Discover the highlights of Liège Bastogne Liège Femmes 2024 !
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More Information on:
https://www.liege-bastogne-liege-femmes.be/en/
https://www.facebook.com/liegebastogneliege
https://twitter.com/liegebastognel
https://www.instagram.com/classiquesardennes/
© Amaury Sport Organisation - www.aso.fr
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SportTranscription
00:00 Welcome to the 8th edition of Liege Bastogne Liege Femme.
00:08 A year after winning this race to complete a remarkable Ardennes triple,
00:12 Demi Follering is still chasing her first victory of 2024.
00:16 She is part of a very strong SD Works pro team line-up,
00:20 alongside the world champion and winner of Paris-Roubaix, Lotte Capecchi.
00:24 I really want to win of course, but I think the pressure last year was higher.
00:29 This year we have a really strong team together with Lotte, we can do really nice finals.
00:33 I'm also really looking forward to play the final like this and to use our cards.
00:40 Confidence is high in the Canyon SRAM camp meanwhile,
00:44 after Kasia Nowevi-Odoma conquered La Fleche Val Enfam in midweek.
00:48 It's really nice to be heading towards the end of the spring campaign,
00:52 knowing that we have a big win in our pocket and good podium places.
00:56 I think that tomorrow is going to be a race where we want to seize our last opportunity for really good results.
01:04 Elisa Longo Borghini could make history today by becoming just the second woman to win all three monuments,
01:10 but the Italian is a little concerned about the weather.
01:13 It will be a very tough edition, also due to the weather conditions,
01:17 because tomorrow we will have snow, as we have seen lately.
01:23 I think that the race itself is already very demanding, but the weather tomorrow will make the difference.
01:32 This is said to be the longest and hardest edition of the women's race to date,
01:37 with a distance of 153km and 2750m of elevation gain.
01:43 The addition of the Cote de Saint-Roch means there are 10 climbs in all,
01:46 including famous names like the Cote de la Radute and the Cote de la Roche aux Faucons,
01:51 which tops out with just 13.4km to go.
01:54 Sarah Giganti decided to liven things up today.
02:00 The 23-year-old Australian, who won the Tour Down Under in January,
02:04 attacked early and led solo for around 70km.
02:07 She was eventually joined by eight other riders on the Col du Rosier,
02:11 including Elise Chabbe, Lucinda Brand and Grace Brown.
02:15 Some real firepower up front then, and the peloton were struggling to reel them back in.
02:20 They snapped two and a half minutes with 45km to go,
02:23 and up to over three minutes before the last three climbs.
02:26 On to the Cote de la Radute, and Littletraeck started to up the tempo for their leader, Longo Borghini.
02:32 Good timing, because her teammate Brand was losing contact at the front.
02:36 Four riders now leading the way up the famous climb, Chabbe, Brown, Giganti and Kim Kadzo.
02:42 Chabbe was the first woman to the top,
02:47 and after all of her earlier efforts, Giganti soon dropped.
02:50 So three women now in the lead, Chabbe, Brown and Kadzo.
02:54 Littletraeck and SD Works Pro Time putting the hammer down to bring them back,
02:59 but had they left it too late, it was set up for a thrilling finale.
03:03 Giganti and Flora Perkins still chasing in between,
03:06 but they wouldn't see the front of the race again.
03:09 The riders approaching the key final climb, the Rochefoucauld,
03:12 with the brakes advantage dropping to under a minute now.
03:15 Kadzo just starting to struggle on the climbs.
03:18 And that was when Longo Borghini made her move.
03:21 The Italian champion followed by following in Nuevia Doma,
03:24 Marianna Vos was there but she couldn't match their pace uphill.
03:27 The three big guns would eventually join up with the three leaders with around 8km to go.
03:32 Longo Borghini putting in another big acceleration,
03:35 before Brown almost came a cropper on this roundabout.
03:39 Luckily some nice bike handling skills from the Australian.
03:42 So following Longo Borghini, Nuevia Doma, Chabbe, Brown and Kadzo
03:47 setting themselves for a six up sprint.
03:50 Damie Vollering is sitting at the back waiting and waiting to pounce
03:58 to take a third ever win in Liege, Bastogne Liege.
04:01 Kasia Niewiadoma, Elisa Longo Borghini, Kim Kadzo, Grace Brown behind them,
04:07 Elise Chabbe and then it's Damie Vollering who looks set to try and take this.
04:11 Longo Borghini hits the front now, Elisa Longo Borghini looking for the victory.
04:16 She's wanted in the Ardennes, it's going to be Longo Borghini, it's Grace Brown.
04:22 Grace Brown wins the sprint for FDJ Suez.
04:26 It's an Australian victory in Liege, Bastogne Liege fam.
04:30 After a breathtaking finale, Grace Brown wins the first monument of her career.
04:36 The Australian time trial champion had already come close at this race,
04:40 finishing second in 2020 and 2022.
04:43 And she upset a couple of more fancied names here to take a superb victory for FDJ Suez.
04:49 It was an amazing day.
04:53 I wanted to be in that break.
04:57 We always know that a strong break can go in the middle section of the race
05:00 and we worked really well together.
05:02 I felt like on my limit on the climbs towards the end,
05:05 but once I survived Rochefort Climbs I thought it's on.
05:10 So good.
05:12 Brown winning ahead of Longo Borghini who was also the runner-up last year.
05:19 The Italians wait to complete the monument Triple Crown goes on,
05:22 while defending champion Vollering was third,
05:25 followed by Chabé, Mavia Doma and Kadzo.
05:28 Well the classic season is over, but the first Grand Tour of 2024 is only one week away.
05:33 Do join us next Sunday for La Vuelta a Femenina and thanks very much for watching.
05:38 [Music]
05:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]