Lieke Nooijen secured the Dutch national road race title in Nijmegen on Sunday, June 28, 2026, after winning a long sprint against breakaway companion Femke Markus.
The 24-year-old Visma-Lease a Bike rider from Helmond outsprinted Markus, who rides for SD Worx-ProTime, to claim the biggest victory of her career.
Loes Adegeest finished third, ahead of former champion Mischa Bredewold and local rider Femke de Vries.
Nooijen previously secured third place in the national time trial championship on Wednesday.
Following her victory in the road race, she experienced an emotional celebration at the finish line.
"Als eerste over de streep komen, is altijd een kippenvelmomentje," said Nooijen. "Om deze trui straks te mogen dragen, is wel heel speciaal."
The achievement mirrored the success of her teammate Wilco Kelderman, who won the men's national title earlier in the day.
Race Decided in Final Kilometers
The final phase of the race opened more than 50 kilometers from the finish when De Vries initiated an attack.
She was joined by Adegeest, Nienke Vinke, and Malou Eisen, representing the major teams in the peloton.
An acceleration by De Vries on the Oude Holleweg climb left only Adegeest in her wheel, which forced a reorganization of the front group.
One lap later, Nijmegen native Eva van Agt attacked on the same climb, temporarily distancing top favorites Lorena Wiebes and Marianne Vos.
Although Visma-Lease a Bike held a four-rider advantage in an eight-woman group, a lack of consistent pacing allowed the chasing pack, including Wiebes and Vos, to rejoin without significant effort.
Markus initiated another breakaway at the start of the penultimate lap, drawing Nooijen with her.
The duo established a substantial lead over the peloton, putting both riders in a position to contest the victory.
Markus entered the race having previously secured the Dutch gravel championship title and winning the Antwerp Port Epic in May.
Nooijen entered the event amidst a breakthrough season, which included a prominent performance at Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Chasers Adegeest, De Vries, and Bredewold launched a counter-attack but only caught sight of the leading pair during the final straight kilometer.
Nooijen opened her sprint from over 500 meters out and successfully defended her position against Markus.
"Dit was heel spannend," said Nooijen.
"Toen ik met Femke Markus de laatste kilometer in ging, dacht ik wel: oh jee, dit wordt een zware klus om haar te kloppen.
Ik zat even een seconde niet op te letten dan toen demarreerde ze. Gelukkig kon ik terugkomen.
En op 500 meter heb ik gewoon alles gegeven, wat ik heb."
The defeat left Markus reflecting on her tactical choices during the final kilometer of the race.
"Dit is gewoon balen. Ik dacht dat ik het kon afmaken.
Misschien had ik moeten wachten en niet aangaan op een kilometer. Maar ja, je moet ook durven verliezen om te kunnen winnen.
Dit was de verkeerde keuze. Of misschien heeft de sterkste wel gewoon gewonnen," said Markus.
