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Women’s race: Katarzyna Niewiadoma wins ahead of Demi Vollering, Evita Muzic fourth
Riejanne Markus was 15″ ahead of the peloton at the bottom of the final climb, but was finally caught. It was Canyon/Sram Racing’s Pole, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, who won the 27th edition of the Flèche Wallonne women ahead of Demi Vollering and Elise Longo Borghini who finished in second and third place in La Française, Evita Muzic finished right next to the podium.
In a clarification between the favourites, it was Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma who performed best on the final climb of the Mur de Huy on Wednesday to win the Flèche Wallonne.
We were expecting a Demi Vollering duel (SD Worx-Protime), tenante title, and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), but the Flèche wallonne finally returned to Katarzyn Niewiadom (Canyon-SRAM), on Wednesday 17 April. Stronger than all in the final climb, she achieved her first road success since 2019 ahead of the Dutch woman, second, and the Italian woman, third. As in the men’s race, the weather decided to complicate the start of the race, with heavy rain as a warm-up.
Still in the lead with a 1’40” advantage 18 kilometers from the finish, Sara Martin (Movistar) and Julie Van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal), the killers, buckled under the pressure of the peloton as Elisa Longo Borghini and Switzerland’s Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) tried to revive the final stage. An initiative that made Demi Vollering drive to bring everyone together.
Slightly Niewiadoma in Mur de Huy
Several final attacks, especially that of Riejanna Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike), who, despite a 15-second advantage, was caught at the bottom of the last difficulty, failed to upset the established order, and this is among the favorites explained by the leaders of the peloton.
That’s where Katarzyna Niewiadoma made the difference, first staying behind her two competitors, before stabbing and blowing up her opponents. Overwhelmed with emotions after the victory, the Pole could enjoy herself, after her second place in 2021. Her demonstration of the day is a confirmation of her talent, after numerous honorable places, but perhaps she must also the efforts made by Demi Vollering in the final package. The fourth and seventh places were taken by French women Evita Muzic and Juliette Labous.
After the victory of Marianne Vos at the Amstel Gold Race and success Katarzyna Niewiadoma on Wednesday, Demi Vollering has already lost two of her three Ardennes crowns for 2023.
