April 18, 2012 (Huy, Belgium) – American Evelyne Stevens (Team Specialized Lululemon), 28 years old, has won the fifteenth edition of the women’s FlecheWallonne. She caused a sensation on the last metres of the Mur de Huy, by beating Marianne Vos, four times winner of the event and leader in the women’s World Cup.

It was under grey skies and in cool temperatures that the start of the fifteenth edition of the women’s FlËcheWallonne took place in Huy, at 11.30 AM for its 157 competitors, representing 26 nations spread over 27 teams. The first few kilometres were marked by attempted breakaways, but the pack remained grouped and advanced at a regular speed: 36.5 kilometres were covered during the first hour.

The race sprang to life on the climb up the CÙte de Peud’Eau slope (after 39 km), where Italian ValentinaScandolara (ITA) hit the front with a ten second lead over Tiffany Cromwell (GEW) and the rest of the pack. After the pack caught up on the descent, it was then the turn of Amanda Spratt (GEW) to go on the attack. The Australian managed to open up a gap, with a lead of 2’40” over the pack at the summit of the CÙte de Groynne slope (after 69.5 km).

The runaway rider was finally reined in on the first climb up the Mur de Huy (after 92 km), by a pack that was by then only made up of around fifty riders. It was at this moment that Linda Villumsen (GEW), Lucinda Brand (LNL) and Clara Hughes (GER) decided to take the initiative. At the top of the CÙte d’Amay slope (after 108 km), the three breakaway competitors boasted a lead of 50 seconds. On the climb up the CÙte de Bouillet slope (after 114 km), Dutchman Marianne Vos (RBW), four times winner of the event, and American Evelyne Stevens (SLU), set off in pursuit of the leading group.

They caught up with them seven kilometres from the finish, forming a group of five riders who tackled the final climb up the Mur de Huy together, with a lead of almost one minute over the rest of the pack. Marianne Vos attacked hard at the beginning of the ascent up the Mur de Huy, putting her rivals in difficulty. She lead all the way up the climb before ‘hitting a wall’ in the last few metres, enabling Evelyn Stevens to win the 2012 edition of the FlËcheWallonne. Linda Villumsen completed the podium. Judith Arndt (GEW), the recent winner of the Tour of Flanders, finished sixth.

Results

Elite Women
1. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Team Specialized-lululemon 3:26:32
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team 0:00:04
3. Linda Villumsen (Nzl) GreenEdge-AIS 0:00:20
4. Lucinda Brand (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team 0:00:27
5. Ashleigh Moolman (Rsa) Lotto Belisol Ladies 0:00:41
6. Judith Arndt (Ger) GreenEdge-AIS
7. Megan Guarnier (USA) TIBCO-To The Top 0:00:44
8. Clara Hughes (Can) Team Specialized-lululemon 0:00:48
9. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team
10. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vienne Futuroscope 0:00:51
11. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team
12. Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team 0:00:55
13. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team
14. Amber Neben (USA) Team Specialized-lululemon
15. Rossella Ratto (Ita) Italy 0:01:00
16. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Be Pink
17. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) RusVelo 0:01:06
18. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS
19. Rasa Lelivyte (Ltu) Vaiano Tepso 0:01:10
20. Sharon Laws (Gbr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
21. Joanne Hogan (Aus) Bizkaia-Durango
22. Julie Beveridge (Can) Vienne Futuroscope
23. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Team Specialized-lululemon 0:01:17
24. Amélie Rivat (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0:01:20
25. Christine Majerus (Lux) Team GSD Gestion
26. Aude Biannic (Fra) France
27. Noemi Cantele (Ita) Be Pink 0:01:23
28. Andrea Graus (Aut) Vienne Futuroscope 0:01:24
29. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini Giambenini 0:01:27
30. Andrea Dvorak (USA) United States 0:01:32
31. Adriana Visser (Ned) Skil Argos
32. Carla Ryan (Aus) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
33. Julie Krasniak (Fra) France 0:01:35
34. Sylwia Kapusta (Pol) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team 0:01:44
35. Kristin McGrath (USA) United States 0:01:48
36. Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) RusVelo 0:01:50
37. Larisa Pankova (Rus) Russia 0:01:52
38. Claudia Hausler (Ger) GreenEdge-AIS 0:02:00
39. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team 0:02:09
40. Manon Souyris (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0:02:55
41. Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team 0:03:55
42. Siobhan Horgan (Irl) Team GSD Gestion 0:05:12
43. Joanna Van De Winkel (Rsa) Lotto Belisol Ladies
44. Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Italy 0:05:14
45. Alexia Muffat (Fra) France
46. Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
47. Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel) Kleo Ladies Team 0:05:19
48. Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies 0:05:21
49. Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Russia
50. Patricia Schwager (Sui) Team GSD Gestion
51. Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
52. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam 0:05:27
53. Elena Berlato (Ita) Italy 0:05:29
54. Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) RusVelo
55. Edwige Pitel (Fra) France
56. Polona Batagelj (Slo) Diadora-Pasta Zara
57. Valentina Carretta (Ita) MCipollini Giambenini 0:05:31
58. Anna Sanchis Chafer (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango 0:05:32
59. Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Be Pink
60. Petra Dijkman (Ned) Kleo Ladies Team
61. Amy Pieters (Ned) Skil Argos
62. Anouska Koster (Ned) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam
63. Marina Likhanova (Rus) Russia 0:05:37
64. Lise Nöstvold (Nor) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team
65. Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam
66. Mélanie Bravard (Fra) Team GSD Gestion 0:05:44
67. Else Belmans (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
68. Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam 0:05:46
69. Nathalie Lamborelle (Ned) Kleo Ladies Team
70. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Faren Honda Team
71. Giuseppina Grassi (Mex) Faren Honda Team 0:05:53
72. Lise Olivier (Rsa) Lotto Belisol Ladies
73. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) GreenEdge-AIS 0:05:58
74. Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) MCipollini Giambenini 0:06:01
75. Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies 0:06:04
76. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team 0:06:08
77. Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team
78. Roxanne Knetemann (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team 0:06:19
79. Amanda Spratt (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS 0:06:22
80. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara
81. Alona Andruk (Ukr) Diadora-Pasta Zara
82. Amanda Miller (USA) TIBCO-To The Top 0:06:40
83. Janel Holcomb (USA) United States
84. Ally Stacher (USA) Team Specialized-lululemon 0:07:16
85. Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Netherlands
86. Geerike Schreurs (Ned) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team 0:07:26
87. Lauren Hall (USA) TIBCO-To The Top
88. Tayler Wiles (USA) United States 0:07:29
89. Sophie De Boer (Ned) Netherlands 0:07:33
90. Melodie Lesueur (Fra) France 0:07:35
91. Julia Martisova (Rus) Be Pink 0:07:58
92. Carlee Taylor (Aus) Vienne Futuroscope 0:08:08
93. Lucie Pader (Fra) Team GSD Gestion 0:09:31
94. Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team 0:09:55
95. Susanna Zorzi (Ita) MCipollini Giambenini 0:10:03
96. Elena Cecchini (Ita) MCipollini Giambenini 0:10:08
97. Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita) Be Pink 0:10:09
98. Aniska Vekemans (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 0:10:16
99. Jennifer Wheeler (USA) TIBCO-To The Top 0:10:39
100. Inge Roggeman (Bel) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team 0:11:00
101. Jennifer Purcel (USA) TIBCO-To The Top 0:11:06
102. Anna Bianca Schnitzmeier (Ger) Germany 0:11:11
103. Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara 0:11:20
104. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Team Specialized-lululemon 0:11:28
105. Julia Soek (Ned) Netherlands 0:11:32
106. Martina Corazza (Ita) Kleo Ladies Team 0:11:34
107. Sarah-Lena Hofmann (Ger) Germany
108. Alessandra D’Ettorre (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara
109. Monia Baccaille (Ita) MCipollini Giambenini
110. Lisa Fischer (Ger) Germany
111. Elena Utrobina (Rus) Faren Honda Team 0:11:46
112. Aleksandra Sosenko (Ltu) Vaiano Tepso
113. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team 0:11:51
114. Elena Bocharnikova (Rus) Russia 0:11:56
115. Katazina Sosna (Ltu) Vaiano Tepso 0:11:58
116. Martina Zwick (Ger) Germany 0:12:05
117. Samantha Schneider (USA) TIBCO-To The Top 0:12:08
118. Irina Molicheva (Rus) RusVelo 0:12:24
119. Anastasia Chulkova (Rus) Russia 0:14:34
120. Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team 0:16:02
121. Anne De Wildt (Ned) Skil Argos 0:16:05
122. Esra Tromp (Ned) Skil Argos 0:16:09
123. Myfanway Galloway (Aus) Faren Honda Team 0:16:12
124. Viviana Gatto (Ita) Italy 0:16:25
125. Marie Lindberg (Swe) Kleo Ladies Team
126. Alie Gercama (Ned) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam 0:16:40
127. Ruth Winder (USA) United States
128. Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Skil Argos 0:16:44
DNF Magdalena De Saint Jean (Fra) France
DNF Valentina Bastianelli (Ita) Vaiano Tepso
DNF Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Vaiano Tepso
DNF Henriette Woering (Ned) Netherlands
DNF Anna Trevisi (Ita) Vaiano Tepso
DNF Lisa Küllmer (Ger) Germany
DNF Lisa Poller (Ger) Germany
DNF Aizan Zhaparova (Rus) Russia
DNF Josien Van Wingerden (Ned) Netherlands
DNF Dorleta Eskamendi (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) RusVelo
DNF Ane Santesteban (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Cristina Alcalde (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
DNF Gilke Croket (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
DNF Latoya Brulee (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
DNF Kaat Hannes (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies
DNF Chiara Nadalutti (Ita) Faren Honda Team
DNF Romy Kasper (Ger) RusVelo
DNF Celine Van Severen (Bel) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team
DNF Birgit Lavrijssen (Ned) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team
DNF Marissa Otten (Ned) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam
DNF Agne Silinyte (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara
DNF Evelyn Garcia (ESa) Be Pink
DNF Kelly Markus (Ned) Skil Argos
DNF Jessie Daams (Bel) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
DNF Emma Pooley (Gbr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
DNF Evelyn Arys (Bel) Kleo Ladies Team
DNF Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Faren Honda Team