Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) outsprinted her renowned rivals Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime) and Demi Vollering (FDJ - SUEZ) in the women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 and secured victory in the classic. The rider from the African island of Mauritius thus wins her first career one-day race. The rider from the AG Insurance - Soudal team had previously shown her potential this season: she finished in the top six at Fleche Wallonne, the Tour of Flanders and Milan-Sanremo.
Le Court Pienaar wins finish sprint
The finale of Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 was very dynamic, with repeated changes at the front of the race. After Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) was able to break away as a soloist 13 kilometres before the finish, three chasers caught up with the leaders just four kilometres later: In addition to Le Court Pienaar, these were Demi Vollering and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck). Kerbaol tried once to force the decision before the finishing straight, but the Frenchwoman did not succeed. This led to a sprint on the finishing straight in Liège between the four riders. Vollering confidently rode the sprint from the front, but was immediately overtaken by Le Court Pienaar, who was in second position. Pieterse tried to keep up with the woman from Mauritius, but was unable to overtake Le Court.
In the end, Le Court clearly won the final sprint ahead of Pieterse and Vollering. Kerbaol had to settle for a thankless fourth place, while Lotte Kopecky won the final sprint of the chasing pack and secured fifth place.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 women's race - Results
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes: Bastogne - Liège
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2025: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, Bastogne - Liège
| Rnk. | Riders | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AG Insurance - Soudal Team | 04:15:42 |
| 2 | Fenix-Deceuninck | +00:00:00 |
| 3 | FDJ - SUEZ | +00:00:00 |
| 4 | EF Education-Oatly | +00:00:00 |
| 5 | Team SD Worx - Protime | +00:00:24 |
| 6 | Movistar Team | +00:00:24 |
How the women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 went
From a German perspective, the 153-kilometre race got off to an unpleasant start: Liane Lippert (Movistar Team) was involved in a crash. However, the German Tour de France stage winner was able to continue and soon found herself back in the peloton. It took around 25 kilometres before the leading group of the day began to form. First a trio consisting of Constance Valentin (Winspace Orange Seal), Tiril Jørgensen (Team Coop - Repsol) and Victorie Guilman (Cofidis Women Team) broke away, then a group of five around Sylvie Swinkels (Roland) and Fariba Hashimi (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team) closed in on the leaders. With 112 kilometres to go, there were 8 riders at the front of the race.
Runaways are caught
However, the peloton did not allow the escape group too much of a lead. At no point did the gap exceed four minutes. The pace in the peloton was high. Valentin and Jørgensen were the riders who were able to fight back the longest, but they were also dropped 72 kilometres before the finish. From now on, the race could start all over again.
First it was Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) who tried to solo, followed a little later by Valentina Cavallar (Arkéa - B&B Hotels Women) who took up the chase to the front. However, neither escape attempt was to be crowned with success. First Cavallar was caught again, 34 kilometres before the finish it was also Squiban's turn at the Côte de La Redoute. At the same time, the first favourite dropped out of the fight for the stage win: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) fell back from the peloton at the Redoute.
Change guides
Shortly after this demanding climb, a four-man lead group broke away from the now decimated peloton. Antonia Niedermaier (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx - Protime), Cédrine Kerbaol and Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) made their escape. However, the quartet was unable to build up a clear lead, so that they were dropped after around 20 kilometres, 14 kilometres before the finish. A new group of four immediately formed at the front - consisting of Vollering, Kopecky, Pieterse and Kerbaol. It didn't take long for Kerbaol to open up a gap on a slight climb and ride solo.
The Frenchwoman was caught again nine kilometres before the finish. Vollering, Pieterse and Le Court Pienaar had caught up with the leaders, while Kopecky lost power on a short ramp. The leading quartet came together on the finishing straight, where Le Court Pienaar secured victory ahead of Pieterse and Vollering.
