La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine is a professional women's bicycle road race held each year in Wallonia, Belgium, in April. It is part of the UCI Women's World Tour, cycling's season-long competition of top-tier races, in which it is the second-oldest single-day event after the Trofeo Alfredo Binda in Italy.[1] The event is raced on the same day as La Flèche Wallonne for men.
The race was inaugurated by Tour de France organizers Amaury Sport Organisation in 1998 and quickly became a road race classic. From 1999 onwards, the women's Flèche Wallonne was a UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup event. In 2016, the race became part of the new UCI Women's World Tour.[1]
Anna van der Breggen from the Netherlands holds the record for the most wins, with 7 wins in succession from 2015 to 2021.[2]
Route
The race is held in conjunction with the men's race, on much of the same roads but at a shorter distance.[3] Recent editions of the race have been around 120 km (75 mi) to 140 km (87 mi) in length, starting in Huy, with the finish at the top of the steep Mur de Huy climb.[3] The Mur de Huy climb – tackled several times – measures 1.3 km (0.81 mi) in length with an average grade of 9.3% and some sections around 17% (up to 26% in one bend), and usually decides the winner.[3]
Winners
Multiple winners
| Wins | Rider | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 7 |  Anna van der Breggen (NED) |
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| 5 | Marianne Vos (NED) |
2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 |
| 3 |  Fabiana Luperini (ITA) |
1998, 2001, 2002 |
 Nicole Cooke (GBR) |
2003, 2005, 2006 |
Wins per country
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 14 | Netherlands
|
| 4 | United Kingdom, Italy
|
| 2 |  France
|
| 1 |  Canada,  Germany,  Poland,  United States
|
References
- ^ a b Mitchell, Mathew (2020-07-22). "Greatest Spring Classics Races - Flèche Wallonne Féminine". ProCyclingUK.com. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ^ Knöfler, Lukas (21 April 2021). "Van der Breggen wins La Fleche Wallonne Feminine". CyclingNews. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "La Flèche Wallonne Femmes 2024 route". cyclingnews.com. 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2024-04-19.