Description
October 17, 2026
28th Eneco Tour Women 2026 🇳🇱 (2.1) WE – Stage 4 – Hoogeveen – Col du VAM : 114,1 km
Eneco Tour Women is a UCI 2.1 multi-stage women’s road race across the mostly flat roads of the Netherlands.
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October 17, 2026
28th Eneco Tour Women 2026 🇳🇱 (2.1) WE – Stage 4 – Hoogeveen – Col du VAM : 114,1 km
Eneco Tour Women is a UCI 2.1 multi-stage women’s road race across the mostly flat roads of the Netherlands. The route typically combines paved rural roads, urban sections and short finishing circuits, with limited sustained climbing but frequent changes of pace. Most gradients are modest, while occasional short, steep rises create brief selection points rather than long mountain tests. Open farmland and exposed dikes make crosswinds a major tactical factor, as echelons can split the peloton and turn a controlled stage into a fast pursuit. Narrow lanes, roundabouts and technical corners also reward early positioning. The format can include an individual time trial alongside road stages, adding a test of pacing and aerodynamic efficiency to the demands of bunch racing. Breakaways often form early, but sprint teams may control flatter stages, while wind and repeated accelerations can reduce the group. Finishes can come from bunch sprints, reduced groups or late attacks, depending on terrain and conditions.
Letizia Borghesi (AG Insurance-Soudal) claimed the second victory of her career and her first in seven years with a powerful punch on the Col du VAM on stage 4 of the Eneco Tour Women.
The Italian, whose only previous career victory came with a stage of the 2019 Giro d’Italia, stomped clear of the rest of the favourites on the steep cobbled section of the climb, which is built on a rubbish dump on the otherwise flat landscape of Drenthe in the Netherlands.
Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) made a late burst to take second place on the stage, with race leader Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) coming up for third place to retain her orange jersey.
Only around 15 riders remained in the lead group as they approached the foot of the Col du VAM for the seventh and final time on the 115km circuit-based course. Julia Kopecky led the way in on behalf of her SD Worx teammate and Nooijen’s closest challenger, Femke Markus, but Borghesi snuck in behind with a bold move through a right-hand bend.
Nooijen was the first of the favourites to hit the front inside the final kilometer, but Borghesi soon made her move powering clear on the smooth cobblestones and dropping the race leader in the process. She opened a small gap by the top of the first section of the climb, and extended it with some aggressive cornering on the short downhill, which was made treacherous by the rain.
Although the chasers started to close in on the final haul to the line in the last 250 metres, Borghesi had done enough to take out a memorable victory. Georgi crossed the line in second place four seconds down, just ahead of Nooijen.
With one stage remaining, Nooijen retains her overall lead, extending her margin over Markus by six seconds to now stand at 38 seconds. Borghesi’s win saw her jump four places onto the overall podium at 39 seconds.
Results :
 WE - Stage 4 </strong> - Hoogeveen - Col du VAM : 114,1 km
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Eneco Tour Women is a UCI 2.1 multi-stage women’s road race across the mostly flat roads of the Netherlands. The route typically combines paved rural roads, urban sections and short finishing circuits, with limited sustained climbing but frequent changes of pace. Most gradients are modest, while occasional short, steep rises create brief selection points rather than long mountain tests. Open farmland and exposed dikes make crosswinds a major tactical factor, as echelons can split the peloton and turn a controlled stage into a fast pursuit. Narrow lanes, roundabouts and technical corners also reward early positioning. The format can include an individual time trial alongside road stages, adding a test of pacing and aerodynamic efficiency to the demands of bunch racing. Breakaways often form early, but sprint teams may control flatter stages, while wind and repeated accelerations can reduce the group. Finishes can come from bunch sprints, reduced groups or late attacks, depending on terrain and conditions.
Letizia Borghesi (AG Insurance-Soudal) claimed the second victory of her career and her first in seven years with a powerful punch on the Col du VAM on stage 4 of the Eneco Tour Women.
The Italian, whose only previous career victory came with a stage of the 2019 Giro d’Italia, stomped clear of the rest of the favourites on the steep cobbled section of the climb, which is built on a rubbish dump on the otherwise flat landscape of Drenthe in the Netherlands.
Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) made a late burst to take second place on the stage, with race leader Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) coming up for third place to retain her orange jersey.
Only around 15 riders remained in the lead group as they approached the foot of the Col du VAM for the seventh and final time on the 115km circuit-based course. Julia Kopecky led the way in on behalf of her SD Worx teammate and Nooijen’s closest challenger, Femke Markus, but Borghesi snuck in behind with a bold move through a right-hand bend.
Nooijen was the first of the favourites to hit the front inside the final kilometer, but Borghesi soon made her move powering clear on the smooth cobblestones and dropping the race leader in the process. She opened a small gap by the top of the first section of the climb, and extended it with some aggressive cornering on the short downhill, which was made treacherous by the rain.
Although the chasers started to close in on the final haul to the line in the last 250 metres, Borghesi had done enough to take out a memorable victory. Georgi crossed the line in second place four seconds down, just ahead of Nooijen.
With one stage remaining, Nooijen retains her overall lead, extending her margin over Markus by six seconds to now stand at 38 seconds. Borghesi’s win saw her jump four places onto the overall podium at 39 seconds.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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