Title defender Lotte Claes makes her debut in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after all

She seemed to be skipping Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but Lotte Claes will still ‘simply’ defend her title in the Flemish season opener on Saturday. That’s what Het Nieuwsblad reports.

In an earlier interview with HNB she confirmed her absence. “Somehow I do find it a shame. I have great memories of the Omloop, and I will probably never get the chance to start with the number one bib again. But at the same time, I fully support the team’s decision. They want to deploy me in the Walloon Classics, races that suit my profile much better.”

So Claes was set to focus on the Ardennes Classics, but the team management decided Tuesday evening to include the 32-year-old rider in the selection for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after all. In other words, the late bloomer will wear the coveted number 1 as the defending champion.

The East Flanders native only took up cycling later in life and spent her early pro years in the shadows of others, but after her victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad she suddenly became well-known throughout cycling-loving Flanders.

“I’m not going to say it changed my life, but such a win definitely makes you a lot more recognized overnight,” she reflects now. “People approach you more easily, you sometimes get invited to events and things like that. I can live with that.”