For the top favorites, good for 3 stars, the jury chooses Marianne Vos, who strings together the titles and Lotte Kopecky, who carries the hopes of the Flemish public on her shoulders.
Vos is one of the only ones in the women’s peloton to prepare for height and has specifically worked towards this World Cup.
Kopecky has taken a step up this year. After her brilliant victories in the Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders in the spring, she also wants to tick off a top prize with the World Cup in the autumn.
One step lower than Vos and Kopecky are the Italian leaders and Annemiek van Vleuten.
Can Elisa Balsamo’s fast legs consume Mount Pleasant and secure her second title in a row? Or can Elisa Longo Borghini take over from her teammate if she doesn’t have the climber’s legs she hopes for?
Or does Annemiek van Vleuten blow everyone’s wheels in the hope that the battered elbow will hold up?
The women with 1 star can be divided into 2 categories: lightweights who can handle uphill well and the hard rider Brown who is difficult to get back when she gets a split.
