The Ronde van Vlaanderen, or Tour of Flanders arrives this Sunday, April 3rd. The women's and men's WorldTour pelotons will take on the famous cobbled bergs of the Flemish region while raucous Belgian fans line the undulating countryside roads.

The women race 158 kilometers beginning and ending in Oudenaarde. For the first time, they will be routed up the Koppenberg, an infamously difficult cobbled climb, which reaches gradients of 22%. The Koppenberg is practically unrideable in wet conditions, and has occasionally been omitted from the men's race. In response to an increased demand for equality between the men's and women's peloton, the organizers of the Ronde will no longer stop the women from tackling the climb.

In addition to enhancing the women's course, The Flanders Classics organization is for the first time offering equal prize money at the Tour of Flanders, with the winner of each race taking home 20,000 Euros. These changes are all part of the organization's "Closing the Gap" Initiative, which aims for equality between the two pelotons in all Flanders Classics in 2023.

In 2021, Annemiek van Vleuten rode to a solo victory 25 seconds ahead of Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Grace Brown and Lisa Brennauer. In 2022, a few more women have emerged near the top of the classics. Read on for four darkhorse picks for the 2022 Women's Tour of Flanders.

Lisa Brennauer

Lisa Brennauer, the German time trial specialist does not have much to show for her 2022 season. Gent-Wevelgem was her first race, and her 71st place finish was certainly nothing to write home about. Brennauer however is coming off a breakout year in the spring classics. She outpowerd the chasers at last year's Tour of Flanders, earning an impressive second place finish. She finisher her season with a fourth place ride at Paris-Roubaix. Is she on the cusp of a big cobbled victory?  

Yara Kastelijn

Yara Kastelijn is a 24-year old Dutch rider who is best known for her cyclocross results. While Kastelijn has multiple road she has not consistently prioritize major Women's WorldTour events. In 2022, things may be changing for the young Dutch talent. Kastelijn finished 15th at Strade Bianche and showed some fire power in the Gent-Wevelgem finale.

The 2019 winner of Koppenbergcross, Kastelijn will be familiar and perhaps even eager to attack the cobbled hills this Sunday. Will Kastelijn join the ranks of multidiscipline stars, which include the likes of Marianne Vos and Mathieu van der Poel?

Demi Vollering

SD Worx Demi Vollering has proven herself to be a consistent Classics racer over the past few years, with a fifth place finish at the 2021 Tour of Flanders and a strong second place at 2022’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. 

SD Worx’s lack of definite leadership on the 2022 team means that both Vollering and teammate Lotte Kopecky can ride for themselves if the opportunity presents itself. Vollering proved at Omloop that she is up to the task.

Cecile Ultrup Ludwig

Cecile Ultrup Ludwig is on form for another Tour of Flanders assault after her fifth place finish at this year's Strade Bianche. Ludwig is not one to shy away from attacking a climb, and she is quite skilled across the cobbles. 

Look for an active Ludwig on the final climbs of the day. If Ludwig does not manage to escape, her FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope teammates Grace Brown and Marta Cavalli are strong options for the flat finish in Oudenaarde.