INFO WITH ONE DAY TO GO

April 21 ^st 2026 - 17:28

Key points:

· The 29th edition of La Flèche Wallonne Femmes will take place on Wednesday and the extended 148.2 km course will feature more climbing in the first 50km, as the riders take on the Côte de Bohissau, Côte de Courrière and Côte de Durnal early in the race. The brutal final sequence culminating on the Mur de Huy is to be tackled twice, with the riders expected at the finish around 6pm, roughly 90 minutes after the men’s race. The race will be broadcast live from 4.45pm.

· There are five previous winners on the startlist, including defending champion Puck Pieterse, in addition to 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma Phinney and 2023 winner Demi Vollering, who was a close second to Pieterse on the Mur de Huy last year. Pieterse believes that “the overall level has increased”, which will please Niewiadoma Phinney, who states, “I prefer to have a harder race.”

· The undisputed queen of the Belgian event between 2015 and 2021, Anna van der Breggen is back in the race, whilst 2014 winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is another experienced protagonist. Meanwhile, Wednesday will see the last participation in La Flèche for serial top ten finisher Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, who is racing in the event for the 17th time and says, “Winning this race has always been a dream”.

A TOUGH START AND A “CLASSIC” FINALE
The major challenges of La Flèche Wallonne Femmes are well known: the decisive finale takes place on the iconic Mur de Huy, which must be climbed twice, just like the Ereffe and Cherave climbs, both included in the final circuit (37.2 km). “That final sector remains classic, but we’ve added some climbs in the first part,” explains race director Gilles Maignan. “The ascent of Courrière has been used before, but Durnal is new and there’s always Bohissau right from the start. After that, it’s up to the riders to decide how hard the race becomes, with teams able to make the race tougher, so the favorites aren’t brought calmly to the foot of the Mur.” The total course distance increases to 148.2 km (a new record for the race), with 2,250 metres of elevation gain. These punchy ascents have attracted all the top specialists on hilly terrain, eager to claim a prestigious victory. “La Flèche is an important race on the women’s calendar, with 29 editions and a long-standing presence,” Maignan adds. “The riders and teams are aware of the race’s reputation. Having La Flèche Wallonne on your palmarès is no small achievement. It’s always great to see these champions return year after year, with the record holder Anna van der Breggen, Demi Vollering, and a very strong UAE team. There are well-known favourites, but there can also be great surprises, and all of that promises a great race.”

PIETERSE: “THE LEVEL HAS RISEN CONSIDERABLY IN ONE YEAR”
Will we see a repeat winner on the top step of the podium at La Flèche Wallonne Femmes on Wednesday afternoon? Since the seven consecutive victories of Anna van der Breggen (2015–2021), the Mur de Huy has crowned a new queen each year. Among them, Demi Vollering (winner in 2023), Kasia Niewiadoma Phinney (2024) and Puck Pieterse (2025) are all at the start of the 29th edition, along with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who won the race in 2014. All of them are aiming to win again, starting with Pieterse, who was transformed by her victory last year: “I had already taken some nice victories before, like in the Tour de France Femmes and on the mountain bike, so it wasn’t new. But it was a confirmation that I can also win in the spring Classics. I had been close a few times already, but winning is still something different. It was important for my confidence.” This season, the talented Dutch rider has come close to a major victory several times: third at the Tour of Flanders, fourth at Milan-Sanremo and sixth at Strade Bianche. She hopes to return to victory on the Mur de Huy but remains cautious given the ever stronger competition: “Even though I didn’t have my best legs at the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday (10th), I think I’m at a similar level compared to last year. The difference is that the overall level has increased. More riders have taken a step forward, so the racing has become harder.”

NIEWIADOMA-PHINNEY: “I PREFER TO HAVE A HARDER RACE”
Polish champion Kasia Niewiadoma Phinney (Canyon//Sram zondacrypto) is hoping for a tough fight throughout Wednesday’s La Flèche Wallonne Femmes race, as opposed to solely a frantic battle on the final, punishing Mur de Huy climb. “I do believe that the teams will try to make the race hard and that will benefit us,” states the 31 year-old. “I definitely prefer to have a harder race and then finish it up with the proper effort on the Mur, versus waiting the whole race for just one climb. From the history of La Flèche you can tell that the teams are more organised to always lead to the fight for the victories amongst the team leaders.” The winner of La Flèche in 2024 - when she beat Demi Vollering by two seconds, before going on later that year to win Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift from her Dutch rival by four seconds in the GC - is positive as she previews the race. “I do feel strong and confident, as always before Classic races. As long as I know I did the proper preparation and I did all I could to get myself in the best possible shape, then I know that all that's left is just to fight and hopefully get through the race without any sort of bad luck.” On the particular challenge of the Ardennes, with Amstel Gold Race followed by La Flèche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes in an intense week, Niewiadoma Phinney comments, “I think that the week is very important and once you have faith, motivation and commitment, then you focus so much on the three races, that the time actually flies by super fast in between. There's always things we want to do, we want to change or improve. There's always a learning process involved between the races. You definitely want to rest as much as possible, but also stay focused and concentrated.”

BLASI READY TO BLAST UP THE MUR
Following her stunning win on Sunday in the Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition, which saw her cross the line 27” ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma Phinney and Demi Vollering, 23 year-old Spaniard Paula Blasi is ready to take the Ardennes by storm. In just her second year as a pro, the UAE Team ADQ rider stunned the peloton with her Amstel victory at the head of an extremely talented field. That breakthrough win for Blasi - who only moved up from the UAE Development Team to the senior squad in May of 2025 - has led to her unexpectedly joining the startlist for La Flèche Wallonne Femmes and she is now also scheduled to ride in Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes on Sunday. In the continued absence of Elisa Longo Borghini, UAE will be counting on the likes of Blasi and her veteran compatriot Mavi García (who finished in the top five at La Flèche in 2021, 2022 and 2023) to lead their assault on the Mur de Huy. Blasi, the U23 Women’s Road Race European Champion, looked ahead to Wednesday’s race, stating, “I wasn’t supposed to race Flèche, but we still have some riders missing from the team, and since my form is good, together with my coach and the team we decided that I’ll also race Flèche and Liège. I’ll be racing alongside Mavi, and that always gives me extra confidence because we understand each other very well, both on and off the bike,” she added, referring to the experienced Garcia, who is 19 years older than her. Regarding the approach to her La Flèche debut, Blasi said, “In the end it’s a race that’s basically decided by your legs. I think tactics play a small role there, because everything comes down to the final climb. The team is going there very motivated, and of course we’re going to try to fight for the victory because we have several strong cards to play.”

MOOLMAN-PASIO: “IT’S A SPECIAL OCCASION”
Everything comes to an end. Even Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio’s time racing on the roads of La Flèche Wallonne Femmes. “This race holds a unique place in my career,” explains the soon-to-retire rider. “This is really the race where I discovered and confirmed that I belonged in the professional peloton and could compete with the very best. My first participation was in 2010 and unfortunately I crashed on the descent before the final climb. But the following year, I finished in the top 10 with very little experience in European races. From then on, La Flèche Wallonne became a race where I could measure my progress year after year. I’ve finished in almost every position in the top 10, except first place. Winning this race has always been a dream,” continues the South African rider, who finished second in 2018. “Achieving it in my final participation would be something really special. The fans make the Mur de Huy a unique place. It’s one of the toughest climbs in cycling, very steep and very tactical. But it’s the atmosphere that truly makes it unique. The noise from the spectators is incredible; it can almost distract you from the pain. Above all, I want to enjoy the moment and take in the atmosphere. It’s a special occasion and I want to make the most of it.”