Nienke Veenhoven wins bunch sprint on stage one of Baloise Ladies Tour

Nienke Veenhoven (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) won the opening stage of the 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour, prevailing in a reduced bunch sprint on the streets of Knokke-Heist. The Dutch sprinter crossed the line ahead of compatriot Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) and Zoe Backstedt (Canyon//SRAM), all credited with the same time of 2:44:29.The inaugural stage, 112 km from Oostende to Knokke-Heist, unfolded on a completely flat route featuring a cobbled sector midway through the race and a final two-lap circuit. A breakaway by Anne Knijnenburg (VolkerWessels Cycling) animated the race, reaching a maximum advantage of 18 seconds with 20 km to go. After she was caught, an attempt by Bodine Vollering was quickly neutralised with 8 km to the finish.In the final kilometre, a crash involved several riders, but Veenhoven managed to launch her sprint on the home straight and proved the fastest. Also on the stage podium were Gladys Verhulst Wild (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) and Clara Copponi (Lidl - Trek), fourth and fifth respectively.In the general classification, Zoe Backstedt retains the leader's jersey with a time of 2:49:05, thanks to her victory in the opening time trial. The Briton leads Charlotte Kool by 5 seconds and Nienke Veenhoven by 8 seconds. The race continues on Friday with the second and final stage.