For the third time in her career Marta Bastianelli wins the Omloop van het Hageland in Belgium (she had already won it in 2016 and 2019). For the third time this season, the former world champion raises her arms to the sky and gives a victory to UAE Team ADQ.

In her first taste of the Northern Classics and cobblestones, after her top 10 at Omloop Het Nieuwsbland yesterday, with grit and determination the Italian rider once again shows that she is in good physical condition and is able to be ready at the decisive moment of the race and beat all her rivals in the sprint to the finish line in Tielt-Winge, after 128.2 km of racing. Second place for Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Movistar Team) and third Floortje Mackaij (Team DSM).

Once again the work done by her teammates was of fundamental importance as they worked to close in on several day's breakaway attempts and the first breakaway which animated the first part of the race.

Then, in the final 30 kilometres, the decisive action came from 10 riders: Emma Norsgaard and Aude Biannic (Movistar Team), Pfeiffer Georgi and Floortje Mackaij (Team DSM), Valerie Demey (Liv Racing), Shirin Van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo), Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ), Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitainie Futuroscope), Elena Cecchini and Chantal van den Broek Blaak (SD Worx). Despite a repeated series of attacks, Marta Bastianelli showed grit and great determination to never be surprised and in the end, with the same determination, she won the sprint.

After her third personal victory of the season, Marta Bastianelli said: "On the roads of Belgium you always need to be very careful, you have to ride at the head of the group and watch out for the most important breakaways. We risked several times to stay out, but I had great teammates like Laura [Tomasi] and Alessia [Patuelli] who pushed at full force along with Eugenia [Bujak] to close the most important breakaways. Sofia and I were careful in the decisive breaks. On the final stretch of the pavé this breakaway went away and I managed to get into it and we made it to the finish. The finale was deadly because in the last 5 or 6 kilometres there were a continuous series of attacks and counter-attacks by my opponents and so I had to close several times, fighting also against the wind. I knew that I had to grit my teeth and hold on to do a good sprint. I got on Norsgaard's wheel, she was a bit closed in on the barriers and I went all the way to the left to get out of the confusion and I managed to win. I'd like to thank the whole team and hopefully we can continue like this at the Strade Bianche and the next races”.

UAE Tea ADQ will be back in action on Tuesday, March 1^st, again in Belgium, for Le Samyn des Dames (1.1), from Quaregnon to Dour (km 99.4), start at 12.20pm and finish at 2.45pm. It will be possible to follow the race live on Eurosport/GCN from 2pm.