The 140km 2023 course for the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes has undergone changes for this year’s seventh edition. It includes the Wanne, Stockeu and Haute-Levée trilogy for the first time – climbs that returned to the men’s race in 2019 after being left out for three years due to road works. The field will make it to the top of Côte de Wanne – 3.6km at 5.1% – at 85 kilometres to go, then quickly hit the Côte de Stockeu – 1km at 12.5% – and Côte de Haute-Levée – 2.2km at 7.5% – tackling all three climbs within just 15 kilometres.
From that first key climb the women will be riding the same route as the men’s event , heading into a regular succession of ascents. The next, which peaks with 60km to go, is the Col du Rosier, the longest of the eight key climbs of the race, with 4.4km at 5.9%.
Then comes the Côte de Desnié, Côte de la Redoute, Côte des Forges and finally, at around 14km from the finish line in Liège, the final climb of the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, where Van Vleuten delivered her second attack in 2022 and rode toward a solo victory.
Even after the crest of the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons the climbing isn’t over as there are still another couple of kilometres where the road is sloping up, before a flattening and then downhill run into Liège and toward the finish line of the final race of the Ardennes Classics.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2023 climbs
- 1 – Côte de Wanne (3.6km at 5.1%)
- 2 – Côte de Stockeu (1km at 12.5%)
- 3 – Côte de Haute-Levée (2.2km at 7.5%)
- 4 – Col du Rosier (4.4km at 5.9%)
- 5 – Côte de Desnié (1.6km at 9.4%)
- 6 – Côte de la Redoute (1.6km at 9.4%)
- 7 – Côte des Forges (1.3km at 7.8%)
- 8 – Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3km At 11%)