More information on :
https://www.liege-bastogne-liege-femmes.be/
https://www.facebook.com/liegebastogneliege/
https://twitter.com/liegebastognel
Official Hashtag : #LBL #LBLwomen
© Amaury Sport Organisation - www.aso.fr
https://www.liege-bastogne-liege-femmes.be/
https://www.facebook.com/liegebastogneliege/
https://twitter.com/liegebastognel
Official Hashtag : #LBL #LBLwomen
© Amaury Sport Organisation - www.aso.fr
Category
🥇
SportTranscription
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:07 Annemiek van Vleuten has decided it's time to try and bring this race back together.
00:13 [MUSIC]
00:15 Welcome to the seventh edition of 'Jeg Bast on Jeg Fam'.
00:18 All eyes today are on Demi Follering, who's already won the Amstel Gold Race in Flesch-Villon this week,
00:23 and is now trying to emulate her SD Work sporting director, Anne van der Rechen, by completing the Ardennes triple.
00:30 Follering already has previous at this race, she won it in 2021,
00:34 but there are plenty of women who'll be looking to upset her plans today,
00:37 starting with the world champion Annemiek van Vleuten,
00:40 who triumphed here in 2019 and '22, coming home solo a year ago.
00:45 [MUSIC]
00:47 Lizzie Deignan is the other formal winner on the start line,
00:50 although this is only her second race back after childhood.
00:53 [MUSIC]
00:55 142.8 kilometres on the menu, and this route is absolutely littered with climbs.
01:00 There were nine in total, starting with the Côte de Mont-Le-Soir,
01:03 and heading through to the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, which tops out with just 13km remaining.
01:08 With over 2,500 metres of elevation gain, this is one tough day in the saddle.
01:13 Now SD Work have already won 12 races this year,
01:16 and they played a smart tactical game today, getting Marlon Reusser into the day's key move.
01:21 The Swiss roulette is a double European time trial champion,
01:24 and she won Ghent-Wevelhem earlier this year.
01:26 She was joined by Trek-Segafredo's Amanda Spratt, who attacked at Fleche-Villon in midweek.
01:31 DSM's Esmee Pepperkamp and Jumbo-Visma's Anna Henderson were also in the group.
01:35 So too was Katja Nuevi-Odoma, until she suffered an unfortunate mechanical and was caught by the peloton.
01:42 The leading quartet had around 40 seconds in hand heading into the final 40km,
01:47 but the group was set to splinter on the iconic Côte de la Redoute.
01:51 With the peloton closing in, Reusser decided to go solo, Spratt trying but failing to hold her wheel.
01:58 On the steep final slopes of La Redoute, van Vleuten put in a big attack from the peloton,
02:03 but she soon had following on the wheel.
02:06 This was a perfect situation for SD Werks, with Reusser still going solo at the front.
02:12 Movistar going again with the German champion Liane Lippert,
02:17 as the favourites tried to get themselves back in contention.
02:21 But Reusser was just having one of those days, increasing her lead to over a minute.
02:27 The riders hitting the penultimate climb, the Côte des Forges,
02:31 with Lippert once again shredding the group of favourites,
02:34 bringing Reusser's lead down to around 40 seconds.
02:37 And her hopes of a solo victory were set to be shattered
02:41 by the fearsome Côte de la Rochefoucauld, 1.3km at 11%.
02:46 Trek-Segafredo putting in a big attack to set up Elisa Longo Borghini,
02:50 followed by following and Elise Chabais, and they soon caught Reusser.
02:54 Rialini, van Vleuten and Marcus were there as well, so seven potential winners,
02:58 but following was clearly on superb form.
03:01 She attacked with 10km to go and was followed by Longo Borghini.
03:05 The duo working together and pulling clear of the rest.
03:08 The Dutchwoman was the clear favourite in the sprint,
03:11 so could she bring home the hat-trick?
03:14 Where are the chasers?
03:20 It is going to be a duel of two great champions to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
03:28 Longo Borghini looks around, only 250m to go and the sprint hasn't even started yet.
03:34 Vollering is waiting, waiting patiently as Longo Borghini kicks hard.
03:40 Vollering on the right-hand side, Longo Borghini, Vollering though is coming alongside.
03:47 It is going to be the triple victory for Vollering.
03:50 She wins all three in a row.
03:53 She wins Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
03:56 A remarkable achievement for Vollering,
03:58 who becomes the second woman to complete the Ardennes Treble after Van der Breggen in 2017.
04:02 Brilliant tactics from SD Works, sending Reuter to the front and forcing all of the other teams to chase.
04:08 In the end, only Longo Borghini had the legs to stay with Vollering,
04:11 but she couldn't live with her in this sprint.
04:14 That is now five wins in eight race days this season for the 26-year-old Vollering,
04:18 who is emerging as the strongest rider in the women's peloton.
04:22 It is amazing. I cannot believe it.
04:27 I am so grateful for my teammates and super proud.
04:31 I really wanted to win this one, especially because now I have the chance to win three in a row.
04:36 That is of course a chance you get not every day, so I really wanted to take this home.
04:42 Vollering taking a 13th win of the season for SD Works, who also had Reuter on the podium,
04:47 the Swiss winning the sprint from the second group ahead of Marcus, Chabbe, van Vleuten and Rialini.
04:52 Niamh Fisher-Black also inside the top ten for SD Works.
04:56 Vollering rounding out a dream week and establishing herself as the new queen of the Ardennes Classics.
05:02 It is going to be fascinating to see what kind of success she can enjoy in the upcoming stage races.
05:07 Thanks very much for watching. Join us again on May 1st.
05:11 For Love, Well to Fitness, I'm Ian McKenzie-Smith.
05:13 Thanks very much for watching. Join us again on May 1st.
05:16 For Love, Well to Feminina.
05:19 For Love, Well to Feminina.
05:22 (explosion)
05:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]