Wednesday April 17, 2024 at 6:03 PM
Katarzyna Niewiadoma is the winner of the Flèche Wallonne 2024. After a race of almost 150 kilometers, she was the first on top of the Wall of Huy, where, according to tradition, the decision was made. With a strong sprint, the Polish leader of Canyon-SRAM managed to deal with top favorites Demi Vollering (second) and Elisa Longo Borghini (third).
The biggest change to the women’s race was the starting time. That was no longer early in the morning, but at exactly 2 p.m. In this way, the race would finish for the first time in years following the men’s arrival. The 146 kilometer long course was colored by two final rounds with the Côte d’Ereffe (2.2 km at 5.4%) and the Wall of Huy (1.3 km at 9.6%).
In the pouring rain, and even in the wet snow, the women started in the streets of Huy. We had to wait for a long time for a group of refugees, but it appeared following regarding 50 kilometers. It was Julie Van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal), Sara Martín (Movistar) and Elena Hartmann (Roland) who gained more than a four-minute lead.
The leading group of the day – photo: Cor Vos
Counterattack Brown and Rooijakkers
On the first Côte d’Ereffe, Grace Brown and Pauliena Rooijakkers opted for the counterattack from the peloton, because the gap was still more than three minutes. After the first ascent of the Wall of Huy, a minute had been lost. Nothing happened there in the peloton, although Lotte Kopecky tested her legs briefly in the spur. That was not far behind Brown and Rooijakkers, who were caught 15 kilometers before the finish.
Leaders Van de Velde and Martín, who had thrown Hartmann overboard on the first Wall of Huy, were still one minute ahead of the peloton at that moment. But on the Côte d’Ereffe that lead disappeared like snow in the sun, partly due to an acceleration of Riejanne Markus and Elisa Longo Borghini. Their attack yielded no results, following which Rooijakkers attacked once more. She personally brought back the early escapees.
Demi Vollering in the harsh conditions – photo: Cor Vos
Elise Chabbey, Longo Borghini and Kopecky were then able to make the jump to Rooijakkers in the descent towards the Wall of Huy, but the differences were too small. Markus then opted for the attack once more and this time rode away for 15 seconds, causing her to start the final climb solo. Her attack did not last very long, because Demi Vollering was already shaking the tree from the foot.
Vollering collides with strong Niewiadoma
The pace of the Dutch champion was so high that the competition dropped out one by one. Only Kasia Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini, Ashleigh Moolman, Juliette Labous and Evita Muzic might keep up with Vollering’s pace. Vollering no longer had a real acceleration, something that Niewiadoma did have. She blasted away in the last 200 meters and never stopped, relegating Vollering and Longo Borghini to the other podium places. It was her first victory for the Polish woman since the Amstel Gold Race in 2019(!).
Muzic and Moolman completed the top 5, while a strong Rooijakkers finished sixth. Fem van Empel also finished in the top 10, finishing eighth. World champion Lotte Kopecky did not compete for victory and ultimately finished fifteenth.
photo: Cor Vos