Liège-Bastogne-Liège Women 2024: The most important facts in brief
- Date: 21 April 2024
- Distance: 147.6 kilometres, 2500 metres in altitude
- Key points: Cote de la Redoute, Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons
- Start: Bastogne
- Target: Liège
- Last year's winner: Demi Vollering
- Record winner: Annemiek van Vleuten, Demi Vollering, Anna van der Breggen (twice each)
- To the race report of the women's race
- To the race report of the men's race
- Track, TV broadcast & live stream
The TOUR favourites by stars*
* Evita Muzic, Shirin van Anrooij, Elise Chabbey
** Riejanne Markus, Ashleigh Moolman, Marianne Vos
*** Lotte Kopecky, Pauliena Rooijakkers
**** Kasia Niewiadoma, Demi Vollering
***** Elisa Longo Borghini
* The more stars a driver receives, the stronger she is rated
Note: The start list is not yet complete at the time of publication of this article: there may still be changes
Demi Vollering not the top favourite this time
In 2023, there was one firm favourite for Liège-Bastogne-Liège: Demi Vollering. After her victories in the Amstel Gold Race and the Fleche Wallonne, the Dutchwoman completed her Ardennes triple in Liège. This year the omens are different. The SD Worx - Protime team is vulnerable and Vollering is not in the outstanding form of last year. Although the winner of the Tour de France Femmes 2023 confirmed her upward trend again at the Fleche Wallonne, it was not enough to win. Vollering had to concede victory to Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing).
Has Kasia Niewiadoma's knot burst?
The Polish rider ended her drought of around five years without a win on the road and was the strongest rider. But that doesn't automatically make the gravel world champion the top favourite for Liège-Bastogne-Liège - she only gets four TOUR stars. Why? On the Mur de Huy, sheer power over a longer period of time is decisive. Niewiadoma can do that like no other. At Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, however, sprinting ability could decide between victory and defeat. And Niewiadoma is not the fastest rider. However, she can rely on a strong team that has another outsider in its ranks in the form of Elise Chabbey (fifth last year). The two Germans Ricarda Bauernfeind, who rode at the front of the Amstel Gold Race for a long time, and Antonia Niedermaier are also in the line-up. However, neither of them is likely to have a chance of winning.
All eyes on Elisa Longo Borghini
Alongside Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) is also significantly faster than Niewiadoma. After second place last year, when the Italian lost the two-rider sprint in Liège to Vollering, the 32-year-old wants to do better this year. And she is the rider with the best form, combined with the skills needed for Liège-Bastogne-Liège, among the favourites for Sunday. First Longo Borghini won the Tour of Flanders and the Brabantse Pijl, where she outsprinted Vollering, finished fifth at the Amstel Gold Race and impressed at the Fleche Wallonne on Wednesday. Lidl-Trek's plan was originally centred on Gaia Realini, for whom Longo Borghini worked a lot. However, as Realini was not feeling well, Longo Borghini rode on her own account and finished a strong third.
At the same time, Longo Borghini can count on a very strong team in Liège, in which Realini, Amanda Spratt and Shirin van Anrooij could also ride on their own card. The 22-year-old Dutchwoman van Anrooij in particular already shone this spring with third place at the Tour of Flanders, when she paved the way for Longo Borghini's victory, and could also play a key role on Sunday depending on the race situation.
Lotte Kopecky as second trump card at SD Worx - Protime
What can SD Worx - Protime do against the Lidl-Trek line-up? Last season's dominant team has a second trump card to play on Sunday in the shape of Lotte Kopecky. However, the world champion only gets three stars from us. After her Victory at Paris-Roubaix the Belgian looked a little tired at the Amstel and the Fleche and not as fit as she was a fortnight ago. But nobody should write her off.
Just like Kopecky, we also give Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) three stars. The 30-year-old Dutchwoman put in a very good performance at the Fleche Wallonne. If she had ridden a little more cleverly tactically, she could have done better than sixth place. She might even have been able to follow Longo Borghini, Vollering and Niewiadoma on the Mur de Huy if she hadn't spent several kilometres with Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) behind the breakaway group in front of the peloton.
Visma | Lease a Bike with Riejanne Markus and Marianne Vos
Wednesday's final was also characterised by Riejanne Markus (Visma | Lease a Bike). The 29-year-old Dutchwoman attacked several times and was only caught again by Vollering at the foot of the Mur de Huy. And she is coping well with Liège-Bastogne-Liège - fourth last year.
Visma | Lease a Bike also has Marianne Vos at the start. The former champion celebrated her 251st professional victory at the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday, which actually seemed out of reach. Lorena Wiebes would have won if she hadn't cheered too early. Vos took advantage of this and caught her compatriot on the finish line with a tiger jump. But Liège-Bastogne-Liège is even more difficult in terms of topography than the Amstel. At the latest at the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons, Vos is likely to have problems in a direct comparison with Longo Borghini, Niewiadoma or Vollering. However, if the front of the race becomes tactical, the 36-year-old's time could come again.
Old champion Moolman with chances
Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) is two years older than Vos. The South African's appearances on the road this year are few and far between. Only seven race days are on her record - plus the victory at the Santa Vall - the start of the Gravel Earth Series. Moolman proved that she can still deliver top results on the road when she finished fifth at the Fleche Wallonne on Wednesday. There she kept up with Vollering, Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini for a long time. With this form, she also has a chance of a top placing on Sunday.
Finally, it's worth taking a look at the FDJ-Suez team. The French team's best option is probably Evita Muzic, who finished fourth at the Fleche Wallonne. There is also Amber Kraak, who is in good form this spring, and Marta Cavalli, who also finished in the top 10 in ninth place on Wednesday.
