As it happened: Vollering on top at La Fléche Wallonne Femmes

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Flèche Wallonne Femmes!

It's a mild spring morning in Huy and the peloton is currently signing on at the podium before the start of the race in about half an hour.

So while the riders are signing on, let’s take a look at what awaits them later today – a 127.3km loop beginning and ending in Huy, and tackling seven climbs, including three ascents of the Mur de Huy. The first climb, and the first passage of the Mur de Huy, comes just after the 50 kilometre mark after which the climbs come thick and fast before the finale on the third passage of the Mur de Huy.

Such was Anna van der Breggen’s dominance of this race for so many years that there is only one former champion on the start line in Huy – last year’s winner Marta Cavalli. Although Cavalli's preparation have been hampered as she recovers from her crash at the Tour de France Femmes, her climbing prowess means that she will still start as one of the contenders for victory. 

But she will face stiff competition from the likes of Demi Vollering -- fresh from her victory at the Amstel Gold Race -- Annemiek van Vleuten, Elisa Longo Borghini, Silvia Persico and Kasia Niewiadoma. 

This year’s race also marks Lizzie Deignan’s return to competition after having her second child at the end of September. Deignan had originally planned to return to racing at La Vuelta Feminina but Trek-Segafredo asked if she could prepare for the last two Ardennes Classics due to illness and crashes within the team, she said yesterday. Catch up on what she said about her hopes for the future, her place within the team and her inspirations here.

The peloton is just rolling out of the neutralised start zone and will begin racing in about seven minutes.

-127.3km

The flag has dropped and racing in this year's Flèche Wallonne Femmes is underway!

-123km

The peloton is still altogether, except for one non-starter -- Elena Pirrone (Israel Premier Tech Roland). 

-119km

With its succession of short, sharp climbs, Flèche Wallonne is "the ultimate suffer festival,” seven time champion and now SD Worx sports director Anna van der Breggen said, according to the race website. “It's a combination of feeling your body very well and pacing the final climb perfectly so you don't collapse."

The focal point of the race is the Mur de Huy and its 1.3km long slopes average a gradient of 9.8%, with the steepest sections reaching an eye-watering 19%. 

There is still a while to go until the first ascent, and no breakaway has yet formed.

Four riders were involved in a small crash in the peloton but they are back up and still racing.

-112km

Riders are continuing to attack off the front of the bunch but still haven't been able to snap that elastic and form a breakaway yet.

Flèche Wallonne is one of the few races that Annemiek van Vleuten hasn't won. Today is her last chance to add the race to her sparkling palmarès as she says that she is retiring at the end of the season. So far, she hasn't yet won a race this season and she finished 11th in Amstel Gold Race at the weekend but she has a strong team around her, including Liane Lippert, and will always be among the favourites on lumpy terrain.

-104km

`The peloton has covered the first 20 kilometres of the route and is still altogether. There is about 30 kilometres until the first ascent of the Mur de Huy.

-95km

Inside the 100km to go mark and a breakaway still hasn't been able to form despite plenty of attacks.

-88km

We are approaching the first ascent of the Mur de Huy and two riders briefly escaped but the peloton regrouped. 

-79km

After an aggressive start to the race filled with attacks, a breakaway has formed and has a lead of almost a minute. Caroline Andersson (Liv Racing Teqfind) and Antri Christoforou (Human Powered Health) are ahead of the peloton.

-76km

The race is about to climb the Mur de Huy for the first time today.

Andersson and Christoforou are on the Mur de Huy's slopes, defending their 50 second advantage over the peloton.

-73km

The steep slopes of the Mur de Huy have already done damage. The leading duo's advantage is down to 30 seconds while there are splits in the peloton behind.

A mechanical for Elena Cecchini and a minor crash caused the splits in the peloton, and defending champion Marta Cavalli is among those chasing back.

-74km

Those dropped on the climb have made their way back to the bunch while the breakaway's lead is down to 25 seconds.

Time to refuel before the next climb!

-70km

Three more riders have set off in pursuit of the breakaway. Rachel Neylan (Cofidis) and Ella Harris (Lifeplus Wahoo) are 10 seconds behind the head of the race while Karin Soderqvist (Lifeplus Wahoo) is also attempting to bridge across.

-62km

Neyland and Harris have joined the breakaway, making it a quartet out front.

A minor crash sent ripples through the peloton on the Mur de Huy. The race has since regrouped.

-58km

It is almost time for the second climb of the day, the Côte D’Ereffe which is 2.1km long with an average gradient of 5%.

-53km

Lucinda Brand and Marlen Reusser are setting the pace for Trek-Segafredo and SD Worx respectively as the peloton makes its way up the Côte D’Ereffe.

-51km

Four riders had led the race but Christoforou has now been dropped from the breakaway.

-49km

Into the last 50km and the gap is continuing to fall as the breakaway are now just 20 seconds ahead of the peloton.

-45km

There is a crash in the peloton and Neve Bradbury down although she is back on her feet while Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig also went down and suffers a mechanical.

-44km

Meanwhile, at the front of the race, the peloton have caught the breakaway on the lower slopes of the Côte de Cherave, the third climb of the race.

-40km

Movistar now move to the front, keeping the pace high at the front of the peloton in an attempt to deter attacks on this flatter section of the course.

-38km

Movistar continue keeping the pace high as the race approaches the second ascent of the Mur de Huy.

-37km

Riders are already dropping back on these brutal slopes. Annemiek van Vleuten is setting the pace at the front of the peloton alongside Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and Kasia Niewiadoma.

-37km

Van Vleuten is forging a small gap, dragging Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini and Moolman Pasio away with her, but Vollering is leading the chase behind.

-36km

Van Vleuten continues to press on after the summit, with Moolman Pasio, Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini on her wheel, and the gap is beginning to stretch out a little.

-35km

Vollering still has teammates with her, and Marlen Reusser has been deployed to the front of the chasing group to stem the damage. The leading quartet is 18 seconds ahead.

-32km

Reusser peels off, Vollering herself takes responsibility for the chase and bridges back to the leading group

-31.5km

Shirin van Anrooij is the next to launch an attack. She is chased down and her teammate Amanda Spratt counters.

-29.5km

Spratt is still 56 seconds ahead of the peloton while a small group of three riders has formed in between the two groups.

-27km

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Ricarda Bauernfeid (Canyon//Sram) and Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ) are the three riders behind Spratt while the chase group containing most of the favourites is 41 seconds behind Spratt.

-23km

Spratt's advantage has reached a minute over the group of favourites while the strong trio chasing her are also unable to make inroads, remaining 20 seconds back.

-20km

The chase is beginning to organise behind Spratt now and the gap has fallen to 48 seconds as the riders approach the Côte d'Ereffe for the second and final time.

-19km

Movistar are taking control at the front of the peloton. Meanwhile, the chasing trio of Ghekiere, Bauernfeind, Magnaldi remain 36 seconds behind Spratt who is jettisoning her water bottles to gain every advantage possible.

-15km

Despite the Movistar-led peloton's best efforts, Spratt's advantage is continuing to expand. She holds a 48 second advantage over the chasing trio and a 1:09 gap over the peloton.

-12.5km

Although they aren't on categorised climbs, the riders are constantly ascending and descending on these energy-sapping roads. Spratt still has a minute's advantage over the peloton and 43 seconds over the chasing trio.

-10.6km

Movistar and SD Worx are lined out across the road, marshalling all their resources towards chasing down Spratt. And they are making inroads into the Australian's advantage, bringing the gap down to 32 seconds.

-8.2km

There's a crash at the back of the peloton and Uttrup Ludwig goes down again although she gets back on her bike. Margaux Vigie stays down by the side of the road but there are medics with her.

-7.1km

The peloton have Spratt in her sights now on the penultimate climb of the day, the Côte de Cherave. Vollering is now putting the peloton under pressure.

-6.2km

Vollering's pace has split the peloton on this penultimate climb and it's only the strongest riders who remain. Niewiadoma is glued to her wheel alongside her teammate, Elise Chabbey. Lippert also looks strong for Movistar.

-4.5km

Vollering is still on the front of the race, leading this elite group towards the Mur de Huy and the climax of this race. Van Vleuten has made the split, as has Silvia Persico, Moolman-Pasio, Veronica Ewers, Mavi Garcia, Longo Borghini and Gaia Realini.

-3.5km

There is a brief lull in the pace as Vollering looks around at her competition and everyone pauses before the Mur de Huy.

-1.8km

With that pause, the two groups come back together again and it is quite a large group that will contest this finale on the Mur de Huy.

-1.1km

Realini and Van Anrooij are leading on the approach to the climb for Trek-Segafredo.

-900m

Vollering moves to the front already, setting a fierce pace. She already has opened up a small gap with Niewiadoma.

-700m

Vollering continues to power on and Niewiadoma fights to stay on the Dutchwoman's wheel.

Now Garcia and Lippert are making their way past Niewiadoma and back onto Vollering's wheel.

On the steepest gradients, Lippert bridges across to Vollering.

Vollering accelerates once again! Lippert is fighting to stay with her.

Now Vollering looks behind her, allows herself a smile, shakes her head, takes off her sunglasses and wins La Flèche Wallonne Femmes!

What a finish from Vollering! It looked as if Lippert had almost done enough to challenge the Dutchwoman but Vollering laid down the power once again to take her second Classic of the week.

Lippert held on for an impressive second place, five seconds behind Vollering, while Gaia Realini confirmed her potential for the future with third place another two seconds back.

"Before the last time I tried to split a group, I just went at my own pace and I couldn’t believe there was a gap," Vollering said at the finish in her post-race interview. "I saw it very late and the gap was pretty big and I was really surprised by that so I’m really happy."

It was a difficult race to control with three strong moves escaping at various points, including Spratt's solo attack and a group containing Van Vleuten, Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini and Moolman Pasio.

"There was really a team effort," Vollering said. "It was really difficult for me to keep myself a bit easy there but we have a really strong TT rider Marlen. She did an amazing job keeping the gap small and then I attacked myself on the little climb. It was really hard but because of my teammates I could do this. After that again groups went out and it was really difficult to take over control again because sometimes if you at one point work behind, it’s difficult to take the power back in your hands again. I think Niamh (Fisher-Black) controlled it really well and at one point Marlen came back again and I felt we had the control back again."

Demi Vollering celebrated her second victory of the week, after winning Amstel Gold Race on Sunday.