From the steep cobbled gradients of Mühl van Geraalsbergen to the finish line of Omloop Het Newsblad, Dutch women Annemiek van Vleuten and Demi Vollering were inseparable at the front of the race.

Van Vleuten, who won the Ninove two-up sprint for her second Omloop title, attacked on the hallowed climb, bridging up to a strong lead group in the process.

Along with the SD Walks rider, the pair accelerated again on the second of the famous one-two punches, the Vosberg. There, Movistar's leader made her move, and Vollering stuck with her.

This situation continued right up to the finish, with Vollaring sticking to Van Vleuten's wheel in the final kilometers, visibly frustrating the 39-year-old Van Vleuten. After the race, which ended in a tense sprint finish to a fierce battle between the two, van Vleuten said he had to accept the situation, even if his chances of victory were slim.

"As I said before, when you crash you accept the situation and continue. The same goes for when Demi Volering gets on my wheel, I accept the situation. I asked her, "Do you want a ride?" I asked her, and she replied, "No, I don't want to ride."

[10 [I could understand that because there were two [teammates] behind her. Because if I pulled away from the two SD Walks from behind, that's not a good situation for me

"So I felt like if I could stay in front at 95 percent, I could still hang on, and even after a hard race, it was a really long sprint. I thought I might have a chance at that point. And yes, that led to the result.

"I never get frustrated by things I can't control. I tried to tell [Movistar teammate] Emma Norsgaard-Bjerg to drive her because she was behind me, but she wouldn't go along with it."

Despite her palms and countless successes, Van Vleuten would not normally have an advantage in a two-up sprint with Liege-Bastogne-Liege, La Course, and last season's Women's Tour winner, Volering! It would be.

However, after three and a half hours of tough racing, she says her sprinting has improved relatively well.

"I wanted to fly the last curve like a kamikaze," van Breuten joked. 'It's nice to beat someone who is essentially faster than you. But I also get faster after a hard race. I could see her coming up next to me in the sprint, but I could have put it in another gear."

""That's a 'lekker. I'm happy." It was very unexpected and it was a great team effort and it was really nice to start the season with good momentum and with the team.

"I think we have a good flow with the team. But it's a dream start."