Dutch · Breda, Netherlands · Born 22 October 1989A Dutch classics specialist who captured the rainbow jersey in 2017 and won major cobbled/hilly one-day races before retiring in 2025.
Chantal Blaak's 2017 World Championship win in Bergen came from a Dutch team so dominant that the tactics afterward mattered as much as the result -- the Netherlands controlled the race with numbers, and Blaak was the rider they'd built the plan around finishing it off. It's the kind of win that gets remembered as much for the team performance behind it as the individual crossing the line first. Her palmares afterward reads like a tour of cycling's hardest one-day races: the Tour of Flanders in 2020, Amstel Gold in 2018, Strade Bianche in 2021 -- three different terrains, three different demands, won across three different seasons. Few classics specialists show that range within a single career. Blaak retired in 2021 after complications from Covid-19 affected her ability to train and race at the level she'd built her career on, ending things earlier than her results alone would have suggested. She'd been rainbow jersey champion barely four years before stepping away.
2017 UCI World Road Race Champion
How They Played
Blaak is known for her tactical acumen and ability to position herself perfectly in the finale of races. She combines excellent bike handling skills with a powerful sprint finish, making her particularly dangerous in reduced bunch sprints after hard races.
Lasting Impact
Blaak helped elevate the profile of women's cycling through her World Championship victory and consistent performances in the biggest races on the calendar.
Career Honours
- World Road Race Champion 2017
- Tour of Flanders 2020
- Amstel Gold Race 2018
- Strade Bianche 2021
Dutch Athletes