Annemieke van Vleuten had hoped to add to her 2011 and 2021 Tour of Flanders victories with a win in the farewell Tour of Flanders, but a fall has ended the world champion's chances of making a lasting mark on history.

Van Vleuten had been in good shape to contend for the win in the Belgian race, and had he done so, he would have become the first rider in history to win three consecutive Tours de Flanders. However, a slip with 48km to go, his last chance before retiring, put him on the back foot in a crucial 158km stage of the 20th edition of the race.

"I was in a good position in the Trek-Segafredo train and fell off the road into a ditch. My two teammates were waiting for me but the race was really over. I am really disappointed in my last Tour de Flanders. Luckily I didn't get hurt," Van Vleuten said.

Carline Swinkels (Jumbo-Visma) and Deborah Silvestri (Zafcycling) also crashed before the cobbled climb on the Koppenberg. But Van Vleuten also suffered a broken chain and had to delay to change bikes, passing through Koppenberg about 2 minutes behind the lead group.

Despite having no more hope of winning, Van Vleuten kept pushing and eventually finished 27th, 3:45 behind the lone winner, Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Walks), in the peloton.

"I thought, 'Just keep pedaling. In Flanders, you always get cheered on and I enjoyed that," Van Vleuten said.

However, Van Vleuten in particular had just returned from training in Tenerife.

"My power numbers for 60 minutes were the best I've ever had, but that doesn't mean much if you're not in front. I wanted to test my legs and see if I could keep up with Lotte," said the Movistar rider.

Van Vleuten is now looking ahead to South Limburg and the Ardennes, skipping the Paris-Roubaix Fam to take on the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.