La Flèche Wallonne Women 2026: Pieterse, Ferrand-Prévot & Vollering battle for victory

The start list for the second and supposedly smallest Ardennes classic reads as if it were the Tour de France. The teams send their best riders to the Flèche Wallonne to win on the Mur de Huy. The support riders of the stars are also strong. If the race goes well, they too can take control of the unpredictable race and land a surprise victory. Once again, the aforementioned Mur de Huy will be decisive. It is the ultimate endurance test.

The favourites for Flèche Wallonne 2026

Demi Vollering is at the centre of the favourites. She has the ideal mix of climbing strength, racing intelligence and explosive acceleration and has shown time and again in recent years that she is one of the best on the Mur de Huy. If she goes into the final climb in a good position, she is very difficult to beat. However, this is exactly what Puck Pieterse did last year. The much younger Dutchwoman managed to push past Vollering in the final metres and won the race. She is also back at the start of the Flèche Wallonne and is considered one of the favourites thanks to her victory, even if she is not the top favourite.

Vollering's biggest challenger is probably Katarzyna Niewiadoma, who has also won the race and is known for her aggressive, offensive riding style. She often tries to open the race early. Her form in the spring makes her one of the absolute top favourites, at the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday she finished second behind the breakaway rider Paula Blasi, in a photo finish with Demi Vollering. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has also already won the race. The Tour de France winner won the Flèche Wallonne in 2014, more than ten years ago. And yet you can never write her off. When she's at the start, she's also at the front.

In addition to these main contenders for victory, there is a second line-up that has it all. After her success at the Amstel Gold Race, Paula Blasi must be on your radar, she is coming to Huy with a lot of self-confidence. Anna van der Breggen, Niamh Fisher-Black, Noemi Rüegg and Magdeleine Vallieres also have realistic chances. The good news for all these riders: anyone can win in this race, and there can also be a big surprise here. It doesn't always have to be the captain of a team who comes out on top. With Juliette Berthet and Elise Chabbey at FDJ-Suez, Yara Kastelijn at Fenix-Premier Tech and Mischa Bredewold at Team SD Worx - Protime, there are also some absolute top athletes in the second row.