00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 This trio here, which is being stretched out
00:10 by the world champion, Annemiek van Vleuten.
00:15 Welcome to the 26th edition of La Fleche Valente Femme.
00:19 Nestled between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège,
00:22 part two of the Ardennes Classics
00:24 is all about the brutal finish on the Mur de Huy,
00:27 a true puncher's paradise.
00:32 Last year, Marta Cavalli won ahead of Annemiek van Vleuten
00:35 in the first edition without the record seven-time winner Anna
00:38 van der Breggen, who is now a DS for ST Works.
00:40 Van der Breggen and Marianne Vos have won 12 times in total
00:47 for the Netherlands, although the Jumbo Visma star is also
00:50 absent this year.
00:52 With Cavalli still recovering from injury,
00:54 FDJ Suez will look to Cecilie Utrup-Ludwig and Evita
00:57 Musik.
00:58 ST Works have Demi Folaring, the winner of Amstel Gold,
01:02 while van Vleuten is after her first win of the year
01:04 from Avistar.
01:05 Ashley Moolman-Pasio is another contender,
01:08 while Trek-Segafredo line up with Alisa Longo-Borghini
01:10 and Lizzie Deignan, who's returning after having
01:13 her second child in September.
01:15 2021 runner-up Kasia Nowiadoma is also on form,
01:18 having come fifth at the Tour of Flanders
01:20 and fourth at Amstel Gold.
01:23 The ladies will go up the Mure de Huy three times in total,
01:26 also taking in two hikes each of the Cote d'Aref
01:28 and the Cote de Cherave on the punishing final circuit.
01:32 The Mure is 1.3 kilometers at an average of 9.6%,
01:36 with passages at 19%.
01:38 It's certainly not one for the faint of heart.
01:40 After some early attacks, two riders went clear
01:47 before the first time up the Mure.
01:49 Caroline Anderson and the Dutchman
01:51 Caroline Anderson and the champion of Cyprus
01:54 Antri Christoforou.
01:55 They were joined by Rachel Naylin and Ella Harris,
01:58 but they weren't being given much of the gap.
02:00 With the peloton closing fast,
02:06 Utrup Ludwig was caught up in a crash.
02:08 The Danish champion getting a helping hand
02:12 from the defending champion to get back into the pack.
02:15 On the second climb of the Mure de Huy,
02:21 van Vleuten decided to up the tempo.
02:23 The world champion going clear in a select group of four
02:26 with Llevia Doma, Mormun Passio and Longo Borghini.
02:29 That set the alarm bells ringing for SD Works,
02:35 who sent their big Swiss ruler Marlon Reusser
02:37 to the front to close that gap.
02:39 They made the catch with around 32K to go
02:44 before a series of counterattacks.
02:46 And the best move came from Amanda Spratt of Trek Segafredo.
02:50 The 35-year-old Australian, who was fifth here in 2018,
02:54 opening up a decent gap on the peloton.
02:56 Took a little bit of time for the favourites
02:59 to get themselves organised.
03:01 And in the meantime, three less fancied names
03:03 tried to bridge across.
03:04 Justine Gekier, Riccardo Bauernfeindt and Erika Magnaldi.
03:08 But once the peloton began to motor,
03:12 they closed the gaps very quickly indeed.
03:15 The chasing trio soon swallowed up,
03:17 with Spratt herself caught inside the final 10K
03:20 on the Côte de Chiralve.
03:21 Following then increased the pace
03:26 and went clear with 10 other riders.
03:28 Van Vleuten, Lippert, Mormun Passio, Garcia,
03:31 Longo Borghini, Raiolini, Llevia Doma,
03:33 Chabé, Persico and Juerz.
03:35 They were caught by another eight chasers
03:37 just before the final climb.
03:39 So 19 potential winners.
03:42 But following was clearly in no mood to mess around.
03:46 She set a punishing tempo from the foot of the Murerhuis.
03:49 Llevia Doma trying to stay in the wheel.
03:51 Lippert also fighting.
03:53 But nobody would stop the Dutch star
03:55 from making it two wins in four days.
03:57 She takes a look behind and with a shake of the head
04:04 and the smile starts to come on to the face of Damie Follering.
04:08 She's out of the saddle for that last little acceleration.
04:12 You go too soon and it could all be over.
04:15 And already she's celebrating before she gets to the line.
04:18 Only 11 different riders from seven nations
04:21 have been victorious.
04:22 Damie Follering, she etches her name in the history books.
04:26 She becomes the 12th rider in history to win La Fleche Wallonne.
04:31 Follering following in the footsteps of her DS,
04:33 van der Breken, and claiming her first victory
04:36 at Fleche Wallonne FAM, having come third in 2020.
04:39 And 22, the 26-year-old is having a remarkable season,
04:43 having already won Strade Bianche,
04:44 Toast of Flanderen and Amstel Gold.
04:46 She was also second at the Tour of Flanders and Brabant-Sapale.
04:50 She is now in a position to complete the Ardennes triple
04:52 at Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday.
04:55 Follering full of praise for her team, SD Works,
04:58 who've now won 11 one-day races this season.
05:00 It was again really a team effort.
05:05 Although, like, I did myself on the climbs,
05:11 but in between they really helped me.
05:13 And, yeah, they're really important for me.
05:16 The last time I just thought I'd do my own pace.
05:19 And I could not believe that I had a gap.
05:21 I only, I also saw it very late, I think.
05:23 And the gap was pretty big and I was really,
05:26 really surprised by that.
05:27 So I'm really happy.
05:30 Follering's first race was in the Tour of Flanders.
05:33 Follering takes her 16th career win ahead of Lippert.
05:38 Movistar second for the second year running.
05:40 21-year-old Rae Alini also showing her potential
05:43 by rounding out the podium ahead of Garcia,
05:45 Musick and Moorman-Pasio.
05:47 Van Vleuten, who has never won this race,
05:49 could only manage seventh place.
05:51 Follering therefore making it 13 wins out of 26
05:56 for the Netherlands.
05:57 She will now try to make history with an Ardennes hat-trick
06:00 on Sunday.
06:01 Do join us for that race.
06:03 And thanks very much for watching.
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06:15 (explosion)
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