Van der Breggen wins the first ever Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femmes
Olympic champion wins alone after late attack, Deignan and Niewiadoma complete the podium
Anna van der Breggen made it three for three at the Ardennes classics on Sunday. The Dutchwoman soloed to victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège as she did at Flèche Wallone on Wednesday and Amstel Gold Race last weekend.
Lizzie Deignan secured yet another one-two punch for Boels-Dolmans Cycling team when she outkicked Kasia Niewiadoma (WM3 Energie) to the line.
"I was aiming to be good this week, but I never expected something like this," said Van der Breggen. "It was an important week. I hoped to win one of them. I think Liege is a beautiful race, so if I could win this one, I'd be really happy but to win three of them. Wow."
It wasn't only Van der Breggen who impressed – although completing the triple is historic. Deignan's results come in spite of the fact she has been battling illness all spring and insists she's still far from her best.
"I have been really surprised this week," said Deignan. "The process I go through to get into top shape, I've missed the last two phases. I suppose this teaches me to have more confidence when things don't go exactly to plan.
"It's been a hard slog fighting through illness at home, being sick all the time," she added. "For me, it's been a really positive week to have good legs and be integrated into the team again. This gives us all a lot of confidence moving ahead."
Then there is Niewiadoma. The 24-year-old rounded out the podium at all three Ardennes races despite a glaring lack of team support in the race finishes.
"I tried my best to get rid of the Boels girls," said Niewiadoma. "Unfortunately it didn't work out. They are both really strong and for sure they showed it from the first Ardennes classic. At the end, I'm kind of happy to get again third – at least podium spot."
How It Happened
A 139-strong peloton lined up in Bastogne to contest the first running of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femme. The inaugural event covered 134 kilometres and featured four significant climbs, including the same finale with the Côtes de La Redoute, Roche-aux-Faucons, and Saint-Nicolas that the men raced.
The peloton remained largely together during the hilly opening hour of racing despite numerous attacks from kilometre zero. Early rollers served to soften legs and shell weaker riders from the back of the bunch.
Aude Biannic (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) gained the first gap with staying power. The Frenchwoman attacked around the 48-kilometre mark and opened up a 20-second advantage quickly. Jeanne Korevaar (WM3 Energie) bridged across to Biannic. The duo had 1:18 when they hit the Côte de la Vecquée. The first climb on the menu was the longest at 6.7 kilometres.
The pace and the gradient up La Vecquée immediately shut down the breakaway and split the peloton. Several riders lost contact with the fractured peloton completely. Two large pelotons had formed with several smaller groups in their wake over the top of La Vecquée.
The first two groups on the road rejoined on the downhill between La Vecquée and La Redoute. Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) attacked on the run-in to La Redoute but proved unable to hold off the peloton as the road rose. Annemiek van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) led a group of around 40 riders over La Redoute and towards La Roche-aux-Faucons.
Roxane Knetemann (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) launched a solo escape and started the penultimate climbs with an 18-second advantage – an advantage that was quickly bridged by a Boels-Dolmans-led bunch.
As the size of the front group shrunk, Niewiadoma threw down her first missive.
"I said to myself: 'ok, I really need to go full here,'" Niewiadoma explained. "I knew if I didn't go full for sure [Van der Breggen and Deignan] are there, and it will be the same scenario of Amstel and Fleche."
Four riders could follow Niewiadoma's attack: Diegnan, Van der Breggen, Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle High5) and Ashleigh Moolman Paiso (Cérvelo-Bigla). In only three kilometres, the five pocketed 40-seconds over a 12-rider chase group led by Orica-Scott. Boels-Dolmans was the only team with more than one rider in the lead group.
"It was such a tough race, and we had the advantage being two at the front," said Van der Breggen. "Being together with Lizzie is a big advantage because everyone in the group knows if I attack, they have to close it and Lizzie is in the wheel. We can play the game."
They played the game well. As the gap began to fall up the Saint-Nicolas and cooperation waned, Van der Breggen attacked.
"I had a little gap already at the top of Saint Nicolas," said Van der Breggen. "It was over the top, so everyone was at their limit at that point."
It was a similar move to the one that netted her the win at Amstel Gold and Flèche Wallone. While Van der Breggen had every reason to be confident it would produce a similar result in Ans, Deignan's presence in the chase provided further incentive to take a risk.
"I thought I could try it, and if it didn't work, I still had Lizzie behind me," said Van der Breggen. "That's where I had an advantage. Because Lizzie is there, people are more hesitant to react to my attack. They know Lizzie can sprint really well."
Deignan's sprint was not required, not for the win anyway. Van der Breggen rode the final seven kilometres solo. For the third time in eight days, she celebrated across the line alone. 17 seconds later, Deignan bested Niewiadoma for second place.
"This whole week has been really good," said Deignan. "We're all really grateful this has happened. It's an important step for women's cycling. They've done this race properly – a full distance, hard race. I think we showcased what women's cycling is about today. This is the kind of platform we need."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 3:42:17 |
2 | Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:17 |
3 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3 Pro Cycling | 0:00:19 |
4 | Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | 0:00:31 |
5 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica Scott Women | |
6 | Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
7 | Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
8 | Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) BePink Cogeas | |
9 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | 0:00:34 |
10 | Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:41 |
11 | Janneke Ensing (Ned) Alé Cipollini | 0:00:48 |
12 | Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:01:33 |
13 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb Women | |
14 | Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Wiggle High5 | |
15 | Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | |
16 | Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Wiggle High5 | |
17 | Anouska Koster (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
18 | Martina Ritter (Aut) Drops Cycling Team | |
19 | Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Lensworld-Kuota | |
20 | Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Hitec Products | 0:01:37 |
21 | Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
22 | Marie Vilmann (Den) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 0:01:40 |
23 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon SRAM Racing | 0:01:48 |
24 | Vita Heine (Nor) Hitec Products | 0:02:00 |
25 | Margarita Victoria Garcia (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango | 0:02:03 |
26 | Katrin Garfoot (Aus) Orica Scott Women | 0:02:24 |
27 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica Scott Women | |
28 | Anna Christian (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | |
29 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:02:37 |
30 | Sheyla Gutierrez (Spa) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:02:46 |
31 | Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | 0:02:48 |
32 | Dani King (GBr) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
33 | Ann-Sophie Duyck (Bel) Drops Cycling Team | 0:02:50 |
34 | Eri Yonamine (Jpn) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
35 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:02:53 |
36 | Amelie Rivat (Fra) Lares-Waowdeals | 0:03:32 |
37 | Lorena Llamas (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango | 0:04:06 |
38 | Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx | 0:07:24 |
39 | Rossella Ratto (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
40 | Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lares-Waowdeals | |
41 | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Astana Women's Team | 0:08:00 |
42 | Agnieszka Skalniak (Pol) Astana Women's Team | |
43 | Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | |
44 | Elise Delzenne (Fra) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
45 | Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
46 | Charlotte Bravard (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
47 | Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Giusta | |
48 | Camilla Pedersen (Den) Team Veloconcept Women | |
49 | Lourdes Oyarbide (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango | |
50 | Lara Vieceli (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
51 | Laura Camila Lozano (Col) Servetto Giusta | |
52 | Mónika Kiraly (Hun) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
53 | Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Alé Cipollini | |
54 | Iraida Garcia (Cub) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
55 | Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
56 | Claudia Koster (Ned) Team Veloconcept Women | 0:08:04 |
57 | Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
58 | Hanna Nilsson (Swe) BTC City Ljubljana | |
59 | Ursa Pintar (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | |
60 | Daniela Reis (Por) Lares-Waowdeals | 0:08:13 |
61 | Wubbigje Regina Knol (Ned) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:08:16 |
62 | Alison Jackson (Can) BePink Cogeas | 0:08:18 |
63 | Anna Ceoloni (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:08:19 |
64 | Soraya Paladin (Ita) Alé Cipollini | 0:08:26 |
65 | Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota | 0:09:18 |
66 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
67 | Abby-Mae Parkinson (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 0:09:44 |
68 | Alice Barnes (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | |
69 | Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana | |
70 | Kseniya Tuhai (Blr) BePink Cogeas | |
71 | Nathalie Verschelden (Bel) Lensworld-Kuota | |
72 | Olena Pavlukhina (Aze) Astana Women's Team | |
73 | Milagro Mena (Crc) SAS - MACOGEP | |
74 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
75 | Annette Edmondson (Aus) Wiggle High5 | |
76 | Jessy Druyts (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx | |
77 | Roos Hoogeboom (Ned) Bizkaia-Durango | |
78 | Alice Gasparini (Ita) Servetto Giusta | |
79 | Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Alé Cipollini | |
80 | Francesca Balducci (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
81 | Shani Bloch-Davidov (Isr) Team Veloconcept Women | |
82 | Allie Dragoo (USA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
83 | Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Orica Scott Women | |
84 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
85 | Georgia Williams (Aus) Orica Scott Women | |
86 | Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
87 | Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
88 | Trixi Worrack (Ger) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
89 | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica Scott Women | |
90 | Charlotte Becker (Ger) Hitec Products | |
91 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota | 0:09:48 |
92 | Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Drops Cycling Team | |
93 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota | |
94 | Femke Verstichelen (Bel) Servetto Giusta | 0:09:58 |
95 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | 0:10:17 |
96 | Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
97 | Pauline Allin (Fra) SAS - MACOGEP | 0:11:48 |
98 | Sarah Inghelbrecht (Bel) Lares-Waowdeals | 0:13:50 |
DNF | Ting Ying Huang (Tpe) Servetto Giusta | |
DNF | Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Nina Kessler (Ned) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Tereza Medvedova (Svk) BePink Cogeas | |
DNF | Katia Ragusa (Ita) BePink Cogeas | |
DNF | Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) BePink Cogeas | |
DNF | Thalita De Jong (Ned) Lares-Waowdeals | |
DNF | Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) Lares-Waowdeals | |
DNF | Natalie Kerwin (NZl) Team Veloconcept Women | |
DNF | Amber Leone Neben (USA) Team Veloconcept Women | |
DNF | Doris Schweizer (Swi) Team Veloconcept Women | |
DNF | Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
DNF | Valeriya Kononenko (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
DNF | Jutatip Maneephan (Tha) S.C. Michela Fanini (Tha) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
DNF | Soline Lamboley (Fra) SAS - MACOGEP (Fra) SAS - MACOGEP | |
DNF | Irena Ossola (USA) SAS - MACOGEP (USA) SAS - MACOGEP | |
DNF | Iris Sachet (Fra) SAS - MACOGEP (Fra) SAS - MACOGEP | |
DNF | Valerie Demey (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx | |
DNF | Fien Delbaere (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx | |
DNF | Susanne Andersen (Nor) Hitec Products (Nor) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Kseniia Dobrynina (Rus) Servetto Giusta (Rus) Servetto Giusta | |
DNF | Sofia Beggin (Ita) Astana Women's Team (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
DNF | Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle High5 (Jpn) Wiggle High5 | |
DNF | Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Aude Biannic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
DNF | Miho Yoshikawa (Jpn) Bizkaia-Durango (Jpn) Bizkaia-Durango | |
DNF | Juliette Labous (Fra) Team Sunweb Women (Fra) Team Sunweb Women | |
DNF | Rozanne Slik (Ned) Team Sunweb Women (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | |
DNF | Celine Van Severen (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx | |
DNF | Mieke Kröger (Ger) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
DNF | Valentina Scandolara (Ita) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Carlee Taylor (Aus) Alé Cipollini | |
DNF | Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Kaat Hannes (Bel) Lensworld-Kuota | |
DNF | Jessie Daams (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Isabelle Beckers (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Annelies Dom (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Chantal Hoffmann (Lux) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
DNF | Mia Radotic (Cro) BTC City Ljubljana | |
DNF | Anna Zita Maria Stricker (Ita) BTC City Ljubljana | |
DNF | Anna Trevisi (Ita) Alé Cipollini |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica Scott Women | 469 | pts |
2 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3 Pro Cycling | 429 | |
3 | Coryn Rivera (USA) Team Sunweb Women | 415 | |
4 | Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 393 | |
5 | Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 384 | |
6 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | 335 | |
7 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) Canyon SRAM Racing | 265 | |
8 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 240 | |
9 | Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 175 | |
10 | Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | 170 | |
11 | Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 166 | |
12 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | 155 | |
13 | Jolien D'Hoore (Bel) Wiggle High5 | 150 | |
14 | Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | 133 | |
15 | Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 130 | |
16 | Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 120 | |
17 | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica Scott Women | 120 | |
18 | Janneke Ensing (Ned) Alé Cipollini | 117 | |
19 | Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana Women's Team | 106 | |
20 | Katrin Garfoot (Aus) Orica Scott Women | 90 | |
21 | Alice Barnes (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 75 | |
22 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Alé Cipollini | 70 | |
23 | Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 70 | |
24 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota | 70 | |
25 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 64 | |
26 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Canyon SRAM Racing | 60 | |
27 | Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Aromitalia Vaiano | 58 | |
28 | Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) BePink Cogeas | 51 | |
29 | Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Canyon SRAM Racing | 51 | |
30 | Marianne Vos (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling | 48 | |
31 | Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Wiggle High5 | 48 | |
32 | Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Wiggle High5 | 48 | |
33 | Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana | 46 | |
34 | Flavia Oliveira (Bra) Lares-Waowdeals | 39 | |
35 | Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Lensworld-Kuota | 36 | |
36 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica Scott Women | 35 | |
37 | Hanna Nilsson (Swe) BTC City Ljubljana | 34 | |
38 | Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon SRAM Racing | 32 | |
39 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota | 28 | |
40 | Sheyla Gutierrez (Spa) Cylance Pro Cycling | 27 | |
41 | Chloe Hosking (Aus) Alé Cipollini | 25 | |
42 | Dani King (GBr) Cylance Pro Cycling | 24 | |
43 | Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 22 | |
44 | Jip Van Den Bos (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 20 | |
45 | Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 18 | |
46 | Marie Vilmann (Den) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 18 | |
47 | Sofia Beggin (Ita) Astana Women's Team | 18 | |
48 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb Women | 18 | |
49 | Anouska Koster (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling | 16 | |
50 | Vita Heine (Nor) Hitec Products | 14 | |
51 | Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | 12 | |
52 | Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | 12 | |
53 | Lisa Klein (Ger) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 12 | |
54 | Martina Ritter (Aut) Drops Cycling Team | 6 | |
55 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | 6 | |
56 | Nina Kessler (Ned) Hitec Products | 6 | |
57 | Roxane Fournier (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | 4 | |
58 | Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | 4 | |
59 | Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Hitec Products | 2 | |
60 | Eva Buurman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg-Destil Cycling Team | 2 | |
61 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon SRAM Racing | 2 | |
62 | Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cylance Pro Cycling | 2 |
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