Côte de la Meuse

49:58 Nore Dhaene brings up the rear at 3 minutes. One rider did not make it to the line.

49:55 Élise Marchand crosses the line 28th, at 3:16.

49:36 Aitana Ferrer crosses the line 27th, at 2:57.

47:50 Janne Coene crosses the line 3rd, at 1:12.

47:49 Eliška Benešová crosses the line 2nd, at 1:11.

46:38 Fien Vanacker wins by 71 seconds.

45:20 The steep side is drying out on the side the sun is on.

45:10 Kaat Vanhee has to let Wies Vandevelde go in the start straight.

45:00 A day for racing on the pedals; there is nothing to slide away.

44:50 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.

44:40 Ride the start straight instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

44:30 Elke Rombouts had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Amber Segers in the little climb at the back.

44:00 Amandine Chevalier had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Roos Deschepper in the hollow.

43:41 Eline Vranken punctures in the hollow and pulls out. No spare bike.

43:40 In the steep side Nerea Casas gains a place on Hanne Coppens.

43:20 Aline Deschepper takes the other line through the steep side and comes out ahead of Nina Struyf.

43:10 The little bridge is getting looser with every lap.

42:50 Nina Struyf dives past Roos Deschepper in the hurdles.

42:40 The entrance to the wide section is littered with abandoned bikes.

42:30 The course is hard underneath; this is a day for anyone who can keep the power on.

42:10 Nerea Casas is too quick for Camille Chevalier in the wide section and lies 17th now.

41:50 Aline Deschepper dives past Camille Chevalier in the steps.

41:30 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.

41:10 It is dusting up in the hollow; anyone at the back is riding in a cloud.

40:50 Nina Struyf takes Camille Chevalier back in the deep furrow.

40:40 Half the field is running the little climb at the back by now.

40:30 Dry and fast, and that makes it a long hour.

40:20 Dry and dusty, and by the end you cannot tell who is who.

40:10 Nerea Casas goes past Amandine Chevalier in the steps.

39:50 The steps is drying out on the side the sun is on.

39:20 Markéta Králová goes past Puck Michiels in the slippery descent.

38:40 Elke Rombouts has to let Nerea Casas go in the deep furrow.

38:30 The lines are fixed on a course this dry; they are all riding the same rut.

37:40 The line through the sequence of corners has opened right up.

36:06 Coralie Lefevre punctures in the little climb at the back, changes bike and loses 19 seconds.

34:50 Eliška Benešová goes past Kaat Vanhee in the hollow.

34:30 Fien Vanacker is out on their own at the front.

34:00 In the little climb at the back Camille Chevalier gains a place on Elke Rombouts.

33:20 Janne Coene moves up to 3rd at Kaat Vanhee's expense.

33:00 The ground in the steps has been ridden rock hard.

32:50 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.

32:30 The little climb at the back is costing a few seconds more every lap.

32:00 Nerea Casas is too quick for Amber Segers in the off-camber and lies 22nd now.

31:30 Dust over the hollow — there is no grip left in the corners.

31:20 Markéta Králová had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Hanne Coppens in the hairpin.

30:50 It is dusting up in the hollow; anyone at the back is riding in a cloud.

30:40 Markéta Králová dives past Coralie Lefevre in the little climb at the back.

30:10 Markéta Králová takes Nina Struyf back in the steps.

29:30 Half the field is running the steps by now.

29:20 Tyre pressure is half the race today, and nobody is saying so.

28:50 The sand in the steep side is loose and deep — that is where the hour will be decided.

28:30 Sara Vandevelde takes the other line through the steps and comes out ahead of Wies Vandevelde.

27:54 Camille Chevalier slides out in the steep side and loses 9 seconds.

27:00 Ride the steps instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

25:50 In the little climb at the back Wies Vandevelde gains a place on Amandine Chevalier.

25:00 The steep side is drying out on the side the sun is on.

24:10 Zoë Demeyer has to let Janne Coene go in the off-camber.

24:00 Eliška Benešová takes the other line through the steep side and comes out ahead of Zoë Demeyer.

23:50 Get the little bridge wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

23:20 All five are hunting a different line through the long straight; none of them is finding the good one.

22:40 The line through the finishing straight is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.

22:30 The entrance to the steep side is littered with abandoned bikes.

22:10 Zoë Demeyer goes past Janne Coene in the little climb at the back.

21:20 The lines are fixed on a course this dry; they are all riding the same rut.

21:10 Elke Rombouts is too quick for Hanne Coppens in the hairpin and lies 12th now.

21:00 On a dry course there is little to win in the corners; it has to come from the legs.

20:30 They are nearly all taking the same side through the steps now; the other line is finished.

20:10 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.

19:40 The gap to the first chaser is 20 seconds.

18:00 Camille Chevalier had been sitting on the wheel a while and goes past Markéta Králová in the steps.

17:50 Coralie Perrin takes Coralie Lefevre back in the hollow.

17:40 Fien Vanacker is out on their own at the front.

17:20 The pits are working flat out.

17:10 Zoë Demeyer dives past Puck Michiels in the mud strip.

16:40 Fien Vanacker has opened a gap and is alone up there.

16:20 Tyre pressure is half the race today, and nobody is saying so.

15:10 A day for racing on the pedals; there is nothing to slide away.

14:30 The sand in the start straight is loose and deep — that is where the hour will be decided.

13:10 There is 6 seconds on the clock behind the leaders.

11:20 The little bridge is costing a few seconds more every lap.

11:10 Get the little climb at the back wrong and you are standing still — and it is happening more and more.

10:40 Dust over the off-camber — there is no grip left in the corners.

9:50 There are holes in the line through the off-camber that nobody is riding out any more.

8:10 Half the field is running the steep side by now.

7:30 Ride the wide section instead of running it and you take half a second out of the rest every lap.

7:20 All five are hunting a different line through the hollow; none of them is finding the good one.

7:00 The ground in the steep side has been ridden rock hard.

6:30 The line through the wet meadow is shifting; they are riding a metre off where they were a moment ago.

6:10 Dry and dusty, and by the end you cannot tell who is who.

4:00 The gap to the first chaser is 4 seconds.

3:10 They are nearly all taking the same side through the off-camber now; the other line is finished.

2:40 Dry and fast, and that makes it a long hour.

2:10 The course is hard underneath; this is a day for anyone who can keep the power on.

1:50 The field is still all together at the front.

1:30 The wet meadow is getting looser with every lap.

1:10 The line through the hairpin has opened right up.

1:00 Hardly a bike change all day — there is nothing to wash off.

0:50 Nothing has split at the front yet; Fien Vanacker is leading it.

0:30 Hardly anybody is getting off today, and that makes it an hour with no rest in it.

0:00 Côte de la Meuse: dry course, 6 laps. Mostly climbing and power.