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Ardennes queen Marta Cavalli wins La Flèche Wallonne ten days after Amstel Gold title

Can she also take Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege?

April 20, 2022
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Italian Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) took her second WorldTour victory in ten days by winning Wednesday’s La Flèche Wallonne Féminine to become the Ardennes Queen after earning the Amstel Gold Race title. The top Canadian was Olivia Baril in 16th.

The WorldTour Situation

Lotte Kopecky had taken the WorldTour leader’s jersey back from Elisa Balsamo after Paris-Roubaix, where World Champion Balsamo was disqualified for a sticky bottle. Neither rider was in Huy for the race, but third place Annemiek van Vleuten was, looking to make up a lot of points. Alison Jackson was the top-ranked Canadian in the WorldTour at 53rd.

The Course

The women’s Flèche Wallonne was 133.4 km long and got to the first climb, Côte de Cherave (1.5 km at 6.9 percent and gradients in the double digits), after 65 km. Following the first of three passages of the Mur de Huy (1.2 km of 10.2 percent), the field would race two 30 km circuits, each containing Côte d’Ereffe (2 km at 5.8 percent), Cherave and the Mur de Huy. The last cresting of Cherave was 6 km from the finish atop the Mur.



The Canadian contingent was Jackson (Liv Extra Racing), Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), Leah Kirchmann (Team DSM), Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis), and Olivia Baril (Valcar-Travel and Services).

The Final Lap

Near the end of the second circuit a chase group had bridged over to a five-rider breakaway. The second passage of the Mur whittled down what had been a 15-strong break. The fugitives had 1:24 on the peloton. FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope led the chase in the field.

By the last climb of Cherave, the fugitives came to heel. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx) attacked over the top, drawing van Vleuten, Cavalli, Elisa Longo Borghini and several others. This new lead group brought back a couple of surges and grew slightly as it approached Huy.

Showdown on the Mur de Huy

Seventeen women approached the foot of the wall. With van Vleuten digging in at the front, rider after rider was dropped. Liane Lippert, Moolman-Pasio, Cavalli and Demi Vollering were able to follow onto the 17 percent grades.

Van Vleuten leads Vollering, Cavalli, Moolman-Pasio and Lippert onto the 17 percent grades.

Van Vleuten pushed again. Cavalli found her wheel with 300 metres remaining. The Dutch rider couldn’t shake the Italian. Cavalli then dispatched van Vleuten in the last 50 metres.

Can Cavalli sweep the Ardennes Classics? Sunday’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege awaits.

2022 La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
1) Marta Cavalli (Italy/FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) 3:38:37
2) Annemiek van Vleuten (The Netherlands/Movistar) s.t.
3) Demi Vollering (The Netheralands/SD Worx) +1:07
16) Olivia Baril (Canada/Valcar-Travel and Services) +1:07
42) Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) +2:06
44) Leah Kirchmann (Canada/Team DSM) +2:14
84) Alison Jackson (Canada/Liv Extra Racing) +7:20