Anna Van der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) took a convincing win today at the 2015 Flèche Wallonne, round 4 of the UCI Women Road World Cup, in an attack from the bottom the iconic Mur de Huy.
Annemiek Van Vleuten (Bigla Pro Cycling Team) and Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) joined her on the podium in second and third places respectively.
Winning Round 4 of the UCI Women Road World Cup means that Van der Breggen now leads the overall 2015 UCI Women Road World Cup standings. Finishing in fifth place, Van der Breggen's team mate Katarzyna Niewiadoma dons the Young Rider's jersey.
The Sufferfest sponsored SufferPrize was awarded to Christine Majerus (Boels Dolmans Women Cycling Team) for her indestructible grit and strength as a super domestique.
The race got off to a fast start with Boels Dolmans’ Christine Majerus taking the prime at the top of the first climb of the day: the 2.1-km long Côte d’Ereffe. The 5% average gradient climb was enough to see riders dropping at the back of the bunch. This was going to be a tough day in the saddle for most.
As the dropped riders made their way back in to the bunch, current UCI Women Road World Cup leader Jolien d’Hoore attacked, followed by and attempt from Kaat Hannes (Topsport Vlaanderen). Both attacks were reeled almost immediately.
The second QOM prime up the 1-km Côte de Bellaire was taken by Daiva Tuslaite (Team Inpa Bianchi Giusfredi).
The Côte de Bohissau was the longest climb of the day at 2.4-km and an average gradient of 5.5%. This did not scare Luxembourg champion Majerus who by taking another turn at the front, won her second QOM prime of the day. The Boels Dolmans ladies were not willing to let anyone else control the pace of the race. It’s a tactic the team is well known for.
The peloton was still together as the first ascent of the Mur de Huy was looming.
It was Carlee Taylor (Lotto Soudal Ladies) who claimed this tester sprint up the Mur de Huy as the bunch tackled the beast for the first time. With an average gradient of 9.6%, it is one of the most iconic climbs of the season.
A tail wind on this section of the Mur meant that the peloton was larger than it had been in previous years, but would it be a factor on the final run up to the finish?
As the race was taking its toll on the rear of the bunch, Lucinda Brand (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) launched an attack but the chasing peloton was not going to let anyone get away. It was Team USA’s Lauren Komansky who launched the first successful attack of the day. She was soon joined by Lizzie Williams (Orica AIS). The duo soon built up a sizeable gap on the peloton before being caught just 30km from the finish.
The increased pace of the race finally caused the bunch to split. With Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) putting the hammer down at the front of a depleting lead group of thirty riders, everything was still possible.
But could the addition of the Côte de Cherave with 6km to the finish change the fate of the race?
With just 15km to go, a duo of Roxane Knetemann (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Bigla Pro Cycling Team) decided to make a break for it and soon built a one-minute advantage on the front group than no-one seemed to be able to chase down.
Would the twosome be caught as they started their ascent of the unknown Cote de Cherave? The strong chasing group fast approaching did nothing to scare them. Megan Guarnier and Evelyn Stevens (Boels Dolmans Cycling team), Anna Van Der Breggen and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) and Ashleigh Moolman (Bigla Pro Cycling Team) were determined not to give up.
With only a couple of kilometres to go, an adventurous Anna Van der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) digged deep to bridge across to Roxane Knetemann (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Bigla Pro Cycling Team). Van der Breggen didn’t even catch her breath before attacking her new lead group at the bottom on the Mur de Huy. She crossed the finish line solo, followed by Van Vleuten and chasing group companion Guarnier.
