Wednesday’s midpoint of Ardennes Week, La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, the Walloon Arrow, in the French-speaking part of Belgium, Wallonia, had a typically fine conclusion on the Mur de Huy, with Demi Vollering staving off a late charge from 2025 champion Puck Pieterse for the win. Two Canadians, Magdeleine Vallières Mill and Isabella Holmgren, climbed into the top 10.
Preliminaries
Last April Pieterse scored her biggest pro victory, beating Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini on the Mur. Vallières Mill was top Canadian in 14th. Pieterse, Vollering and Vallières Mill were back.
Canada was well represented. Olivia Baril, Holmgren, Vallières Mill, teammates Alison Jackson and Clara Emond, Amstel Gold Race’s seventh place Sarah Van Dam and Nadia Gontova flew the flag.
The Course
In the latter half of 148 km, the women would roll two laps each containing Cote d’Ereffe, the Cote de Cherave (1.4 km at 7.6 percent) and the legendary 1.4-km, 8.9 percent Mur. The final kilometer had grades up to 15 percent. It was a warm day in Wallonia.
A decent-sized breakaway didn’t make it to the circuits. No attacks could stick on Lap 1. But then Axelle Dubau-Prévot and Katrine Aalerud broke free heading into Lap 2. At the peak of Cote d’Ereffe the duo had a 30-second lead. The peloton was streamlined to 30 women.
Cote de Cherave brought back the escape and created a distilled group containing Vallières Mill, Holmgren, Demi Vollering and Pieterse. The world champion’s EF Education-Oatly yanked the 17 riders towards the Mur de Huy.
Holmgren lost contact right at the foot of the Mur. Vollering accelerated and nobody could react. Kasia Niewiadoma couldn’t only chase. Vallieres Mill kept in the fight. Amstel Gold Rece victor Paula Blasi became the closest pursuer. Vollering barely held off Pieterse for the win.
Sunday is Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
29th La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
1) Demi Vollering (The Netherlands/FDJ United-Suez) 3:53:27
2) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Fenix-Premier Tech) s.t.
3) Paula Blasi (Spain/UAE-Team ADQ) +0:03
6) Magdeleine Vallières Mill (Canada/EF Education-Oatly) +0:14
9) Isabella Holmgren (Canada/Lidl-Trek) +0:40
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