Van der Breggen wins La Fleche Wallonne Feminine

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Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv) made it two in a row at La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday when she out-climbed Evie Stevens (Boels-Dolmans) to the top of the Mur de Huy. The Dutchwoman launched her race winning move between the Côte de Cherave and the final climb to the finish, and only Stevens would or could respond.

"The first win here was nice, but the second one might be better," said Van der Breggen. "It was exciting to sprint to the line with Evelyn. The Mur de Huy is a beast, but I felt strong."

Van der Breggen and Stevens broke away from a leading group of seven that took shape over the penultimate climb. Van der Breggen had European road champion Kasia Niewiadoma for company, Stevens had American road champion Megan Guarnier. Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle High5), Alena Amialiusik (CANYON//SRAM) and Katrin Garfoot (Orica-AIS) also made the selection.

Garfoot and Amialiusik lost contact with the leaders before Van der Breggen attacked. Stevens had been tasked with tracking Van der Breggen, Guarnier was responsible for following Niewiadoma.

"Anna didn’t mess around with that attack," said Stevens. “Even anticipating the move, it wasn’t easy to follow her."

The duo hit the base of the Mur with a 20-second advantage. Van der Breggen distanced Stevens when the road hit its most-punishing pitch of 26 percent through an S-shaped curve about mid-way up the final ascent. Stevens fought her way back to Van der Breggen. Stevens lost contact a second time and then a third but found Van der Breggen’s wheel again and again. One hundred metres from the finish, Van der Breggen rode Stevens off her wheel for a fourth and final time to solo to victory.

Eight seconds later, Stevens powered across the hilltop finish. Guarnier beat out Niewiadoma from the chase group to take the final spot on the podium.

Second place was bittersweet for Stevens, who won Flèche Wallone in 2012 and benefited from strong team support. Boels Dolmans Cycling Team won the first five rounds of the UCI Women’s WorldTour. With round six going to Van der Breggen, their impressive streak comes to an end.

"I was apologising to my teammates at the finish because they worked so hard all day," Stevens told Cyclingnews. "They were incredible. The work they did was just unbelievable. They were all so strong. We had won the last five weeks, and it was my turn today, and I wanted to deliver for them.

"Personally, it’s disappointing, too," said Stevens. "No one trains for second place. We came here to win today, and that’s what I wanted to do."

"I haven’t been in a position to contend in a long time, so initially, I was disappointed," Stevens added several hours later, following the podium presentations. "A bit removed, I’m feeling happy with how I rode and what I did today – like I’m back."

The early action set the scene for the nail-biting finale. A breakaway of seven riders dominated the opening kilometres. Emilia Fahlin (Alé Cipollini), Lex Albrecht (BePink), Anne-Sophie Duyck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Etixx), Jessica Allen (High5 GoExPro Australian Women’s Development Team), Cecilia Gothaas Johnsen (Hitec), Sheyla Gutiérrez (Cylance) and Katia Ragusa (Servetto-Footon) broke away from the peloton around the 10-kilometre mark. The group hit the Côte d’Ereffe, the first of 11 categorised climbs over the 137-kilometre race, with a slim advantage that would grow to 3:15 before the first ascent of the Côte de Bohisseau.

The peloton allowed the breakaway to maintain an advantage between three and four minutes until the second passage of the Côte d’Ereffe. With 78 kilometres done, Rabo-Liv massed at the front of the peloton to slowly but steadily reduce the gap. Twenty-five kilometres later, it was mission accomplished. The peloton caught the breakaway on the second time up the Cöte de Bohisseau.

A selection was made just beyond the Côte de Bohisseau, and while race radio never gave numbers or names, the race caravan was told "all the favourites are represented" in the front group.

Carmel Small (Cervélo-Bigla) attacked over the top of the Côte de Solières. The American pocketed 15-seconds ahead of the Côte de Cherave but was caught on the the 1.3-kilometre penultimate climb that race organisers introduced last year.

On the Côte de Cherave a second selection of seven riders took shape. It was from this final leading group that Van der Breggen launched her bid for glory.

"We knew it was going to come down to the climb before the climb again," said Stevens. "When Anna jumped, I got on her wheel and followed best that I could.

"Props to Anna," said Stevens. "I was clinging to her wheel just hoping I could make it to the final 50 metres so that I could come around her, but she was just too strong today."

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