La Redoute and La Roche-aux-Faucons, the last 2 slopes, provided climbing spectacle in the final of the 6th women’s edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
At the iconic La Redoute, top favorite Annemiek van Vleuten showed up at the front of the pack and immediately set the pace. The Dutch stranded in 3 classics in 2nd place and she wanted to flush that with a win.
Van Vleuten rode to the leading group in one go. The good old from Movistar still had enough juice in his legs on La Redoute, the 6th climb of the day, to go on and over the leading group. Only Marlen Reusser, who was part of the leading group, could follow.
Van Vleuten and Reusser were caught for the last climb, but a new offensive was not long in coming. Grace Brown chose her moment and rode solo to the foot of the Roche-aux-Faucons. The Australian rider of FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope started the final climb alone.
Van Vleuten did not sit still on the Roche-aux-Faucons. The Dutchman placed a putsch and drove, just like at La Redoute, to the frontrunner. Ashleigh Moolman (SD Worx) tried to hook up her wagon, but Van Vleuten had super legs.
Brown was there for the effort and saw the Movistar rider pull away. Brown ended up in a group with Moolman, Vollering, Cavalli and Longo Borghini. The 5 pursuers still believed in a merger, but Van Vleuten was clearly the strongest.
The Dutch completed a solo of 13 kilometers with flying colors. Brown won the sprint of an elite group, defending champion Vollering completed the podium.
Van Vleuten couldn’t hold back her tears. Her last victory was on February 26, when she won the Omloop. The Dutchman often had to be satisfied with a 2nd place this season (Strade Bianche, de Ronde, de Waalse Pijl), but today she can cheer again.
In 2019 she won La Doyenne for the 1st time, she is co-record holder with Anna van der Breggen.
