For most of the peloton, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was a frustrating affair – overruled by an unflinching breakaway that amassed a staggering lead of over 13 minutes at its peak.

In the end, the script had already been written. The main bunch was left racing for scraps, with Maike van der Duin fighting to 11th for CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto after not finding the space to fully open up her sprint.

Five riders, then two more, then another two were all granted their freedom in the first 20 kilometres, and teams began to hesitate investing in the chase. What started as a waiting game soon turned into a tactical deadlock that lasted too long. All the while, the five leaders were not just holding their advantage, they were riding away as the likely victors.

By the time the peloton reached Geraardsbergen and hit the opening slopes of the iconic Muur (890m at 8.8%) with little over 15 kilometres remaining, the two strongest breakaway riders had already crested the summit and were well on their way to the final challenge, the Bosberg, still holding a commanding lead of over five minutes.

The peloton’s race finally came to life on the steep and unforgiving cobbles that rise above Geraardsbergen. Vollering (TFS) put the power down, dragging Pieterse (FDC) clear, while Kasia Niewiadoma hovered just behind alongside the Movistar duo of Lippert and Reusser, six seconds adrift.

With 20 kilometres remaining, the gap was still seven minutes. Even inside the final 10 kilometres, it stood at 4:30. The numbers simply weren’t adding up, and by this point, the chances of the break being caught were all but gone.

Up the road and still with 3:25 in hand, Belgium’s Claes (ARK) sealed a career-defining victory, stopping the clock on a race that very few could have foreseen. Pieterse and Vollering held their advantage from the Muur to battle for third, while Maike’s group, also including Kasia, Alice Towers and Soraya Paladin, followed just 10 seconds later.

It’s not a scenario seen too often, especially in early-season races or the opening spring classics, where motivation and eagerness to make an impact are at their peak. Yet, beneath the surface, there’s an underlying caution as riders and teams are still sizing each other up. When this arises, fortune is almost always seized by the brave.

There’s little time to dwell on this unprecedented and somewhat surreal opening to the spring classics. Alice, Maike, Soraya, Chiara Consonni, and Tiffany Cromwell will be back in action on Sunday at Omloop van het Hageland, joined by Zoe Bäckstedt and Nastya Kolesava.

Next on the World Tour calendar is a trip to Italian soil for the adored Strade Bianche –  the southernmost of the spring classics.