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Belgium 18 Mar 2026 Class 1.Pro – 1 day – UCI ProSeries
Website www.nokerekoerse.be
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
The 2026 Danilith Nokere Koerse Women Elite (1.Pro) takes place on Wednesday, March 18, concurrently with the men’s race and Milano-Torino. This year’s route continues the tradition of punishing cobblestones and sharp Flemish climbs.
Race Schedule & Route
The women’s race covers a total distance of 133.3 km, starting and ending in the heart of East Flanders.
- Start: 10:30 AM CET in Deinze (Markt).
- The Route: The course features 12 categorized climbs and 13 named cobblestone sectors.
- Key Difficulty Spikes:
- Early Stress: The first cobbles appear at just 14.9 km (Lange Ast).
- The Mid-Race “Wall”: Between 46 km and 64 km, the riders face a rapid-fire sequence of the Hellestraat, Holstraat, Petegemberg, and the first ascent of the Nokereberg.
- The Circuit: The race concludes with local laps around Nokere, including repeated passages of the Lange Ast and the Nokereberg.
- Finish: Estimated around 1:30 PM to 1:50 PM CET on the Waregemsestraat in Nokere (an uphill, cobbled sprint).
Favorites to Watch
The 2026 field is exceptionally strong, headlined by the dominant teams of the spring classics.
- Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime): The two-time winner (2023, 2024) remains the woman to beat, known for her ability to solo away or win a reduced sprint.
- Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime): If the race stays together for a bunch sprint, she is the heavy favorite given her historical dominance on this finish.
- Marta Lach (SD Worx-Protime): The defending 2025 champion.
- Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ): Coming off a massive victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda just days ago, she is in peak form.
How to Watch
Live coverage typically begins at 12:15 PM CET to capture the final hour of the race.
- Europe: Eurosport / Discovery+ / Sporza.
- North America: FloBikes (starting at approx. 4:15 AM PDT / 7:15 AM EDT).
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
While the men’s Nokere Koerse dates back to 1944, the Danilith Nokere Koerse Women Elite is a much younger, more modern addition to the Flemish spring calendar. It has rapidly grown into one of the most prestigious mid-week semi-classics for the professional women’s peloton.
1. Origins and Rapid Growth (2019–Present)
The women’s race was established in 2019, organized by the same team behind the long-running men’s event. The goal was to provide a high-level race that shared the iconic finish on the Nokereberg.
- Inaugural Edition (2019): The first race was won by the rising Dutch star Lorena Wiebes, who signaled the race’s identity as a battleground for world-class sprinters who can handle cobbles.
- The ProSeries Upgrade: In 2021, the race joined the UCI ProSeries, the second-highest tier of professional cycling, ensuring a world-class field of participants.
2. The Signature Course: The Nokereberg
The race is defined by its repeated loops around Kruisem and its distinctive finish. Unlike some of the flatter “sprinter classics,” Nokere Koerse is a “puncheur’s” dream.
- The Finish: The race finishes at the top of the Nokereberg, a 350-meter cobblestone climb with an average gradient of roughly 6%.
- Tactical Chaos: The combination of narrow Flemish country roads, open windswept sections, and multiple sectors of cobbles (like the Herlegemstraat) usually fragments the peloton before the final dash.
3. Dominance of the “Big Two”
Despite its short history, the race has been dominated by two of the greatest riders in the sport’s history, leading to a “heavyweight” roll of honor.
- Lorena Wiebes: The inaugural winner in 2019 and a repeat winner in 2022. She is widely considered the queen of this race’s sprint finish.
- Lotte Kopecky: The Belgian world champion took consecutive victories in 2023 and 2024, often winning through aggressive solo attacks rather than waiting for a bunch sprint.
4. Recent History (2025–2026)
- 2025 Breakdown: The dominance of the Dutch and Belgians was finally broken by Poland’s Marta Lach, who won a tight uphill finish for Team SD Worx-Protime.
- 2026 Edition: As of today, March 17, 2026, the peloton is preparing for the 7th edition tomorrow. It remains a key strategic “tune-up” for the Tour of Flanders.
Honor Roll (Winners)
| Year | Winner | Country | Team |
| 2019 | Lorena Wiebes | Netherlands | Parkhotel Valkenburg |
| 2020 | Cancelled (COVID-19) | – | – |
| 2021 | Amy Pieters | Netherlands | Team SD Worx |
| 2022 | Lorena Wiebes | Netherlands | Team DSM |
| 2023 | Lotte Kopecky | Belgium | Team SD Worx |
| 2024 | Lotte Kopecky | Belgium | Team SD Worx-Protime |
| 2025 | Marta Lach | Poland | Team SD Worx-Protime |
