Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femmes - Live Coverage

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes!

The last of the Spring Classics is here: Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Queen of the Ardennes, ‘La Doyenne’, 

The women's race does not start in Liege, however, but Bastogne with the riders completing a 142.1km route north to finish in Liege. 

On the way, they will tackle 7 categorised climbs:

Côte de Mont-le-Soie (km 55.3) 

Côte de Wanne (km 63.6)

Côte de la Haute-Levée (km 72)

Col du Rosier (km 86.2)

Côte de Desnié (km 99.5)

Côte de la Redoute (km 112.7)

Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons (km 128.7)

In 2021, Demi Vollering of SD Worx won the race ahead of Annemiek van Vleuten from a reduced group after a lead out from Anna van der Breggen. 

The big question this year, however, is can FDJ's Marta Cavalli complete the Ardennes set after winning Amstel Gold and La Fleche Wallonne? 

Annemiek van Vleuten, who has yet to win a WorldTour race this season, said of Cavalli's victories:

"I think it's really good for women's cycling that it's not only the Dutch girls that are making it hard for each other."

The neutral start has been given. The first 2.4 km are neutralised.

🏁 Official start 🏁 

142 km to go

Mechanical for Millie Couzens (PlanturPura) 

134km to go

Tamara Dronova (Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad) has attacked and has a 25 second gap, Katia Ragusa (Liv Racing Xstra) is chasing 15'' behind her.

The gap is now 15 seconds 

122km to go

All together after nearly 30 km of racing 

There have been lots of attacks but nothing has stuck just yet, Jeanne Korevaar (Liv Racing Xstra), Hannah Barnes (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team), Petra Stiasny (Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad), Carlotta Cipressi (Valcar-Travel & Service), Anne van Rooijen (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Anna Christian (Le Col-Wahoo)and Yulia Biriukova (Arkéa Pro Cycling Team) have all been active.

Attack from Quinty Ton (Liv Racing Xstra) 

Jeanne Korevaar (Liv Racing Xstra), Quinty Ton (Liv Racing Xstra) Magdeleine Vallieres Mill (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) and Flora Perkins (Le Col-Wahoo) have a gap of 15''

105km to go

The gap to the four leaders is now 1'30''

Jelena Erić (Movistar) has abandoned the race 

The break are 5km away from the first climb, Côte de Mont-le-Soie (1.7km at 7.9%). 

The gap is steady at around 1'30" as the break start the climb 

It's a young breakaway, Flora Perkins is 18-years-old, Magdeleine Vallieres is 20-years-old, Quinty Ton is 23-years-old, and her teammate Jeanne Korevaar is the oldest at 25-years-old. 

After the climb the gap to the four leaders is now 1'40'

Tayler Wiles of Trek-Segafredo has abandoned the race 

Audrey Cordon-Ragot is also struggling today after racing yesterday too, leaving Trek-Segafredo down two riders. 

80km to go

The peloton are approaching the third climb of the day, the Côte de Wanne 

At the bottom of Côte de Haute-Levée the gap is down to just 15 seconds as SD Worx drive the pace 

The race is only half way through but SD Worx are determined to bring the break back. 

68km to go

The break has been caught, do SD Worx have a plan for the next climb, Col du Rosier, after all that work to bring them back?  

Riders are trying to get away on the road towards the Col du Rosier but a second move is yet to go 

We have a new, very strong, breakaway:

Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), Sara Martin (Movistar), Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo), Soraya Paladin (Canyon//Sram Racing), Evita Muzic (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), Amanda Spratt (Team BikeExchange), Leah Kirchmann (Team DSM) and Clara Honsinger (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) have a gap of 20''.

The gap is 1'10" for the new breakaway 

UAE Team ADQ, who have missed the break, are on the front of the peloton. 

Cédrine Kerbaol (Cofidis Women Team) is attempting to bridge 

45km to go

The gap is 1'15''

The eight leaders are on the 5th climb of the day, Côte de Desnié, with the gap now up to 1'30''.

42km to go

The break are working well together with the exception of Sara Martin who is not taking turns on the front 

SD Worx are back on the front of the peloton as are FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope.

The gap is down to just over one minute as they approach the Côte de la Redoute

Mechanical for Brodie Chapman (FDJ)

Chapman has now changed bikes. This is bad timing for the FDJ rider with the climb coming up - can she get back in time to help Marta Cavalli out? 

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SD Worx) leads on La Redoute with Annemiek van Vleuten on her wheel and their efforts have halved the gap to the breakaway

Chantal van den Broek Blaak is struggling at the rear of the peloton 

Van Vleuten attacks bringing Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and others with her 

The break are about to be caught 

Van Vleuten catches and immediately passes the break. Moolman Pasio and her teammate Demi Vollering, as well as Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) are close behind 

Van Vleuten and Reusser have now gone clear

Situation:

Reusser and van Vleuten 

Moolman Pasio, Vollering, Cavalli, Longo Borghini, Thomas, Palladin, Muzic, Spratt +13"

Rooijakkers, Brown, Honsinger, Kirchman, Martin, Lippert, Henderson, Labous, +34"

29.5km to go

The leading pair are about to be caught by the first chase group

French champion Evita Muzic of FDJ is on the front working to pull the leaders back

The two are caught and Pauliena Rooijakkers counters 

Rooijakkers is caught and now Grace Brown of FDJ attacks 

The group behind are looking at one another - this is a dangerous move as Brown has proven time trial abilities and has won races this way in the past.

20km to go

Just one more categorised climb, Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons, remains

Brown has a 22 second gap

Brown is on the descent ahead of the bottom of the Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons

Marlen Reusser is working in the group behind to bring the FDJ rider back 

Brown was second to Lizzie Deignan at thiys race in 2020

Annemiek van Vleuten attacks at the bottom of the climb 

Moolman Pasio, Cavalli, Longo Borghini, Demi Vollering, and Liane Lippert are the only riders able to follow 

Van Vleuten attacks again as the group have Brown in sight 

Van Vleuten goes solo as Longo Borghini, Cavalli, Moolman Pasio, and Vollering struggle behind 

Van Vleuten catches and passes Brown 

Van Vleuten has gone clear on the steepest part of the climb 

Marta Cavalli and Demi Vollering are chasing 

Van Vleuten stays clear over the top of the climb 

Van Vleuten has a 20 second gap with 11km to go

The chase group have her in their sights but will need to work together 

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio is now on the front as the road kicks up again 

Van Vleuten's gap is still holding at around 20 seconds. Can she time trial her way to the finish as we have seen her do on any occasions?

The riders are on a straight stretch of road and the group can see van Vleuten ahead of them and are cooperating well. The gap is now down to 14 seconds. 

8.7km to go

The two-time world time trial champion is staying away with just 6km to go 

The riders behind are rolling through but van Vleuten's gap is extending and is now close to 30 seconds 

Van Vleuten is flying down the descent with 3km to go 

With 1.5km to go and na 30 second lead it's safe to say that Van Vleuten is about to take her 89th career victory today in Liege

Moolman Pasio attacks the chase group and goes clear

Moolman Pasio is caught

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) wins Liege-Bastogne-Liege for the second time 

It's between Demi Vollering and Grace Brown for third 

Top-10:

1. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) 3:52:32

2. Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope)

3. Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

4. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SD Worx) 

5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo)

6. Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) 

7. Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) 

8. Liane Lippert (Team DSM)

9. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM)

10. Amanda Spratt (Team BikeExchange) 

Annemiek van Vleuten, winner Liege-Bastogne-Liege 

“Winning has become harder in cycling I think there are more contenders I know that I’m better than ever in the spring but it’s not that it always gives you the win and to have the confidence today to go just to try it out on the Redoute and La Roche-aux-Faucons I had the confidence and then it wrks out that that’s the best. 

You need some guts to go from the bottom and have confidence that I can drop them but it’s not easy because after La Redoute with SD Worx when they don’t want to ride which, I have nothing to say about that, it’s good tactics from them but they know it’s hard 

To still take the victory is amazing. 

It’s also an option to go on La Roche-aux-Faucons but then it’s only one opportunity but now it’s a new final so it needs to happen there and I also know that I have more chances when I go two times all out. It’s like a good wine, the strength comes also with age and the more efforts I have the more chances I have to break away solo.

I couldn’t believe until the finish line because it was also a block headwind after Roche au Cocoons I knew already at the start this morning that it would be hard for a solo breakaway because if they start to chase I knew that they would catch me but there’s only one option, aero time trial mode and go and give everything.

I have two weeks at home to enjoy this one and enjoy my whole spring campaign and also with Movistar Team because we are going to ride every race better which is super good to so. The whole team takes confidence. 

The Tour de France is my big goal."

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, SD Worx, 4th. 

"SD Worx did an incredible job, Marlen was very strong In the breakaway and then on La Redoute I tried to go at the bottom and then just over the top Annemiek was a little bit stronger but Marlen was incredible how she represented SD Worx in the front.

It all came back together and, as we know, on the last climb that’s always the hardest part. I did my best to follow but Annemiek was just too strong over the top. Then Demi and I worked really well together to try to bring it back and to go for the win for SD Worx and in the end we finished third but I think we can be really proud of our team effort and we rode with a lot of heart and we did our best."

Thanks for following our live text coverage of Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femmes! 

In case you missed the action our race report has you covered.

Until next time.