April 23, 2014 (Huy, Belgium) – Pauline Ferrand Prevot, the world road race junior champion in 2010, has gone some way to fulfilling her potential by winning the 17th edition of the Women’s Flèche Wallonne at the age of 22 years. The young French rider’s impressive performance on the Mur de Huy (the Wall of Huy) helped her beat current UCI World Cup classification leader Lizzie Armistead (Boels) at the finishing line, as well as Longo Borghini (Hitec Products), who finished second last year. Marianne Vos, the five times winner of the event and team-mate of Ferrand Prevot, finished in 6th place.

A sunny start in Huy
The 139 competitors in the 17th Women’s Flèche Wallonne set off at 11 AM this morning under sunny skies in Huy. On the programme were 127 km (made up of two 63.5-km loops) and 12 slopes to climb, including the formidable Mur de Huy (1.3-km long at a gradient of 9.3 %), the top of which played host to the finishing line. The first offensive was triggered after 17 km by Russia’s Ilinykh (Bizkaia) who managed to gain a lead of 55” over the pack but was soon caught, shortly after the summit of the Cote de Bellaire slope (after 31 km).

Dropping off the pace
The Cote de Bohisseau (after 38.5 km) and Cote de Boussalle slopes (after 41.5 km) were climbed at lightning pace, with in particular Longo Borghini, second last year on the Flèche, very active in the ascents and first to reach both of the summits. The pack shrunk bit by bit and only totalled around forty riders at Huy and then only 24 women at the top of ‘the wall’ on the first passage over the location of the finishing line. At this point, the leading group was made up of Moolman (1st to the summit of the Mur de Huy), Pooley, Armistead, Ferrand-Prevot, Longo Borghini, Stevens and Vos. The pace dropped after the refreshment point in Huy (after 64 km) enabling 13 riders to catch up. 40 km from the finish, the leading group totalled 35 riders with a lead of 3’40” over the rest of the pack.

Cordon, De Vocht then Villumsen attack in the final stages
Audrey Cordon (Hitec Products), a team-mate of Longo Borghini and Moolman, went on the attack in the second climb up the Cote de Bellaire (after 95 km), 32 kilometres from the finish, and reached the summit with a lead of 15” over the rest of the group. However, the Frenchwoman did not manage to open up a gap and was caught just before the Cote de Boussalle (after 105.5 km) which Marianne Vos (Rabo) was first to complete. Liesbeth De Vocht chose this moment to make a break, but it was in vain as the Belgian champion was eventually caught on the climb up the Cote d’Ahin (after 116 km), 11 km from the finish. With the end of the race 10 km away, Linda Villumsen (Wiggle Honda) burst away from the group and the time-trial specialist managed to build up a lead of up to 35”on entering the outskirts of Huy.

Results

1. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 3:26:43
2. Elizabeth Armitstead (Gbr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 00:01
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products 00:04
4. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized – Lululemon 00:07
5. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (RSA) Hitec Products 00:11
6. Mariann Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 00:13
7. Emma Pooley (Gbr) Lotto Belisol Ladies
8. Linda Villumsen (Nzl) Wiggle Honda 00:21
9. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Team Giant – Shimano 00:24
10. Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 00:28
11. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica – AIS 00:30
12. Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 00:31
13. Elena Berlato (Ita) Ale Cipollini
14. Joanne Hogan (Aus) Bigla Cycling Team
15. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 00:35
16. Katrin Garfoot (Aus) Australia 00:42
17. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 00:45
18. Jessie Daams (Bel) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 00:49
19. Elena Cecchini (Ita) Estado De Mexico Faren 00:50
20. Lauren Hall (USA) USA National Team 00:57
21. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Astana Bepink Womens Team 00:59
22. Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica – AIS 01:11
23. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Specialized – Lululemon 01:12
24. Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies 01:48
25. Lucie Pader (Fra) Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope.86 02:27
26. Ane Santesteban Gonzales (Esp) Ale Cipollini 02:29
27. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Canada 02:32
28. Rossella Ratto (Ita) Estado De Mexico Faren 02:40
29. Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Ale Cipollini 03:29
30. Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Rusvelo 03:31
31. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Hitec Products 03:37
32. Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team 03:46
33. Valentina Carretta (Ita) Ale Cipollini 03:55
34. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized – Lululemon 04:16
35. Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Team Giant – Shimano
36. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 07:10
37. Elke Gebhardt (Ger) Bigla Cycling Team 09:19
38. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 09:21
39. Sari Saarelainen (Fin) Servetto Footon 09:24
40. Lauren Komanski (USA) USA National Team 09:25
41. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team 09:30
42. Daniella King (Gbr) Wiggle Honda
43. Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Giant – Shimano 09:32
44. Francesca Cauz (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
45. Edwige Pitel (Fra) France 09:35
46. Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle Honda
47. Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Futurumshop.Nl-Zannata 09:37
48. Anouska Koster (Ned) Futurumshop.Nl-Zannata
49. Amy Cure (Aus) Lotto Belisol Ladies
50. Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
51. Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team 09:39
52. Vera Koedooder (Ned) Bigla Cycling Team 09:45
53. Laura Trott (Gbr) Wiggle Honda
54. Anna Ramirez (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango 09:47
55. Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Giant – Shimano 09:48
56. Stephanie Roorda (Can) Canada 09:51
57. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Specialized – Lululemon
58. Ally Stacher (USA) Specialized – Lululemon
59. Irene San Sebastian Lasa (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
60. Marion Sicot (Fra) France 09:54
61. Aizan Zhaparova (Rus) Rusvelo
62. Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Hitec Products 09:56
63. Anna Sanchis Chafer (Esp) Wiggle Honda
64. Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Esp) Lointek 09:59
65. Fanny Bourdon (Fra) France
66. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Can) Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope.86
67. Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Futurumshop.Nl-Zannata
68. Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Rusvelo 10:05
69. Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel) Futurumshop.Nl-Zannata
70. Doris Schweizer (Sui) Astana Bepink Womens Team
71. Rozanne Slik (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team 10:08
72. Chiara Pierobon (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
73. Latoya Brulee (Bel) Futurumshop.Nl-Zannata 10:10
74. Melodie Lesueur (Fra) Lointek 10:11
75. Taryn Heather (Aus) Bigla Cycling Team
76. Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 10:25
77. Julie Leth (Den) Hitec Products 10:27
78. Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Orica – AIS
79. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Orica – AIS
80. Carlee Taylor (Aus) Orica – AIS 10:37
81. Tayler Wiles (USA) Specialized – Lululemon 10:54
82. Aude Biannic (Fra) Lointek 10:59
83. Eugénie Duval (Fra) France 11:35
DNF Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products
DNF Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Alé Cipollini
DNF Kyara Stijns (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano
DNF Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team
DNF Marijn De Vries (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano
DNF Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team
DNF Annette Edmondson (Aus) Orica – AIS
DNF Alna Burato (Fra) France
DNF Rebecca Wiasak (Aus) Australia
DNF Felicity Wardlaw (Aus) Australia
DNF Mélanie Bravard (Fra) Lointek
DNF Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Esp) Lointek
DNF Aida Nuno (Esp) Lointek
DNF Simona Bortolotti (Ita) Servetto Footon
DNF Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Servetto Footon
DNF Marina Likhanova (Rus) Servetto Footon
DNF Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Footon
DNF Yulia Blindyuk (Rus) RusVelo
DNF Manon Bourdiaux (Fra) France
DNF Désirée Ehrler (Sui) Bigla Cycling Team
DNF Dorleta Eskamendi Gil (Esp) Bizkaia – Durango
DNF Yulia Ilinykh (Rus) Bizkaia – Durango
DNF Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Esp) Bizkaia – Durango
DNF Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Esp) Bizkaia – Durango
DNF Catherine Dessureault (Can) Canada
DNF Annie Ewart (Can) Canada
DNF Annie Foreman-Mackey (Can) Canada
DNF Kim De Baat (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
DNF Riejanne Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
DNF Kirsten Peetoom (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
DNF Maria Adele Tuia (Ita) Servetto Footon
DNF Manon Souyris (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies
DNF Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies
DNF Joanna Rowsell (Gbr) Wiggle Honda
DNF Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren
DNF Lucy Martin (Gbr) Estado de Mexico Faren
DNF Dulce Pliego (Mex) Estado de Mexico Faren
DNF Anna Trevisi (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren
DNF Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) RusVelo
DNF Sarah Roy (Aus) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Marissa Otten (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
DNF Amélie Rivat (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Emily Roper (Aus) Australia
DNF Jennifer Fiori (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
DNF Asja Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
DNF Silvia Cecchini (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
DNF Soraya Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
DNF Annelies Dom (Bel) Futurumshop.Nl – Zannata
DNF Kathryn Dononvan (USA) USA National Team
DNF Maura Kinsella (USA) USA National Team
DNF Ruth Winder (USA) USA National Team
DNF Emilie Aubry (Sui) Bigla Cycling Team
DNF Jolien D’Hoore (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies
DNF Oriane Chaumet (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNS Chloe Mc Conville (Aus) Australia