A Belgian one-day race that rewards sharp positioning and the ability to handle repeated accelerations through rolling Flemish Brabant terrain.
De Brabantse Pijl Women is a professional one-day race held in Belgium's Flemish Brabant region each April. The race runs on similar roads to its men's counterpart but unfolds with its own tactical rhythm and competitive identity on the women's calendar.
Anna van der Breggen has won this race, underlining its appeal to complete riders who can climb, descend, and position under pressure.
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This race sits in the heart of Belgian classics season and attracts riders who can handle punchy climbs, technical descents, and the kind of positioning pressure that defines Flemish racing. It rewards tactical sharpness more than raw power, and the finale often comes down to a select group that has survived the accumulated stress of the closing circuits.
The race typically features rolling terrain through Flemish Brabant, with short climbs that accumulate fatigue rather than split the field outright. Positioning becomes critical in the final third as the course tightens and the pace lifts. The winner usually emerges from a reduced group that has handled the repeated accelerations and technical sections without burning matches too early. Weather can sharpen the selection, but the course itself rewards riders who read the race well and know when to move. The finale often plays out on finishing circuits that favor those who have conserved energy through the middle kilometers and can respond when the decisive attacks come.
Short, punchy climbs through the Brabant hills. The terrain is not Alpine, but the gradients are sharp enough to split the field.
The winner is usually decided by who reads the final climbs best and times the right move rather than by raw climbing power.
Placed between the Flemish and Ardennes classics, Brabantse Pijl serves as a bridge race that rewards versatile riders.
Most recent winner: Elisa Longo Borghini (2025)
Back-to-back wins (2024, 2025) turned the Brabantse Pijl into a springboard for her Flemish classics campaigns.
Won in 2022 and placed consistently across multiple editions. The race suits her punchy climbing style.
Won in 2020, proving the race rewards strong time-trial riders who can handle the Brabant gradients.
A key climb in the final approach that tests positioning before the run to the finish.
The rolling hills south of Brussels provide the distinctive terrain that defines this race.
