World champion Marianne Vos scooped a record fifth win in the women’s Flèche Wallonne today, blasting in ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini (Hitec Products UCK) and Ashleigh Moolman (Lotto Belisol Ladies) at the top of the Mur de Huy.
Anna Van Der Breggen (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team) and Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) were the next-nearest challengers, finishing six seconds back.
After winning in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2001, Vos (Rabobank Liv Giant) had finished a disappointed second to American Evelyn Stevens (Specialized lululemon) last year. Stevens missed today’s race due to a recent crash, making Vos’ task a little more straightforward. Still, she has been in dominant form this year and would have fancied her chances anyway.
“Every win is special, but for a fifth time to win here on the Mur is really great,” she said. “It’s not getting any easier every year because as a big favourite, everybody looks at me and the team has to do a big job to stay in control of the race. They did perfectly and I ended up in Huy, of course tired, but still fresh enough to make a sprint effort on the Mur.”
Early on, 124 riders started what was the sixteenth edition of the race. Over the two lap race they would complete twelve climbs in all, including two ascents of the wall-like Mur de Huy.
There were a number of attacks in the first hour of racing but despite the inclusion of the Côte d'Ereffe (km 18.5), the Côte de Peu d'Eau (km 37) and the Côte de Bellaire (km 42.5), nothing got clear until the next ascent, the Côte de Bohisseau (km 49.5).
There eight riders broke the elastic, with the Australian Carlee Taylor (Lotto Belisol Ladies) bringing them over the top of the climb. She was joined by Shara Gillow (Orica-AIS), Katie Colclough (Specialized lululemon), Lucinda Brand (Rabobank Liv/Giant), Noemi Cantele (BePink), Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Faren-Let's Go Finland Team) and Tatiana Antoshina (MCipollini Giordana).
They rode hard to try to stay clear but were hauled back by the others at the start of the first ascent of the Mur de Huy, 63 kilometres into the race.
Once on the climb, seven of the strongest riders in the race pushed ahead, with Vos, Longo Borghini, Emma Johansson, Ellen Van Dijk (Specialized lululemon) and Ashleigh Moolman (Lotto Belisol) amongst those present.
Also there was the Belarusian Alena Amialiusik (BePink), who attacked and pushed onwards while the rest of the break eased back and returned to the peloton. Amialiusik pressed onwards for approximately thirty kilometres, but was finally reeled in prior to the start of the Côte de Peu d'Eau, 101 kilometres after the start.
Tiffany Cromwell (Orica AIS) took the prime there ahead of Longo Borghini. The peloton remained more or less together over the next fifteen kilometres but once over the top of the Côte de Bohisseau (km 116), with fifteen kilometres remaining, Tatiana Guderzo (MCipollini Giordana) clipped away and tried to pull off a solo victory.
She was however caught prior to the final climb, being absorbed three kilometres from the finish. Vos, Longo Borghini and Moolman were strongest of the peloton on the final ascent of the Mur de Huy, opening daylight over the other riders and disputing the victory between them.
Vos was strongest at the summit, thus reinforcing her superb palmares plus her lead in the women’s World Cup.
Flèche Wallonne Féminine, Belgium (World Cup)
1, Marianne Vos (Rabobank Liv/Giant) 131.5 kilometres in 3 hours 34 mins 32 secs
2, Elisa Longo Borghini (Hitec Products UCK)
3, Ashleigh Moolman (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
4, Anna Van Der Breggen (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team) at 6 secs
5, Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS)
6, Eleonora Van Dijk (Specialized-lululemon) at 19 secs
7, Alena Amialiusik (BePink) at 25 secs
8, Amber Neben (Pasta Zara-Cogeas) at 28 secs
9, Tiffany Cromwell (Orica-AIS) at 33 secs
10, Jessie Daams (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team)
11, Katarzyna Pawlowska (GSD Gestion-Kallisto)
12, Elizabeth Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) at mins 40 secs
13, Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Rabobank Liv/Giant) at 42 secs
14, Carlee Taylor (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
15, Edwige Pitel (France)
16, Fabiana Luperini (Faren-Let's Go Finland Team) at 46 secs
17, Elena Kuchinskaia (RusVelo) at 48 secs
18, Amélie Rivat (Vienne Futuroscope)
19, Marijn De Vries (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
20, Noemi Cantele (BePink) at 54 secs
21, Kristin Mcgrath (US National Team)
22, Ane Santesteban (Bizkaia-Durango) at 56 secs
23, Georgia Williams (BePink) at 59 secs
24, Megan Guarnier (Rabobank Liv/Giant)
25, Anouska Koster (Team Polaris) at 1 min 1 secs
26, Joanne Hogan (Bizkaia-Durango)
27, Celine Van Severen (Lotto Belisol Ladies) at 1 min 6 secs
28, Dalia Muccioli (BePink) at 1 min 11 secs
29, Anna Sanchis Chafer (Bizkaia-Durango) at 1 min 14 secs
30, Lisa Brennauer (Specialized-lululemon) at 1 min 17 secs
31, Shara Gillow (Orica-AIS) at 1 min 22 secs
32, Christine Majerus (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team) at 1 min 29 secs
33, Oriane Chaumet (Vienne Futuroscope)
34, Aude Biannic (France) at 1 min 43 secs
35, Amanda Spratt (Orica-AIS) at 1 min 59 secs
36, Lauren Hall (US National Team) at 2 mins 13 secs
37, Tatiana Guderzo (MCipollini Giordana) at 2 mins 21 secs
38, Tatiana Antoshina (MCipollini Giordana) at 2 mins 23 secs
39, Valentina Scandolara (MCipollini Giordana) at 2 mins 24 secs
40, Audrey Cordon (Vienne Futuroscope) at 2 mins 34 secs
41, Oksana Kozonchuk (RusVelo) at 2 mins 36 secs
42, Elena Bocharnikova (RusVelo) at 2 mins 43 secs
43, Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Faren-Let's Go Finland Team) at 2 mins 51 secs
44, Sandrine Bideau (Vienne Futuroscope) at 3 mins 28 secs
45, Adrie Visser (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) at 4 mins 29 secs
46, Joanna Rowsell (Wiggle Honda)
47, Loes Gunnewijk (Orica-AIS) at 4 mins 32 secs
48, Annelies Van Doorslaer (Cyclelive Plus-Zannata)
49, Rachel Neylan (Hitec Products UCK) at 4 mins 38 secs
50, Lucinda Brand (Rabobank Liv/Giant) at 4 mins 46 secs
51, Sanne Van Paassen (Rabobank Liv/Giant) at 4 mins 59 secs
52, Carmen Small (Specialized-lululemon)
53, Anna Bianca Schnitzmeier (Wiggle Honda) at 5 mins 1 secs
54, Valentina Carretta (MCipollini Giordana) at 5 mins 6 secs
55, Ann-Sophie Duyck (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
56, Inge Roggeman (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team)
57, Manon Souyris (Vienne Futuroscope) at 8 mins 16 secs
58, Emmanuelle Merlot (Vienne Futuroscope)
59, Susanna Zorzi (Faren-Let's Go Finland Team)
60, Aleksandra Burchenkova (RusVelo) at 8 mins 35 secs
61, Yulia Blindyuk (RusVelo) at 8 mins 41 secs
62, Melodie Lesueur (France)
63, Vera Koedooder (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team) at 8 mins 47 secs
64, Amy Pieters (Argos-Shimano) at 8 mins 50 secs
65, Lina-Kristin Schink (GSD Gestion-Kallisto) at 8 mins 54 secs
66, Jessie Druyts (Topsport Vlaaderen-Bioracer) at 8 mins 55 secs
67, Maaike Polspoel (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team) at 8 mins 58 secs
68, Ine Beyen (Topsport Vlaaderen-Bioracer) at 9 mins 6 secs
69, Roxanne Knetemann (Rabobank Liv/Giant) at 9 mins 8 secs
70, Jessie Maclean (Orica-AIS) at 9 mins 10 secs
71, Loren Rowney (Specialized-lululemon) at 9 mins 14 secs
72, Laura Trott (Wiggle Honda) at 9 mins 15 secs
73, Dorleta Eskamendi (Bizkaia-Durango) at 9 mins 17 secs
74, Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Hitec Products UCK) at 9 mins 19 secs
75, Inga Cilvinaite (Pasta Zara-Cogeas) at 9 mins 26 secs
76, Stephanie De Croock (Topsport Vlaaderen-Bioracer) at 9 mins 35 secs
77, Sara Mustonen (Faren-Let's Go Finland Team)
78, Anisha Vekemans (Topsport Vlaaderen-Bioracer) at 9 mins 37 secs
79, Rossella Ratto (Hitec Products UCK) at 9 mins 40 secs
80, Katie Colclough (Specialized-lululemon) at 9 mins 53 secs
Did not finish:
Aizhan Zhaparova (RusVelo)
Annelies Dom (Cyclelive Plus-Zannata)
Birgit Lavrijssen (Sengers Ladies Cycling Team)
Carla Ryan (Cyclelive Plus-Zannata)
Charlene Delev (GSD Gestion-Kallisto)
Chloe Hosking (Hitec Products UCK)
Daisy Depoorter (Cyclelive Plus-Zannata)
Danielle King (Wiggle Honda)
Elke Gebhardt (Argos-Shimano)
Elodie Hegoburu (France)
Els Belmans (Topsport Vlaaderen-Bioracer)
Emilia Fahlin (Hitec Products UCK)
Emily Collins (Wiggle Honda)
Emily Kachorek (US National Team)
Emma Trott (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team)
Esra Tromp (Argos-Shimano)
Giada Borgato (Pasta Zara-Cogeas)
Gilke Croket (Topsport Vlaaderen-Bioracer)
Janine Van Der Meer (Team Polaris)
Jessica Cutler (US National Team)
Jutta Nieminen (Faren-Let's Go Finland Team)
Kelly Markus (Argos-Shimano)
Kendall Ryan (US National Team)
Latoya Brulee (Cyclelive Plus-Zannata)
Lilibeth Chacon (Bizkaia-Durango)
Lucie Pader (France)
Lucy Garner (Argos-Shimano)
Ludivine Loze (France)
Malgorzta Jasinska (MCipollini Giordana)
Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Faren-Let's Go Finland Team)
Marieke Van Wanroij (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team)
Marion Rousse (Lotto Belisol Ladies)
Martina Ruzickova (Pasta Zara-Cogeas)
Martine Bras (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team)
Mayalen Noriega (Bizkaia-Durango)
Mayra Del Rocio Rocha (GSD Gestion-Kallisto)
Mayuko Hagiwara (Wiggle Honda)
Mieke Kröger (Team Polaris)
Monique Van De Ree (Cyclelive Plus-Zannata)
Rossella Callovi (Pasta Zara-Cogeas)
Ruth Winder (US National Team)
Sarah-Lena Hofmann (Team Polaris)
Silvia Valsecchi (BePink)
Silvija Latozaite (Pasta Zara-Cogeas)
Simona Frapporti (BePink)
Stephanie Roorda (GSD Gestion-Kallisto)
Tayler Wiles (Specialized-lululemon)
Willeke Knol (Argos-Shimano)