Can Vollering make it three in Liège? Analysing the contenders at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes

Classics season is almost at an end, with the biggest race of the Ardennes triple, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, drawing the spring to a close on Sunday.

The race is the oldest of the men's Monuments but runs just its 10th women's race this weekend. Nonetheless, Liège is among the toughest Classics of the Women's WorldTour calendar, with 11 major climbs and over 2,500 metres of ascent packed into the 156km race route.

Challenges along the way include the Côte de Stockeu, Col du Rosier, Côte de la Redoute, and the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons ahead of a flat finish in Liège city centre, which has hosted the finish since its move from nearby Ans in 2019.

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2025 champion Kim Le Court-Pienaar won't be defending her title after fracturing her wrist at Milan-San Remo last month. Two past winners of the race – Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen – will be among the 126 riders setting out from Bastogne on Sunday morning, however, with the pair both seeking their third title.

Here's a look at our list of the top contenders for the 2026 Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ)

With a series of big wins under her belt already this spring, Demi Vollering is the main favourite to add another to the list in Liège on Sunday.

The Dutchwoman has won the race twice in the past, triumphing from a four-woman sprint in 2021 and beating Elisa Longo Borghini in a two-up sprint three years ago. In fact, an 11th place in 2020 was her only non-podium finish, with four third-place finishes also on her palmarès.

Before hitting the Ardennes, Vollering already had wins at the Setmana Valenciana, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and the Tour of Flanders to her name. She was third in her home Classic, Amstel Gold Race, but rode a dominant Mur de Huy to win La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.

The European Champion is the form pick, and she knows how to win here. She'll also enjoy the backing of one of the strongest teams around, with Elise Chabbey, Evita Muzic, and Juliette Berthet among her support squad.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney's Ardennes campaign looked in jeopardy when she crashed hard on the descent of the Cipressa at Milan-San Remo a month ago. However, the Polish Champion has continued where she left off, immediately contending for glory at Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne.

She beat Vollering for second place at the former as Paula Blasi soloed to a surprise victory, while at the latter, she finished fourth after racing up the Mur de Huy while being stuck in the big ring.

With wins at Amstel in 2019 and Flèche in 2024, she's won both races before, with that Flèche triumph her sole Classics win of the past five years. Liège, where she finished on the podium on her debut in 2017, remains on her to-do list.

Having scored five other top-10 placings, she's always there or thereabouts, and figures among the favourites once again this year.

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech)

At 23, Puck Pieterse is one of the youngest riders on our list of Liège contenders, and she's firmly among the top favourites after her performances in the Ardennes this season and last.

A year ago, she finished on the podium at all three races, also storming to her first Classics victory at Flèche. A few days later, she came close to adding Liège to her palmarès too, narrowly missing out to Kim Le Court-Pienaar in the final sprint.

This week, she finished second on the Mur de Huy, almost launching a late comeback as Vollering sailed across the line. That second place followed from sixth at Strade Bianche, fifth at Trofeo Oro in Euro, fourth at Milan-San Remo, and third at Tour of Flanders. Will she complete the pattern with a first place on Sunday?

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Last season, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won France's two biggest races in Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France. In the immediate aftermath of the second triumph, she stated that her goals for 2026 would be focussed on the biggest races in neighbouring Belgium.

She finished second best on the cobbles of the Tour of Flanders, 42 seconds down on Vollering as the Dutchwoman soloed to victory. Now, a bid for Liège is on her hitlist.

Ferrand-Prévot finished 12th at the race last year in her last appearance at La Doyenne since 2018, where she finished seventh. Recent form is good, with a seventh place at Flèche. That was a relatively distant 28 seconds down on Vollering, however, and she'll have to do better on the hills between Bastogne and Liège this weekend.

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)

Lotte Kopecky has won plenty during her career to date, including just about every major Spring Classic. However, victory in the Ardennes has so far eluded her.

Of course, she has raced on the cobbles far more, and only has seven appearances across the three Ardennes Classics on her palmarès. That's not to say she's unsuited to them, of course. Kopecky was second in Amstel three years ago and finished fifth in Liège last spring.

A year ago, she was dropped 11km from the finish and ended 24 seconds off the lead group, which contested victory, but she has the strength to be in the mix for victory this time around. She didn't take part in Amstel or Flèche, with a 25th place at Brabantse Pijl her most recent result.

Kopecky has turned it up for the biggest races this spring, including a win at Milan-San Remo and fourth places at Flanders and Roubaix.

Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ)

It's fair to say that Spanish racer Paula Blasi wouldn't have featured on favourites lists for the Ardennes Classics before this week.

The 23-year-old was still racing for UAE's development squad this time last year, only moving to the Women's WorldTour team at the end of May. She started her 2026 well with a third place at the Tour Down Under, and fifth at the Clásica de Almería, while last week's Brabantse Pijl – where she finished ninth – was her first pro race in Belgium.

Since then, things have only got better for Blasi as she raced to a 23km solo victory at Amstel Gold Race, by far the biggest win of her short career to date. Midweek, she was on the podium again after passing Niewiadoma-Phinney for third at Flèche. Sunday will pose a different challenge, and Blasi has placed her name firmly among the top competitors.

Magdeleine Vallieres Mill (EF Education-Oatly)

World champion Magdeleine Vallieres Mill was something of a surprise winner in Rwanda last autumn, and the Canadian is still looking for her win in the rainbow stripes with 18 race days under her belt since that famous triumph.

So far this spring, her best result has been fifth place at Strade Bianche, just six seconds down on winner Elise Chabbey. Her next-best result came just a few days ago on the steep inclines of the Mur de Huy. Vallieres was sixth at Flèche, 14 seconds behind Vollering after an impressive ascent which also saw her finish 14 seconds up on seventh place and the rest.

The 24-year-old clearly has some good climbing shape heading into Liège. Her best result in four appearances at La Doyenne is 34th in 2024, but she should better that this weekend.

Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)

New Zealander Niamh Fisher-Black leads Lidl-Trek at the Ardennes Classics for the second time this year, with her performances last spring forming the base of what turned out to be her breakthrough season as a top rider in the Women's WorldTour.

Last year, she took two top-10 finishes at Flèche and Liège before going on to put in a series of great rides the rest of the year, including fifth at the Tour and second at the Worlds.

She hasn't yet hit those heights this spring, with seventh at the UAE Tour and fifth at the Giro dell'Appennino her top results to date. After finishing 21st at Amstel Gold Race, she looks to be on the up in time for Liège with an eighth place at Flèche.

Her three most recent outings at Liège have seen her finish 10th, 10th, and seventh, so look for Fisher-Black to be well in the mix once again.

Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-SUEZ)

Elise Chabbey lines up among the support squad for Vollering, the FDJ lineup likely the strongest in the race, but the Swiss rider is a favourite in her own right.

Of course, Chabbey won't race against her team leader in the Walloon hills, but she is a powerful second option as she proved in the hills of Tuscany last month. After Vollering suffered a mechanical before her group took a wrong turn during Strade Bianche, Chabbey rose to the occasion and proved she could do it without her leader, winning in Siena as teammate Franziska Koch finished third.

She has slotted back into her support role this week, finishing 20th and 16th at Amstel and Flèche as Vollering grabbed third place and the win. Chabbey could prove an important foil once again on Sunday.

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)

Like Vollering as a two-time champion in Liège, Anna van der Breggen needs little introduction. The Dutch veteran returned to racing last season after a three-year retirement and immediately put herself in contention for some of the biggest races up and down the calendar.

Van der Breggen isn't the rider she once was at her dominant best, but she remains among the favourites list at many of the races she starts. She hasn't won yet in 2026, but highlights include second place at the Trofeo Binda, ninth at Amstel Gold Race, and fifth at Flèche.

The 36-year-old is in good form heading into the Ardennes Classics finale, then, and she'll form a powerful one-two punch with Kopecky. Van der Breggen is maybe not the absolute favourite she once might've been, but she can't be counted out.

Others to watch

Liane Lippert heads the Movistar charge in Liège. The German's best results this season came in Spain back in January and February, but she's a three-time top-10 finisher here.

Twenty-year-old Isabella Holmgren could be a solid second option for Lidl-Trek. The Canadian has only raced three days in 2026, but her most recent outing was a top 10 at Flèche.

Beyond Vallieres, EF Education-Oatly can look to several other options for success. Noemi Rüegg, fifth at Amstel, and Cédrine Kerbaol, fourth here last year, top the list.

Blasi's breakthrough isn't the only show in town at UAE Team ADQ. Trofeo Binda champion Karlijn Swinkels is on form with recent sixth-place finishes at Flanders and Amstel.

SD Worx-Protime are already spoiled for leaders, but Nienke Vinke and Mischa Bredewold are strong backup options. Vinke finished 10th at Flèche, while Bredewold was runner-up at Brabantse Pijl and won Amstel last year.

Italian rider Monica Trinca Colonel lines up as an interesting outsider for Liv-Jayco-AlUla, having recently finished eighth at Strade Bianche and 11th at Flèche.

Elsewhere, Canadian racer Sarah Van Dam, who finished seventh at Amstel, will be a secondary option at Visma-Lease a Bike.

Finally, veteran South African Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio leads AG Insurance-Soudal at the race, having finished fourth at Brabantse Pijl and 11th at Amstel.

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