VIDEO: Highlights of cold, wet & dramatic day at La Fleche Wallonne as Stephen Williams and Katarzyna Niewiadoma take career defining victories

On a day in which the stars of the men's and women's pelotons took to the second of the Ardennes Classics, Stephen Williams and Katarzyna Niewiadoma took perhaps the biggest wins of their respective careers.

It was perhaps mother nature who was the deciding factor however, as a number pre-race favourites in the men's race struggled to keep pace as the sleet and hail battered the bunch. The likes of Tom Pidcock, the entire UAE Team Emirates team and rather dramatically, Mattias Skjelmose all suffered. In the end, just 44 riders completing the race.

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Finishing fastest though, was Israel - Premier Tech's 'Welsh Wizard' Stephen Williams. Staying patient, Williams waited until 300m to go before launching. Once he made his move however, no one could follow, despite the best efforts of second-placed Kevin Vauquelin and third-placed Maxim van Gils.

For the women, it also all came down to the final ascent of the Mur de Huy. Demi Vollering controlled things on the front, attempting to ride her rivals off the back wheel. Katarzyna Niewiadoma, so often the bridesmaid at these big races however, refused to be denied again and powered around Vollering in the final few hundred metres to take an emotional and well-deserved victory.

See highlights of the two races down below!

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