As it happened: Multi-discipline star takes victory at La Fleche Wallonne women 2025

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 2025 La Flèche Wallonne Femmes!

The second installment of the Ardennes Classics is here with yet another stacked lineup including defending champion, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto), Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) as well as the likes of former winner Marta Cavalli (Picnic-PostNL) among others. 

The big news of the day is that seven-time winner of this race, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protim), will not start today after not recovering after Amstel Gold Race on the weekend. 

More information about Van der Breggen's DNS in the link below... 

>>> Illness forces seven-time winner Anna van der Breggen out of return to La Flèche Wallonne Femmes 

Here is a look at all the contenders from the women's and men's peloton...

>>> Flèche Wallonne 2025 contenders - The kings and queens of the Mur de Huy 

The riders are due to start the neutralised zone at 14:00 local time. Just under 15 minutes from now. 

It is a rather damp start for the riders as they complete sign on and their media duties before the action gets underway. 

Another DNS is Neve Bradbury of Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto due to illness. A big blow to defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma as she loses a very strong teammate. 

Neutralised start

The riders have begun riding the neutral zone. 

140.7km to go

The official start is given at kilometre zero and the riders are racing La Fleche Wallone Feminine 2025! The race to the Mur de Huy begins. 

The first of the eight climbs today comes very early in the day after just 10.5km, the Côte de Bohissau, which is 2.2km long and has an average of 5.5%.

No early moves by the riders as they make it to the base of the Côte de Bohissau. 

130km to go

The bunch is still all together as the rain continues to pour on the riders as they climb the Côte de Bohissau. 

There is quite an amazing age gap between the youngest rider at the race, Viktória Chladoňová (Visma-Lease a Bike) and the oldest Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal) with 21 years between the two. Chladoňová is 18 with Moolman-Pasio at 39. 

Attack!

Nikola Noskova (Cofidis) and one other rider try a move. 

They are very quickly swallowed up, however. But it is the first real proper move at forming a break. 

The weather seems to be dampening the rider's will to go on the attack as well as dampening them literally as the rain continues to fall. 

120km to go

The riders are all together after over half an hour of racing. 

The peloton is strung right out with a brief split quickly being stitched back together. But, the racing really does now seem to be on. 

Attack!

Anna van Rooijen (VolkerWessels)
Maake Coljé (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)
Cleo Kiekens (DD Group)
And one rider from St. Michel-Preference Home-Auber93

They are also swiftly brought back by the peloton. 

The temperature has dropped to 9 °C as the wind and rain tighten its grip on the race. 

Attack!

Célia Le Mouel (Ceratizit)
Marieke Meert (VolkerWessels)

They have a 25" advantage on the peloton. 

Counter attack

Julie van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal)

The Belgian rider is just 15" off the back of the two leaders. 

Van de Velde joins Le Mouel and Meert at the front of the race with 20" on the chasing pack. 

Counter attack

Monica Greenwood (Coop-Repsol)

The former winner of the British National Series has sprung across the gap and has joined Meert, Van de Velde and Le Mouel with 25" over the bunch. 

The leading quad of riders now have a large group of eight riders trying to join them as the race is really breaking up. 

That group of eight riders have been caught but the time gap to the four leaders has dropped significantly because of it as they now hold just 15" over the peloton. 

100km to go

The gap continues to be tight between the four leaders and the chasing pack. 

The eight rider group was not caught, they actually bridged to the leading group of four riders. 

The peloton is splitting into bits as the gap drops to 10". 

One of the riders out of the back of the main peloton is former winner Marta Cavalli (Picnic-PostNL). She has missed a split in the bunch and now has some catching up to do. 

Breakaway caught

The riders at the front of the race have been dragged back by the peloton. 

90km to go

About 8km away from the second climb of the day, the 1.2km Côte de Petite Somme which has an average gradient of 8%. 

The men's race are into the final lap and it is setting up to be a battle royale on the Mur de Huy. Follow it with our other live report with the link below...

>>> La Flèche Wallonne Live – Pogačar and Evenepoel to clash again on iconic Mur de Huy finish 

Group of three riders off the back:

Maaike Colje (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Spela Kern (Cofidis)
Julie Stockman (DD Group)

They are more than three minutes down on the bunch. 

The riders start the Côte de Petite Somme. 

FDJ-Suez and EF Education-Oatly lead the peloton. 

Multiple riders being dropped as Eneritz Vadillo (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) and India Grangier (Coop-Repsol) are the latest to go backwards. 

80km to go

This is becoming a race of attrition now as riders continue to lose contact with the bunch with no-one going off the front. 

Interestingly, it is Cedrine Kerbaol doing the majority of the work in the peloton for EF Education-Oatly. Likely for their Swiss national champion, Noemi Ruegg. 

The riders are about to head onto the circuit. The men are also still racing on the circuit but are on the last lap. Some riders will likely be stopped in the men's race so that there isn't any trouble for the women's race. 

The peloton has split yet again. Just around 10" between the two bunches but the pace is clearly high and the weather is playing a key role. 

The pace is high and the race is really strung out as the weather continues to be abysmal. 

Marta Cavalli (Picnic-PostNL) has been dropped from the peloton yet again. She is really struggling in the wet cold weather. 

70km to go

The average speed is at 34.4kph with the bunch splitting yet again. 

Attack!

Anne Knijnenburg (VolkerWessels)

The Dutch rider gets a gap of 25" as Kerbaol continues to lead the peloton for EF Education-Oatly. 

The gap is extending for Anne Knijnenburg as she now has a 40" lead. 

60km to go

Onto the Côte d'Ereffe for the first of two ascents as the riders go onto the circuit. This climb is 2.1km long with an average gradient of 5%. 

Knijnenburg now has 50" on the peloton. 

Attack!

Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly)

After spending a lot of time working on the front the French rider has now sprung out of the peloton and is chasing down Knijnenburg up front. 

Kerbaol joins Knijnenburg with a 30" lead over the peloton. 

50km to go

The riders are now descending the Côte d'Ereffe and heading to the Côte de Cherave for the first time. The 1.3km long climb has an average gradient of 8.1%.

Unsurprisingly, the superb descender that is Kerbaol has distanced Knijnenburg on the descent and now has a gap of around 5" on the Dutch rider. The gap to the peloton is now 30". 

Knijnenburg makes it back to Kerbaol and the advantage stretches to 40" again. 

Knijnenburg dropped as Kerbaol and her head onto the Cherave for the first time. 

The peloton is closing rapidly as Knijnenburg is caught by the bunch who are now just 20" behind Kerbaol. 

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) and Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) are amongst the latest riders to lose contact. 

20km to go

Kerbaol is holding onto her 20" gap as she heads to the first ascent of the Mur de Huy.

Onto the Mur de Huy for the first time and Kerbaol now has 40" gap. 

Crash!

Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly)
Valentina Cavallar (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)

Not ideal for those two riders just before the Mur de Huy. 

French champion, Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez), is leading the peloton for Demi Vollering. 

Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility) attacked just before the Mur de Huy but has now been caught. 

Kerbaol goes over the top of the climb and crosses the finish line for the first time with one lap to go. 

Dropped

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek)

Two riders that were expected to be right at the front today as Visma-Lease a Bike take over the pacing in the peloton along with Fenix-Deceuninck and Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto.

The rain has finally stopped or, at least, appears to be light. Kerbaol has 30" on the peloton with 35km to  go. 

Kopecky rejoins the peloton alongside Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal). 

Attack!

Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek)

She isn't given an inch but something needs doing as Kerbaol's gap had gone out to 50". 

Young Visma-Lease a Bike rider, Mijntje Geurts, has tried multiple attacks but hasn't been allowed a gap. 

Bike change

Lotte Kopecky (SD Workx-Protime)

The world champion required a bike change. She is riding La Fleche Wallonne for the second time in her career. 

The sunshine has come out for the first time today and the roads are beginning to dry out after a horrible day in the rain. 

30km to go

Kerbaol has a gap of 52" but she did just have a minute. It has been cut back a little bit. 

FDJ-Suez using one of the few sections of strong crosswind. This caused splits in the men's race and now FDj-Suez are the team doing the damage alongside Fenix-Deceuninck but it doesn't seem strong enough just yet. 

Multiple teams are now in colour order on the front of the peloton but the gap to Kerbaol is staying around 50". 

20km to go

Onto the Côte d'Ereffe for the final time. The 2.1km long climb has an average of 5%. Kerbaol has 32" gap. 

On the Côte d'Ereffe the gap to Kerbaol has melted away and now sits at just 6". 

FDJ-Suez now with multiple riders on the front stretching the peloton out. 

Puncture

Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez)

She goes out of the back with a rear puncture. 

Inside 15km to go and Kerbaol has stretched her advantage back out to 17" again. 

UAE Team ADQ now comes to the front to work for Elisa Longo-Borghini. 

Just 5km to the base of the penultimate climb of the day, the Côte de Cherave. 

10km to go

Lidl-Trek are the next team to move up alongside UAE Team ADQ, SD Worx-Protime,  Fenix-Deceuninck and Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto. Kerbaol has a 23" gap on the bunch. 

Alice Towers (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) and Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ) lead the peloton with 7km to go. Kerbaol now only has a handful of seconds. 

Onto the 1.3km long Côte de Cherave with an average gradient of 8.1% and Fenix-Deceuninck are on the front of the bunch. 

Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (Canyona-SRAM-Zondacrypto) on the front as Kerbaol is finally caught inside 7km to go

Several riders losing touch at the back of the peloton including the likes of Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) and Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) 

Kopecky right at the back of the peloton. 

Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) leading the bunch for Kasia Niewiadoma. 

Over the top of the climb they go and Niedermaier now leads this heavily reduced peloton onto the descent back towards the Mur de Huy for the final time. 

Onto the flat and Antonia Niedermaier leads still with 3km to go 

SD Worx-Protime and Lidl-Trek now take up the pacing with 2km to go. 

Flamme Rouge!

Onto the Mur de Huy goes the riders for the final time. They are led onto the climb by Juliette Labous followed by her teammate, Demi Vollering with all the big favoruited battling for her wheel. 

Labous really stringing things out for Vollering but Niewiadoma, Longo-Borghini and Pieterse are still with them with 500 metres to go. 

Vollering now takes up the pacing as Niewiadoma is starting to slip with Liane Lippert (Movistar) moving up alongside Pieterse. 

Vollering ups the tempo but Pieterse launches past her! 

Puck Pieterse of Fenix-Deceuninck wins La Fleche Wallonne Feminine 2025!

She out sprinted Demi Vollering in the last 100 metres 

Very tight for third place between Kasia Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo-Borghini. 

Top 10

1. Puck Pieterse (NED) Fenix-Deceuninck 3:53'25"
2. Demi Vollering (NED) FDJ-Suez +2"
3. Elisa Longo-Borghini (ITA) UAE Team ADQ +6"
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto S.T.
5. Liane Lippert (GER) Movistar +11"
6. Kim Le Court (MAU) AG Insurance-Soudal +14"
7. Juliette Labous (FRA) FDJ-Suez +15"
8. Nienke Vinke (NED) Picnic-PostNL S.T.
9. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZL) Lidl-Trek +20"
10. Mijntje Geurts (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike S.T.

Make sure to read out post race report on the race after a superb battle in Belgium. 

>>> La Flèche Wallonne Femmes: Puck Pieterse powers past Demi Vollering for victory atop Mur de Huy