Results La Flèche Wallonne Femmes 2026 | Demi Vollering holds on for dramatic win ahead of Puck Pieterse after long-range Mur de Huy move

Demi Vollering timed her effort to perfection on the Mur de Huy, launching a long-range acceleration to win La Flèche Wallonne Femmes 2026 ahead of Puck Pieterse and Paula Blasi after a relentlessly aggressive race.

In a finale shaped by early attacks and a reduced group of contenders, Vollering’s sustained move proved decisive, with the Dutch rider holding off a late surge from Pieterse to secure her second victory in the race.

La Flèche Wallonne Femmes 2026 unfolded at a far higher intensity than the men’s race earlier in the day, with repeated attacks and a large early breakaway shaping the opening phase.

A group of eleven riders forced the first significant split, with multiple major teams represented, before the peloton gradually brought the move back under pressure. Even after the regrouping, the aggression continued, with the race repeatedly reshaping itself ahead of the local circuit.

The race opened up again in the final lap as Katrine Aalerud and Axelle Dubau-Prévot went clear, building an advantage of around 40 seconds and forcing a reaction behind.

FDJ United-Suez, Canyon//SRAM and Movistar all contributed to the chase, while the peloton of favourites continued to shrink under the sustained pace. Their move ultimately set the stage for the decisive selection.

The Côte de Cherave proved to be the key moment before the finale, with Elise Chabbey launching a sharp acceleration that immediately closed down the breakaway.

Only a select group could follow, forming an elite front group that included Demi Vollering, Puck Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma and Anna van der Breggen. Behind them, gaps opened quickly, confirming that the race would be decided from this reduced selection.

Around 20 riders reached the base of the Mur de Huy together, but the earlier aggression ensured that the decisive climb would be raced on tired legs. FDJ United-Suez set the early pace, before Vollering moved into position and launched her effort earlier than many of her rivals. The acceleration mirrored her winning move from the previous year, turning the climb into a sustained effort rather than a late sprint.

Niewiadoma initially held on, but could not match the pace as the gradient bit. Pieterse, meanwhile, timed her effort later and began to close the gap in the final metres. Despite the late pressure, Vollering held her advantage to the line, resisting Pieterse’s surge on the flatter upper section of the climb.

Behind the winner, Pieterse secured second place after her late acceleration, coming close but unable to overhaul Vollering before the finish. Paula Blasi completed the podium after a strong ride on the final climb, moving past Niewiadoma in the closing stages. Further back, Niewiadoma and Van der Breggen rounded out the top five after being distanced in the final metres.