Demi Vollering continues winning ways at Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femme to claim historic third victory

Demi Vollering continued her winning ways at the 10th Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femme, claiming her third victory in the finale of the Spring Classics.

The FDJ United Suez rider, who stormed to victory earlier in the week at Fleche Wallonne, continued to show her dominance in the Spring Classics with a solo effort from 30km to finish one minute and 29 seconds ahead of the chasers.

The podium was rounded out in a sprint finish from Puck Pieterse (Fenix–Premier Tech), who pipped Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon/SRAM zondacrypto) to second, one month after the Polish rider’s horror crash, with Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx–Protime) missing out on the line.

On the record win, Vollering said: “I really wanted to win here again.

"It’s incredible, I’m super proud. Women’s sport deserves so much more.

“I really wanted to go all-out for this victory and not have any regrets afterwards. We made a plan to go from the Redoute. We wanted to have a teammate in front before, but that didn’t really work out.

"Still, I went, and it was a long, long way from there, but I managed to finish it off."

In the 10th edition of the modern classic, the riders faced 11 longer and steeper climbs than any other Classic on the Spring Classics calendar throughout a mammoth 156km race.

With no Kim Le Court, who is recovering from a wrist fracture, the question of the day was whether Demi Vollering, Anna van der Breggen, or Annemiek van Vleuten could return to the podium for a third time, but with aggressive racing from the start, it was not going to be an easy day on the saddle.

Despite multiple attacks from the outset, the peloton remained relatively intact until around 120km to go when Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime) made her move.

Across the descent toward the Côte de Wanne, Gerritse was able to extend her lead over the peloton to over two minutes - an advantage which was held until 90km to go, when her lead was eaten away rapidly on the categorised climb.

At the summit, Gerritse held a lead of just 45 seconds as Julie Bego (Cofidis) and Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-SUEZ) jumped out of the peloton in pursuit of the lead rider.

The duo’s break was short-lived as the peloton quickly swallowed them up and continued to rein in Gerritse on the Côte de Stockeau, but it was not until the Côte de la Haute-Levée that the peloton caught her, with 80km to go.

Over the next 40km, the peloton was challenged by four massive climbs which saw only one failed breakaway established, involving Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ), Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek), Juliette Berthet and Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-SUEZ), Femke de Vries (Visam-Lease a Bike) and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oalty).

But it was on the iconic Côte de la Redoute that Vollering finally stamped her mark on the race as she was led out by her FDJ United Suez teammates, to establish a gap before the summit.

Vollering continued to press and built a 25-second lead over the rest of the field as Holmgren, Pieterse and Niewiadoma-Phinney went on the chase, having dropped Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) into the peloton one minute behind.

Tackling the continued climbs alone, Vollering grew her lead, reaching the top of Roche-aux-Faucons with over a minute advantage.

It was a lead that was insurmountable with 10km remaining as the trio struggled to organise a successful chase.

With 9km to go, Van der Breggen joined the group, taking the place of a struggling Holmgren, in a bid to make the podium.

In the end, Vollering crossed the line after a 30km solo effort, one minute and 29 seconds ahead of the chasers to claim a historic third victory at the event.

It was then a sprint for the line to complete the podium with Van der Breggen leading the charge and hugging the barriers.

But it was Pieterse's well-timed surge that saw her pip Niewiadoma-Phinney to the second, as Van der Breggen missed out on third.

Results

Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femme, 156km

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United-Suez in 04:10:21
2. Puck Pieterse (Ned), Fenix-Premier Tech +1:29s
3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Pol) Canyon/SRAM zondacrypto)
4. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, all at the same time.
5. Paula Blasi (Esp) UAE Team ADQ, +1:48s
6. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek
7. Elise Chabbey (Swi) FDJ United-Suez, +1:56s
8. Magdeleine Vallieres (Can) EF Education-Oatly
9. Juliette Berthet (Fra) FDJ United-Suez
10. Axelle Dubau-Prevot (Fra) EF Education-Oatly, all at the same time