Taking her fourth podium in five years at La Fleche Wallonne Femmes, Demi Vollering had to settle for second in 2024, narrowly behind the very impressive Katarzyna Niewiadoma.
“Unfortunately second again…” the Team SD Worx - Protime leader, who won La Fleche Wallonne Femmes in 2023 reflected with a sigh in her post-race interview with Wielerflits. “It's just a shame, but I didn't do anything wrong. Kasia was just stronger today and that's a shame."
With a select group taking to the final ascent of the Mur de Huy together, Vollering quickly took to the front, attempting to ride her rivals off the back wheel. Sadly for the Dutch National Champion, she couldn't quite get rid of Niewiadoma. "The final climb of the Fleche Wallonne was better for me last year," Vollering conceded. "I know that now too.”
Arguably the biggest challenge of the day however, was the weather. “It was terribly cold. I wanted to change gloves on the way and then I got a bit warm, but I shivered for three hours. I saw everyone's jaws clenching,” Vollering concludes. “It was painful and I hope we don't get sick. All I could think about was a hot shower and the climbs, we got a little warm there.”
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) renoue avec la victoire sur la #FlecheWallonne ! La Polonaise, qui n'avait plus gagné depuis 2019, a battu la tenante du titre Demi Vollering (SD Worx) et Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek). La Française Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) est 4e.
