Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026 preview: Can anyone stop Demi Vollering's FDJ-Suez?
CyclingThursday, 23 April 2026 at 20:54
The women's peloton has one final spring celebration ahead of them — Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes. The women have provided some wonderful racing over the past few weeks. Liège promises more of the same, even if the riders will need to turn around quickly for the Vuelta afterwards. IDL Pro Cycling brings you everything you need to know.
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If there is one classic that rarely disappoints in the women's peloton, it's Liège. Anna van der Breggen won the first two editions in 2017 and 2018, before passing the torch — figuratively speaking — to a then-emerging Demi Vollering in 2021. The now-retired Annemiek van Vleuten won in 2019 and 2022.
The past two editions have also produced spectacular racing, with somewhat surprising winners. Grace Brown, who retired at the end of 2024, claimed her Monument that same year. Then last season, Kim Le Court-Pienaar — racing through injury — held off Vollering and Puck Pieterse with a sharp sprint to take a historic win.
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Latest winners Liège-Bastogne-Liège women
2025 Kim Le Court-Pienaar
2024 Grace Brown
2023 Demi Vollering
2022 Annemiek van Vleuten
2021 Demi Vollering
2020 Lizzie Deignan
2019 Annemiek van Vleuten
2018 Anna van der Breggen
2017 Anna van der Breggen
2024 Grace Brown
2023 Demi Vollering
2022 Annemiek van Vleuten
2021 Demi Vollering
2020 Lizzie Deignan
2019 Annemiek van Vleuten
2018 Anna van der Breggen
2017 Anna van der Breggen
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Route, weather and TV details: Liège-Bastogne-Liège women 2026
The women race from Bastogne to Liège — the full second half of the men's route. From around 95 kilometres out, the climbing begins in earnest, with nine steep ascents following in quick succession to give the finale real bite.
After passing through Vielsalm, the Côte de Mont-le-Soie (1.7 km at 7.9%) sets up a sequence that includes the Côte de Wanne (3.6 km at 5.1%), the Col de Stockeu (1.0 km at 12.5%) and the Côte de la Haute-Levée (2.2 km at 7.5%). The Stockeu in particular, with its severe gradients, can do real damage.
Via the longest climb of the lot — the Col du Rosier (4.4 km at 5.9%) — and after passing Spa and the Col du Maquisard, the race arrives at the Côte de Desnié (1.6 km at 8.1%). That is important in its own right, not least because the iconic Côte de la Redoute (1.6 km at 9.4%) follows shortly after.
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Still to come? The Col des Forges (1.3 km at 7.8%) and, more significantly, the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3 km at 11.0%), around 13 kilometres from the finish, including its nasty, dragging tail section.
There are still a few metres to climb in the run-in to Liège, but the last eight kilometres are largely downhill. As recent editions have shown, a great deal can still happen there.
Weather
18°C in the afternoon, a light northerly breeze, with some sunshine possible.
18°C in the afternoon, a light northerly breeze, with some sunshine possible.
Times
Start: 1:25 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5:55 p.m.
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Favorites Liège-Bastogne-Liège women 2026
With several hilly classics already in the bag this spring, it's easier than usual to assess the Liège favourites. In the hardest races so far, Demi Vollering has made the strongest impression by some distance. The Flèche Wallonne winner also has an extremely powerful team at her disposal in Elise Chabbey, Juliette Berthet and Evita Muzic.
Tour de France Femmes winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) is also in the mix, after finishing seventh in Huy. "Sunday is a different kind of race," she said after the Flèche Wallonne. "Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a harder race across the whole day. I'm certainly looking forward to it." She has a point: in Liège, successive longer climbs build the difficulty throughout.
Two riders have come closest to Vollering in recent days: Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) and Kasia Niewiadoma (CANYON//SRAM) — both favourites for Sunday. Pieterse was second at the Flèche Wallonne; Niewiadoma held that position at Amstel Gold Race. What Niewiadoma might truly have been capable of on the Mur de Huy, we'll never quite know — a mechanical left her battling stuck gears on the climb.
Another rider whose true ceiling remains unknown is Paula Blasi — the surprise Amstel Gold Race winner. Third place at La Flèche Wallonne was another strong showing, which keeps her firmly in contention on Sunday. Alongside Magdeleine Vallières (EF), Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) and Nienke Vinke (SD Worx-Protime), she represents the intriguing younger generation in this race.
Vinke lines up under the wings of two of cycling's biggest names: Anna van der Breggen, winner of the first two editions of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, and Lotte Kopecky, who is still chasing her first victory in the Ardennes. Both are on the start line on Sunday, in the middle of an imposing list of contenders.
That list also includes the not-yet-mentioned Noemi Rüegg, Cédrine Kerbaol (EF), Shirin van Anrooij, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-Jayco AlUla), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Maëva Squiban, Karlijn Swinkels (UAE) and Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health).
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026, IDL Pro Cycling top picks
Top favorites: Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) and Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ)
Longshots: Magdeleine Vallieres, Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-EasyPost), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Juliette Berthet, Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez), Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) and Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-Jayco AlUla)
How to watch Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026 on TV?
Below you can find where to watch the women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège in English:
- United Kingdom - HBO Max now carries all of the UK cycling coverage.
- USA - You will need a subscription to Peacock to watch the racing in the USA.
- Canada - FloBikes carries the stream for Canadian fans. Again you will need a subscription
- Australia -Australian fans can watch both the men's and women's races for free on SBS on Demand
- In Europe, viewers can catch all the action on Eurosport
IDL-productions
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Latest Comments
- Here is a novel idea......it's a road bike race, stick to smooth asphalt courses! Cobble is like mild off-road cross riding!!!!Germanrazor14-04-2026
- To lose a race like that on a mechanical problem in this day and age is unforgivable. Why aren't all riders using the same (interchangeable) gear? It is the job of the team manager to manage and reduce risk variables. The fact that he not only didn't pick up on the potential issue but actually ok'd it is just madness.fatehasfans13-04-2026
- Rider X, y and z? Could you update?yaNzKEWL21-03-2026
- Can anyone help me understand the thinking behind the two punishments? Are the commissaires saying you get thrown out of the race for a second inadvertent disposal of a bidon (even to the delight of fans) but that as long as you can afford it you can show off your phalangeal cuticles all day long on international TV? Aking for a friend.packfiller7112-03-2026
- It's a bit embarrassing that. Isn't the main sponsor supposed to keep them at 36.5 ?tomjacques03-03-2026
- They were close to cracking a very tired Tadej that wasn't fully focused on the TdF with a team of riders focused solely on cracking Tadej. And if they cracked him, he would have still won. Tadej won't be racing the giro this year. It'll be an even easier win for him.Veganpotter09-02-2026
- Nice!Bea22-01-2026
- Those events are mental rest for him. Fun, without expectations. *Sagan lost his abilities because he gained weight and got lazy. Pogi will likely retire before that has a chance at happening.Veganpotter14-12-2025
- Ah, the consequences of riding for Israel.Veganpotter11-12-2025
- Pidcock could follow everyone but Pogi while finishing 3rd. No second place rider this season😃Veganpotter16-11-2025
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