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Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is one of the big favourites today. The 2024 Tour de France Femmes champion is on top form, with three second-places to her name so far this spring, including at Amstel Gold on Sunday.
The tactical situation out on the course today has made the racing fast and hard. They have covered this opening 50 kilometres at an average speed of 40km/h.
The leaders are over the top of the Côte de Durnal.
Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto’s Czapla has dropped back from the chase group and is in the peloton. Perhaps the German team will now add their weight to the chase.
Ilken Seynave of Lotto Intermarché Ladies has abandoned the race.
The chase group is now 45 seconds behind the leaders. It appears with so many big teams in attendance, there is little collaboration. The peloton are 1:10 down.
Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ) is part of this dangerous chase group.
It’s a fairly mild day in Belgium today, with temperatures around 15 degrees celsius.
Claes is a rider who came to prominence last year after winning Omloop Nieuwsblad from the breakaway. She transferred over the Fenix-Premier Tech for the 2026 season.
Lotte Claes and Malou Eisen are riding well at the front.
The chase group is now just 30 seconds behind the lead of the race. The peloton is 1:20 behind.
They are playing chess out on the roads of the Ardennes today. Most of the big favourites have sent team-mates up the road.
The peloton on the Côte de Bohissau.
The riders are 30km in now and are approaching the next climb.
The current situation:
Chasing group at 50 seconds.
Peloton at 1:40.
Fascinating looking group, that. Movistar and EF Education-Oatly are the big teams who have missed it.
Another chasing group has now broken clear of the peloton. This one contains several strong riders. It’s hard to see the peloton letting this one go. The nine riders are:
Muzic (FDJ United-SUEZ)
Czapala (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto)
Chladoňová (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Bauernfeind (Lidl-Trek)
Harvey (SD Worx-ProTime)
Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ)
Grangier (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93)
Hezinova (Picnic-PostNL)
Aranguren (Laboral)
The group has caught up with Franz and is 50 seconds behind the leaders.
Interesting to see Fenix-Premier Tech placing a rider up the road. They are forcing the likes of FDJ United-SUEZ to do the chasing.
Claes of Fenix-Premier Tech has joined Eisen at the front of the race. The pair have 1:15 over the bunch. In between is Heidi Franz (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93), who is around 40 seconds in arrears.
Reigning world champion Magdeleine Vallieres is one of EF Education-Oatly’s leaders today. The Canadian was 14th here last year. She is hoping for better luck than she experienced at Amstel Gold on Sunday.
“I couldn’t come back due to a mechanical issue, it happens, but we still had a great race with the team and Noemi Rüegg’s fifth place, so we’re happy,” she said of Amstel before the start today.
“Today’s course is fantastic and it’s a legendary race with the Mur de Huy. I’m excited to be riding it today in the rainbow jersey. We’re always aiming for the top step of the podium. My legs will decide at the end of the race.”
Malou Eisen of VolkerWessels is currently away solo with 35 seconds over the bunch.
Two riders have attacked the bunch and have a 10-second lead.
🚴♀️ Le peloton de La Flèche Wallonne Femmes se dirige vers le départ réel. The peloton of the 2026 #FWwomen is heading towards the official start. 🏹 pic.twitter.com/24aSuqDS8G
Fenix-Premier Tech are taking responsibility for leading the bunch in this phase of the race, with Lotte Claes pulling things along.
A shot of the bunch in the neutral zone a few minutes ago.
Several riders have been distanced from the peloton on the opening climb including Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93).
Pieterse is motivated to score a big result this week. Although she has been consistent this spring, the 23-year-old is yet to raise her arms – her best result being 3rd at the Tour of Flanders.
“Hopefully, I can get that one big result, but I don’t feel the need to match anything. I’m in good shape, I’ll do my best, and we’ll see where that takes us,” she said ahead of the La Flèche Wallonne Femmes.
Climb number one has been dealt with. The riders will now ride over a plateau for the next 15km before descending to the next hill.
🚩 Et c’est parti ! La 29ème #FWwomen est lancée ! 🚩 Wheels are rolling! The 29th #FWwomen is underway! pic.twitter.com/Q2VMe1Laqf
No movement from the bunch yet, but the riders are approaching the first climb of the day.
Lucie Fityus of Picnic-PostNL has abandoned the race in the early stages.
We had a surprise winner on Sunday as the Ardennes week got under way at the Amstel Gold Race, with Paula Blasi of UAE Team ADQ taking the win. Could there be another surprise today?
One rider who may be worth watching out for is veteran Ashleigh Moolman Pasio. The South African is 40 but has re-found her best legs in the last week and was 4th at Brabanse Pijl. The AG Insurance-Soudal rider was second here in 2018.
Other names to keep tabs on include Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)
The riders will start off with a flat opening 8km before taking on the first climb of the day, the Côte de Bohissau.
One rider to keep an eye on today is Sadrine Tas. A couple of months ago, Tas was competing in the speed skating at the Winter Olympics. Today, the Belgian makes her professional cycling debut.
The riders were announced to the crowds in Huy earlier on.
There are nine climbs on the route today, three of which are repeated on a local lap around Huy.
Côte de Bohissau (2.2km at 5.6%) at km 10.5
Côte de Courrière at km 38.3
Côte de Durnal at km 49.1
Côte d’Ereffe (2.1km at 5%) at km 92.6
Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8,1%) at km 105.3
Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) at km 111
Côte d’Ereffe (2.1km at 5%) at km 129,8
Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8,1%) at km 142.5
Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) at km 148.2 (finish)
While this is an absolutely stacked field, there are also a few absentees. Elisa Longo Borghini is sitting this one out after finishing third last year.
Pieterse conquered the famous climb last year, but let’s take a look at who is here to take her crown.
Pauline Ferrand Prevot is her too, a former winner in 2014, as is the undisputed queen of this climb, Anna van der Breggen, a seven-time winner of La Flèche Wallonne Femmes. Kasia Niewiadoma and Amstel Gold winner Paula Blasi are two others in good form.
Here’s a full run-down of the contenders: The kings and queens of the Mur de Huy – Analysing the contenders for La Flèche Wallonne
Before we look at the contenders for today, let’s zoom in on the climb that so often decides this race.
This is a real leg-breaker and a beautifully natural amphitheatre of cycling. The women will take on the Mur twice, first of all with 38km to go before come back to it for the final struggle to the line.
Last year, Puck Pieterse timed her move on the famous climb to perfection, waiting until the final 150 metres to come around Demi Vollering. Despite a long distance attack from Cedrine Kerbaol, it was another show-down on the Mur. Will it be the same today?
La Flèche Wallonne Femmes: Puck Pieterse powers past Demi Vollering for victory atop Mur de Huy
The racing gets underway, starting in Huy in just under half an hour with a short neutral roll out. The racing gets properly underway at 13:50 CET and is scheduled to finish at around 17:55 CET.
Welcome along to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of the 2026 La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, where Puck Pieterse will look to repeat her victory of 12 months ago against a stacked field.
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