Preview Women's Flèche Wallonne 2024 | Will reigning champion Demi Vollering dominate the Mur de Huy again?

Still recovering from the Amstel Gold Race? There’s not much time to rest, because the Flèche Wallonne is up next! For the women, this race will always be synonymous with Anna van der Breggen. The Mur de Huy was a favorite of the current team director at SD Worx, as she won the climb an impressive seven consecutive times! Now, her protégé, Demi Vollering, appears to have picked up where van der Breggen left off. In this article, IDLProCycling.com offers a preview of the 2024 edition.

Last year, it was Demi Vollering of FDJ-Suez who, just days after winning the Amstel Gold Race, also clinched the Flèche Wallonne. The Dutch rider launched her attack at the base of the Mur de Huy, while world champion Annemiek van Vleuten was no longer in contention. Liane Lippert was the only one who could somewhat keep up, but the German champion fell back near the peak. Gaia Realini narrowly overtook Mavi Garcia for the last spot on the podium.

Practical Information for Women's Flèche Wallonne 2024:

• Huy - Mur de Huy (146 km)
• Wednesday, April 17
• Participants
• Classification: WorldTour

In this article

• Recent winners
• Course, weather and times
• Favorites
• TV broadcasting information

Recent winners of the Flèche Wallonne

2023 Demi Vollering
2022 Marta Cavalli

Course, weather and times for the 2024 Women’s Flèche Wallonne:

Unlike previous years, the women's race does not start early in the morning but instead kicks off at 1:55 PM. After a relatively flat opening stage, the race features two local laps around the key feature, the Mur de Huy. Additionally, the race no longer starts with the Mur de Huy, which means there are only two ascents of the iconic climb this year. The Côte de Cherave has also been removed from the course, diminishing the chances for attackers and favoring the traditional finale.

Along the way, the riders will face the Côte de Gives, Côte de Courrière, Cote d’Evrehailles, and a double ascent of the Côte d'Ereffe. However, in terms of gradient, these climbs are not comparable to the 'Mur' and are, except for the Ereffe, all too far from the finish to attempt a move. The final climb starts at about 5 percent gradient and steadily increases to an imposing 19 percent! The finish slightly levels off, but as always, it will be a battle among the best climbers and punchers!

Climbs

Weather

The sunny spring weather and summer temperatures from the weekend will be long gone by Wednesday. Conditions will be cool with showers that could be intense and thunderous. Temperatures will range from 6 to 10 degrees Celsius, and light ground frost is possible overnight into Thursday. Winds will predominantly be moderate from the north to northwest.

Times

Start: 1:55 PM
Finish: approximately 6:00 PM

Favorites for the Women's Flèche Wallonne 2024

Note: The participants list is not yet complete and may change over the coming days.

As the defending champion, Demi Vollering is one of the top favorites for a second consecutive win in Huy, but the Dutch rider is not in the top form she had envisioned ahead of the Ardennes triple. In Huy, she will also face strong competition from Elisa Longo Borghini, who seems rejuvenated after her numerous victories and even outpaced Vollering in the Flèche Brabanconne. Within SD Worx-ProTime, Niamh Fisher-Black could step up in the absence of Lotte Kopecky as a deputy leader.

Lidl-Trek, aside from Longo Borghini, boasts two other strong women: Shirin van Anrooij and Gaia Realini. The Dutch rider has been having a very consistent spring and is obviously aiming to make a mark in the Ardennes, while the Italian newcomer, who finished third last year, has yet to find her best form.

Of course, there are more contenders for the victory. Canyon//SRAM Racing will bring the formidable Katarzyna Niewiadoma along with Elise Chabbey, and even the veterans of the women's peloton may also have high expectations. For instance, 40-year-old Mavi Garcia (Liv Racing TecFind) and 38-year-old Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance - Soudal Quick Step), who appears to be in the form of her life, could surprise.

As an absolute dark horse, we point to Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck). The Dutch rider attacked during the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday and seemed on track to succeed but gambled too much on the approach to the Cauberg. Kastelijn then sprinted to a ninth-place finish, just as she did in the Flèche Brabanconne.

Favorites for the Women's Flèche Wallonne 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorites: Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)

TV broadcast and times for the Flèche Wallonne (April 17, 2024)

The men's race finishes before the women's, and Eurosport.nl begins its online broadcast at 12:45 PM. More than an hour and a half later, both Sporza and the Eurosport TV channel will start broadcasting at 2:30 PM, bringing cycling fans to their screens to enjoy the race. The broadcasts will continue through to the women's race, which is expected to finish around 6:00 PM.