OPENING156 km from Bastogne to Liège over the second half of the men's course, with about 2,830 m of climbing across the Ardennes. The race stayed controlled over the early climbs, the WorldTeams keeping moves on a short leash. On the false flat towards the Baraque de Fraiture, the highest point of the day, Femke Gerritse went clear and built a maximum lead of over two minutes before being reeled in just before the Côte de la Haute-Levée.
UNFOLDSWith the day's break neutralised, the big squads massed at the front for the decisive Ardennes climbs. Team SD Worx-Protime did early tempo work to protect Anna van der Breggen before FDJ United - SUEZ took over the head of the bunch as the race approached the Côte de la Redoute, the traditional launchpad for the winning move.
DECIDEDThe race exploded on the Côte de la Redoute, around 34-35 km from the line, when Demi Vollering took the initiative and immediately distanced her rivals. She crested the climb roughly 10 seconds clear of Isabella Holmgren, Puck Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma and Niamh Fisher-Black, then doubled her advantage on the following rise to Cornémont. Powering on without looking back, Vollering dropped any threat of a chase coming together; Fisher-Black was distanced from the group behind, and the leader crested the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons about 1:10 ahead of Holmgren, Pieterse and Niewiadoma.
FINALEInside the final 10 km, Van der Breggen bridged across to the chasing trio and immediately drove the pace, which proved too much for Holmgren, who was dropped. But the victory was never in doubt after La Redoute. Vollering soloed into Liège to take her third Liège-Bastogne-Liège, becoming the outright record holder. A minute and a half later Pieterse won the sprint for second ahead of Niewiadoma, with Van der Breggen fourth.