00:03Welcome to the 29th edition of La Fleche Wallonne Femme. The field is stacked this
00:09year with no fewer than five former winners and plenty of contenders for
00:13victory on the slopes of the Mieux de Ouïe. Reigning champion Puk Pieterse is
00:18bullish about the chances of defending her title.
00:21The viewer doesn't lie so it will just be going all out and then we see at the top who
00:26was the strongest.
00:27I have the feeling I'm in good shape and that I'm ready to attack her.
00:33Demi Follering already has five wins this season including the Tour of Flanders and she would
00:38love to conquer the Mieux de Ouïe for the second time after 2023. Meanwhile Anna van der Brechen
00:44is making her big comeback. The record seven time winner competing here for the first time
00:50since 2021.
00:51I'm gonna try to win this race. That's not a secret I think but I mean
00:57it's not the same as the years before. I did not win so much yet before so if I can
01:01do it it would be amazing but I only can try.
01:06Others to watch are Cassia Nuevia Doma Fini, the 2024 champion and the in-form Paolo Blasi
01:12who won Amstel Gold on Sunday. Last year's Tour de France Femme winner Pauline Ferron-Prevo
01:18also won this race back in 2014.
01:23At just over 148 kilometers this is the longest ever edition of Fleche Wallon-Femme. It features
01:30two laps of the final circuit with the Côte d'Areef, the Côte de Cherave and the famous
01:35Mieux de Ouïe itself. 2,250 meters of elevation gain in total but it's no doubt the last kilometer
01:41that will make all the difference.
01:50Well the pace was relentless today so much so that by the time the live pictures began
01:56the women were already into the final lap.
01:59Axel Dubot-Prevo leading the race solo having attacked on the first hike of the Mieux de Ouïe.
02:04The French woman, who is Pauline Ferron-Prevo's half-sister, returned to the road with EF Education
02:10only this season after winning the national gravel title last year. She was soon joined
02:15by Norwegian rider Katrin Arlerud of UNOX Mobility to make it two at the front. They
02:21had about a minute over the peloton containing all of the big favorites.
02:31FDJ United Suez are starting to up the tempo in the bunch with Eva Van Acht and Evita Musique.
02:36The former French champion Musique had caused a bit of panic earlier in the day when she got into a
02:41move with the likes of Erika Magnaldi and Riccardo Bauernfein but they were eventually brought to heel.
02:47Musique and Van Acht doing a solid job for their team leader following and bringing the gap down to
02:51around 45 seconds with 25 kilometers to go.
02:58A few other teams getting involved in the chase as they embarked on the Cote d'Ref.
03:03Mavis Quibon, one of the standout performers at last year's Tour de France Femmes,
03:06pacing for her UAE teammate Paolo Blasi. Visma Lisa Bike and Lidl Trek also towards the front
03:13with FDJ just taking a back seat for now.
03:16Well Dubo Prevo hasn't raced on the road since 2018 and she took part in Flesch Rolland Femmes that
03:22year but failed to finish, while Ollerud's best result here in six appearances was 11th in 2020.
03:28Meanwhile there was a record 16th and final outing today for Ashley Moolman-Pascio,
03:33a two-time podium finisher who's retiring at the end of 2026.
03:38Into the final 10 kilometers Dubo Prevo and Ollerud still 35 seconds clear.
03:47But by the time they've reached the penultimate climb the peloton were closing fast. Dubo Prevo
03:53putting in one final dig but the bunch was coming led by a charging Ali Chabay. The Swiss star doing
04:00all sorts of damage and soon shredding the peloton down to a group of favorites as they swept up Dubo
04:06Prevo. Vandebrechen, Follering, Ferron Prevo, Pieterse, Nuviadoma Fini and Blasi were all there
04:13along with the world champion Magdalene Valliarmille. There were only about 15 riders at the summit and a
04:20couple more of them caught up as they hurtled down the hill towards Hui. This was going to be a
04:24scrap
04:25between the strongest riders in the peloton, the indefatigable Chabay leading them onto the Mure Hui.
04:31Here goes Ali Chabay and Follering suddenly looks much better now.
04:35Cassia Nuviadoma just following the wheel of Pope Pieterse and look at the way that Cassia
04:40Nuviadoma is just able to make a little acceleration. But Follering now ups the tempo just a little bit
04:47more. Magdalene Vallieras-Mill moves up onto the wheel of Paula Blasi starting to suffer a little bit
04:53and Follering is literally riding this climb on the front and destroying everybody's hopes.
04:59Nobody can react at the moment, but still 450 meters to go. This is where the climb gets to its
05:05most difficult, steepest gradient on the Virage Claude Curricleon.
05:09And yet again, Demi Follering is the strongest rider in the Fleschelon. She won this race in 2023,
05:18and right now she is striding her way towards the top of the climb with clear daylight between her
05:24and the second place rider on the road. 100 meters to go. Paula Blasi is trying to fight back,
05:31look at Puck Pieterse.
05:33Sprinting her way towards the top. Here goes Puck Pieterse on the outside. Has Puck Pieterse
05:38made this a perfect moment? She's coming back onto the wheel of Demi Follering. Follering is trying
05:44to go and Puck Pieterse is about to catch her right on the line. Is she going to do it?
05:49Follering looks
05:50around and realises that Puck Pieterse is there. It's going to be a drag race. Is Follering going to
05:55do it? Yes she is. Just gets it from Puck Pieterse. Wow, what a finish.
06:01It was mighty close in the end, but despite going very early,
06:05Demi Follering held on for her second triumph on the Mier de Huy. The Dutch woman is having a stellar
06:11classics campaign with wins at Omloop Neusblatt, the Tour of Flanders and now La Fleche Wallonne.
06:16And it's yet another victory for her FDJ squad, their 14th of the season.
06:21I'm really happy to win it and I think in an impressive way, I guess. I had no idea of
06:27course
06:27what happened behind. I never looked back. I only looked back just before the finish.
06:31And I saw Puck coming, so I was like, oh my God, I still need to do a sprint, I
06:35guess.
06:36I just really trust my own pace and I didn't want to have any regrets afterwards.
06:43Follering taking it just ahead of Pieterse with Blasi, Nuevia Doma Fini and Van de Brechen rounding
06:48out the top five. Vallier-Mille and Ferron Prevo were the only other riders within 30 seconds of the winner.
06:55And Follering will no doubt be confident she can now land a third title at Liège-Bastogne-Liege-Femmes,
07:00although her rivals may have something to say about that.
07:03Join us again for what promises to be a brilliant race on Sunday.
07:06And thanks for watching.
