The Ronde van Vlaanderen, or Tour of Flanders, is one of five monuments of cycling, and in 2022, the women’s edition is getting even bigger.

The women’s Tour of Flanders will for the first time include the Koppenberg, a climb infamous for its especially uneven, rough and rutted cobblestones and its 21.6 percent gradient. The Koppenberg is nearly unrideable in wet conditions, and has added no shortage of chaos to the men’s race in past editions. 

In 2021, Annemiek van Vleuten claimed her second victory in the race, ten years after her first.

Here are four favorites that FloBikes will be watching at the 2021 Tour of Flanders.

Annemiek van Vleuten

Defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten thrives in the hardest moments of races like the Tour of Flanders. Expect to see Van Vleuten on the attack on the steepest pitches of the Flemish climbs as she looks for another solo victory.

Van Vleuten’s 2022 season is going as well as we have come to expect from the multi-time world champion. A victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and second place at Strade Bianche proves she will once again be a key antagonist at Flanders.

While Van Vleuten will hope for a solo escape, her teammate Emma Norsgaard could be Movistar’s chosen finisher should the race come down to a sprint.

Marianne Vos

Marianne Vos is one of the strongest Classics riders in the women’s peloton. The three-time road world champion won Gent–Wevelgem and Amstel Gold in 2021 before going on to win yet another cyclocross world title.

After falling short of victory by mere inches at the Flanders Road World Championships last fall, the Dutch superstar may be out for revenge on the cobbles of Flanders this spring. Her last victory in the Ronde was in 2013. Can she lead Jumbo Visma to success in 2022?

Elisa Longo Borghini

Backed by the powerful Trek-Segafredo team, Elisa Longo Borghini leads an all-star lineup that includes current road world champion Elisa Balsamo, current time trial world champion Ellen Van Dijk, and former cyclocross world champion Lucinda Brand.

Longo Borghini won the Tour of Flanders in 2015 and has been racing hard for another big cobbled victory ever since.

The Italian is an active and aggressive racer who is sure to put on a show. If she plays her cards right, she could pull one over on the Dutch favorites.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma

Canyon-SRAM’s Katarzyna-Niewiadoma’s track record at the Tour of Flanders does not do justice to how she races it. The Polish rider loves to attack the finale of the race, but has not managed better than sixth place.

The long flat road to the finish in Oudenaarde is a challenge for Niewiadoma, who is known for wildly explosive uphill attacks, the likes of which earned her victory in the 2019 Amstel Gold Race.

Niewiadoma is one rider who will relish the addition of the Koppenberg this year, as she looks for her perfect launchpad to attack.