men’s Antwerp Port Epic was established in 2018, the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies was introduced in 2023 to give the women’s peloton its own version of this industrial test.
Unlike traditional Flemish classics that rely on iconic, punishing hills (bergs) for drama, the Antwerp Port Epic uses the flat but brutal geography of Europe’s second-largest port city. The race takes riders away from scenic countrysides and throws them directly into the stark, exposed docklands of Antwerp.
The race’s difficulty stems entirely from attrition:
- Mixed Surfaces: A relentless combination of rough cobblestones and gravel-style dirt tracks.
- The Elements: Technical, narrow turns through port infrastructure combined with heavy crosswinds off the water.
- Positioning Stress: Constant battles for positioning to avoid punctures and crashes on the changing terrain.
Evolution of the Race Status
The event’s quick rise in popularity and standard of racing has been reflected in its official UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) designation:
- 2023–2024: Launched as a UCI 1.1 category one-day race.
- 2025–Present: Upgraded to the prestigious UCI 1.Pro (ProSeries) status, attracting a higher caliber of WorldTour teams and international talent looking for a selective, tactical classic.
Year-by-Year History & Winners
Because the race rewards a specific mix of cyclo-cross handling, cobbled strength, and a fast finish from a heavily reduced group, it has produced an impressive list of versatile champions.
2023: The Inaugural Edition
The debut edition set the baseline for what this race would become. A highly selective day of racing split the peloton to pieces on the rough port roads. Belgian rider Marthe Truyen—who had recently finished on the podium at Paris-Roubaix Femmes—won a four-rider sprint to claim the historical first title, proving the race naturally favored off-road and classic specialists.
2024: International Expansion
The second edition expanded the race’s international prestige. Rather than a victory for the traditional Belgian powerhouse teams, Irish rider Lara Gillespie captured the win. Her victory showed that the flat, technical course could also reward highly adaptable track racers with massive engines and great positioning skills.
2025: The Stormy Photo-Finish
The 2025 race was defined by terrible weather, featuring rain, punctures, and intense crosswinds that fractured the peloton down to just about 25 riders. In an incredibly dramatic, tight photo-finish, Norwegian champion Susanne Andersen edged out Clara Copponi to secure a massive win for her squad.
Past Winners Table
| Year | Category | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2023 | UCI 1.1 | Marthe Truyen (BEL) | Franziska Koch (GER) | Audrey Cordon-Ragot (FRA) |
| 2024 | UCI 1.1 | Lara Gillespie (IRL) | Zoe Bäckstedt (GBR) | Sanne Cant (BEL) |
| 2025 | UCI 1.Pro | Susanne Andersen (NOR) | Clara Copponi (FRA) | Eilidh Shaw (GBR) |
The Legacy Today
Though it lacks the century-long tradition of some of cycling’s Monuments, the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies has succeeded because it isn’t trying to copy any other race. It remains a fan-favorite for its unpredictable, open racing style where pure sprinters are worn down, and tactical intuition on the gravel and stones is rewarded above all else.
