Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes LIVE: The lone breakaway rider has been caught

2026-04-26T13:34:51.164Z

The Côte de la Haute-Levée is longer, but still tough, 2.2km and an average of 7.5% gradient. Gerritse’s advantage its down to just five seconds.

2026-04-26T13:32:43.105Z

A great performance by Gerritse sees her crest the Stockeau still leading. She’ll drop back into Stavelot now then head straight onto the Côte de la Haute-Levée.

2026-04-26T13:30:32.666Z

Onto the Côte de Stockeau, just 1km but at an average of a brutal 12.5%. Whatever happens, those who climb well and have hopes of winning, will try to numb the legs of their rivals.
Gerriste has only 25 seconds!

2026-04-26T13:28:59.369Z

Gerritse is working very hard now, Bego and Dickson have dropped to 50 seconds and into the clutches of the peloton.
Into Stavelot now.

2026-04-26T13:26:27.608Z

The Stockeau is like a diversion off the main route north. In Stavelot, the riders will swing right onto the climb, on which there is a stature of the legend Eddy Merckx.

2026-04-26T13:22:54.066Z

We’re over the top now, heading towards the town of Stavelot and the brutal Côte de Stockeau. Gerritse leads the two chasers by 45 seconds, with the bunch close behind them.

2026-04-26T13:21:22.063Z

With Gerritse still leading the main peloton by 1.20, two riders have set off in pursuit, Julie Bego (Cofidis) and Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-SUEZ) are 55 sends behind the lead.

2026-04-26T13:18:02.215Z

And even on the early slopes Gerristse’s advantage is cut, she leads by only 1.45, with one kilometre of the climb remaining.

2026-04-26T13:15:42.156Z

Here we go then. the Côte de Wanne is 3.6% cat 5% average gradient. Remember it’s not this climb is isolation, but the constant climbing from now until the end of the race.

2026-04-26T13:12:08.283Z

These three ascents may not produce the winning selection, they may not catch Gerritse here, but some riders are almost certain to be dropped, their race over.

2026-04-26T13:10:34.295Z

We’ll reach the Côte de Wanne soon, which is the preface to three climbs within 10km. After Wanne we have the very tough Côte de Stockeau the Côte de Haute Levée.

2026-04-26T13:06:03.066Z

It might be well over a year away yet, but details of the opening three stages of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift were announced this week.

2026-04-26T12:59:45.685Z

With Gerritse’s lead now established the race has settled a little. The Dutch rider leads by 2.20.

2026-04-26T12:58:23.813Z

Gerritse has built a substantial lead of 2.10 now, by far and away the biggest lead of the race so far.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-26T12:50:31.099Z

Femke Gerritse has been allowed her head and now leads by 1.20.
We have a long period of descending before we reach the Côte de Wanne.

2026-04-26T12:33:55.423Z

There’s a change of kit for AG Insurance-Soudal today, the Belgian squad are riding in support of Donate Plasma, so look out for a slightly different look today. At least they’ll be easy to spot while riding for a good cause!

2026-04-26T12:30:28.623Z

All change! Again.
The group of five leaders have been caught as we climb the gentle ascent towards the highest point of the race.

2026-04-26T12:26:23.768Z

We’re over the climb now, Chabbey, De Vries, Markus, Vinke and Casasola have 30 seconds on the peloton, while the dropped riders we mentioned earlier are a further 90 seconds back.

2026-04-26T12:24:11.135Z

Even with more that 125km to go we have a dangerous solo attacker, with Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-SUEZ) up the road.
She’s with Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike), Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek), Nienke Vinke (SD Worx-Protime) and Sara Casasola (Fenix-Premier Tech) and the five women lead by 30 seconds.

2026-04-26T12:17:48.884Z

A small group of riders have been shelled out of the peloton on this climb, they include Alison Jackson, who was on the attack earlier.
This is not a perfect race for her, but her leadership and exerience will be hugely valuable to her St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 team.

2026-04-26T12:15:56.295Z

Oddly, the highest point of the race is not the top one of the classified climbs, it comes not long after this climb, after 42.7km at the Baraque de Fraiture, and it’s 649m above sea level.

2026-04-26T12:14:40.519Z

2026-04-26T12:07:16.064Z

It seems the peloton isn’t allowing anyone to get away, Franz is now caught. It might not be the favourites’ teams bringing the attacks back, it could be other teams who are also interested in getting away who bring each move back but then can’t capitalise.

2026-04-26T12:05:05.039Z

Early in the race’s history it was won solo more often than not, but as talent in the peloton has become deeper we’ve seen more small groups. 2024 was decided by a group of six, the now retired Grace Brown taking the win.

2026-04-26T12:03:01.221Z

And we have a solo leader! This time St Michel have Heidi Franz up the road, though the American rider only has a few seconds on the bunch.

2026-04-26T12:00:29.798Z

We’ve had a crash in the peloton with World Champion, Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) caught up. Everyone involved is up and riding though.

2026-04-26T11:59:00.877Z

At 156km, this year’s race is the longest of all 10 editions. The first edition in 2017 was only 135.5km, but the distance has crept up over the years.

2026-04-26T11:56:13.538Z

And they’re caught again. They’ve been flying in these opening kilometres, with the average speed upwards of 44km/h.

2026-04-26T11:53:47.061Z

We’ve now got five riders up the road, though the bunch are chasing hard. This could be the one though.

2026-04-26T11:52:48.567Z

The peloton is all together, despite the attacks from St Michel. Here, Emilie Morier tries her luck.

2026-04-26T11:48:27.577Z

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-Sram-zondacrypto) is certainly one of the riders to watch in Liège today. After missing some races folioing her horror crash at Milan-Sanremo, the Polish champion was second at Amstel Gold Race and fourth at Wednesday’s La Flèche Wallonne.

2026-04-26T11:45:39.826Z

Canadian champion, Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) has also tired her luck but is caught too. St Michel are certainly up for the fight today.

2026-04-26T11:41:58.986Z

It’s been an aggressive start and two riders, one for St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 and one Cofidis briefly escaped, though they’ve now been brought back.

2026-04-26T11:40:31.139Z

Without last year’s winner, Kim Le Court, who is out injured following a crash at the Tour of Flanders, AG Insurance-Soudal have had to reassess their Ardennes campaign.

2026-04-26T11:37:06.639Z

Unlike the earlier Classics in the year, today’s climbs are longer, but also steep, adding to the challenge. The first of those 10 climbs is the Col Haussire, which comes after 28.9km and, at 3.9km at 6.8% gradient, certainly gives a taste of what’s to come.

2026-04-26T11:34:03.126Z

The flag has dropped and we’re racing! You might think Belgium is flat, but this is the hilliest of all the Classics, with 2,700m of vertical ascent and 10 classified climbs over the 156km.

2026-04-26T11:31:15.951Z

It’s a beautiful, sunny day in southern Belgium today, with high temperatures of about 18º and what wind there is blows from the East, though at about 10km/h it’ll have little or no effect on the race.

2026-04-26T11:28:47.642Z

And we’re off for a short, 4.8km neutralised section, heading north and out of town where the racing proper kicks off.

Demi Vollering (DJ United-SUEZ) waves to the crowds at the sign on for the 10th Liege – Bastogne – Liege Femmes 2026. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-26T11:24:14.603Z

2026-04-26T11:13:01.631Z

As the last of the Spring Classics, Liège is the final and most prestigious of the three so-called Ardennes Classics, and last year was a cracker.

2026-04-26T11:05:03.849Z

Winning Amstel Gold Race last weekend and finishing third at La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday, Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) is flying!

2026-04-26T11:02:33.163Z

Before we crack on with today’s race, let’s take a look at what happened earlier this week.

2026-04-26T10:54:27.152Z

Today’s race is slightly mis-named, starting not in Liège, but way down in the south of Belgium, close to the Luxembourg border, in Bastogne. Whatever, the route takes us north through the Ardennes forest, to finish in Liège.

2026-04-26T10:50:40.273Z

We roll out for a short neutralised section at 13:25 local time, but teams are already signing on at the start. Here, Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi are being presented, they’re likely to be riding for former Spanish champion, Usoa Ostolaza.

Team Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi sign on prior to the 10th Liege – Bastogne – Liege Femmes 2026. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

Good afternoon for another late start and the last of the Spring Classics, Liège-Bastogne-Liège.