Marlen Reusser stamped her status as a Tour of Flanders contender with victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen, the final dress rehearsal before Sunday's Monument.
The Movistar rider, returning after two months out injured, attacked with 24km to go in the Belgian cobbled Classic, and rode to the line with her former team-mate Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ).
The leading duo were almost stunned inside 500m to go by an over-the-top attack by Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike). Vollering closed down the charging Dutchwoman, however, before Reusser passed them both to win the race.
"Actually, I'm a bit surprised. I didn't expect it like this. I'm so happy," Reusser said afterwards.
The event marked only the fifth day of racing for the Swiss rider this year after she withdrew from February's UAE Tour following a crash. While she did not break any bones, Reusser required stitches in her left knee, and missed the opening of the Classics campaign.
"In the beginning of the race I felt like, 'Ahh.' I really had trouble positioning and stuff, but I kept being confident to help the whole team, because I think we have a super-strong team," she said.
“I think it was really key to have Cat [Ferguson] behind [in the chasing group], because I knew I didn’t have to really keep pushing. I said to Demi, ‘I stay in the wheel’... Then it was actually ideal, because she had to go and I could follow for quite a while.”
With 10km remaining to the finish in Waregem, Reusser and Vollering's gap to the chasers stood at 12 seconds. It then doubled by the time they reached the 5km-to-go marker, thanks to an unallied effort to try and real the pair in.
Not content to sprint for third, Nooijen launched a Hail Mary with shades of Fillipo Ganna's last-gasp flier that pipped Wout van Aert to victory in the men's race earlier in the day. The move almost brought a spectacular WorldTour breakthrough for the Visma-Lease a Bike rider. What did Reusser think when she saw her sail past? "I was like, 'What the f***'," she laughed.
"I'm really lucky with the sprint," she continued. "I think it was nice I could stay in the wheel for so long."
Reusser's next race will be the Tour of Flanders, where, alongside Vollering and the reigning champion Lotte Kopecky (SW Worx-Protime), she will now be among the favourites.
The 34-year-old's previous best result in the Monument is fifth, achieved in 2022. She finished tenth last year.
Asked to reflect on the race, second-placed Vollering praised Reusser as "the strongest and smartest today".
"It was super close, and another time maybe it would be another way around. It's always nice to battle for the win," Vollering said.
Results
Dwaars door Vlaanderen 2026 (128.8km)
1. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, in 3:09:12
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United-SUEZ
3. Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, both at same time
4. Zoe Bäckstedt (GBr) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +7s
5. Eline Jansen (Ned) VolkerWessels Cycling Team
6. Cat Ferguson (GBr) Movistar
7. Charlotte Kool (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech
8. Franziska Koch (Ger) FDJ Unived-SUEZ
9. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
10. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Human Powered Health, all at same time
