Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) won La Flèche Wallonne Femmes by powering up the Mur de Huy in time trial fashion. Liane Lippert (Movistar Team) looked like she might challenge her, but was unable to follow and had to settle for second, while Gaia Realini (Trek-Segafredo) was able to overcome Mavi García (Liv Racing TeqFind) to nail down third spot.
The women’s peloton hits the wall – Mur de Huy!
Many picked SD Worx as the team to beat, but in no way was it a fait accompli. Yes, SDWorx won in the end. And, yes, Demi Vollering dominated as she powered up the Mur de Huy to victory. But there was plenty of action from other teams and riders throughout the race.
With 37 kilometers remaining in the race, a break by Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick Step), and Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) got away away on the penultimate ascent of the Mur de Huy.
While SD Worx was able to control the situation and reel this break in, an attack by Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo) right afterwards threatened SD Worx’s control of the race. Gaining almost a minute, Spratt wasn’t reeled by the peloton in until 7km to go. Immediately afterwards, Vollering upped the pace on the penultimate climb of the Côte de Cherave and thinned out the lead group to 11 riders.
By the last kilometer, Vollering’s lead group was 19 riders, but there were only a few who were in contention as Vollering turned it on again and led all the way up the Mur to take the victory.
