Preview Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2025 - women | Maybe a Tour de France Femmes 2024 rematch?

If there is one classic that never disappoints in the women's race, it is usually Liège. Anna van der Breggen won the first two editions in 2017 and 2018, while in 2021, she symbolically handed over the reins to the then-up-and-coming youngster Demi Vollering. Annemiek van Vleuten, who has since retired, won the race in 2019 and 2022.

Last season was a real nail-biter. Vollering seemed to have everything in her favor to win in 2023, but in the end, Grace Brown won the sprint. It was the start of a successful season for Brown, who became Olympic and world champion later that year. She won't be there this season, as Brown retired at the end of 2024.

2024 Grace Brown
2023 Demi Vollering
2022 Annemiek van Vleuten
2021 Demi Vollering
2020 Lizzie Deignan
2019 Annemiek van Vleuten
2018 Anna van der Breggen
2017 Anna van der Breggen

No Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but Bastogne-Liège for the women. This means that the race will be identical to the second half of the men's race. About 95 kilometers from the finish, the women will start the climbs, with nine steep sections that will follow each other quickly, setting the stage for the final of this Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

After passing through Vielsalm, the Côte de Mont-le-Soie (1.7 km at 7.9%) leads into a section with the Côte de Wanne (3.6 km at 5.1%), Col de Stockeu (1.0 km at 12.5%) and Côte de la Haute-Levée (2.2 km at 7.5%) in quick succession, where the Stockeu in particular, with its steep gradients, could wreak havoc.

Via the longest of them all, the Col du Rosier (4.4 km at 5.9%), we pass Spa and head for the Côte de Desnié (1.6 km at 8.1%). This is also an important climb, followed by a dangerous descent to the well-known Côte de la Redoute (1.6 km at 9.4%). If the battle for victory has not started yet, you can count on it happening now.

What's left? First, the Col des Forges (1.3 km at 7.8%), but more importantly, the Côte de la Roche-aux Faucons (1.3 km at 11.0%), about thirteen kilometers from the finish. There are also some climbs to overcome on the way to Liège, but the last eight kilometers are mostly downhill.

Climbs
15.8 km: Côte de Saint-Roch (1.0 km at 11.2%)
59.7 km: Côte de Mont-le-Soie (1.7 km at 7.9%)
67.9 km: Côte de Wanne (3.6 km at 5.1%)
74.5 km: Col de Stockeu (1.0 km at 12.5%)
78.7 km: Côte de la Haute-Levée (2.2 km at 7.5%)
92.9 km: Col du Rosier (4.4 km at 5.9%)
106.2 km: Côte de Desnié (1.6 km at 8.1%)
119.0 km: Côte de la Redoute (1.6 km at 9.4%)
129.7 km: Col des Forges (1.3 km at 7.8%)
139.6 km: Côte de la Roche-aux Faucons (1.3 km at 11.0%)  

Weather
On Wednesday, the weather was still miserable during the Flèche Wallonne, but the sun will shine again on Sunday in the Ardennes. 18 degrees Celsius, no rain, and hardly any wind—that sounds like music to our ears.

Times.

Last year, Liège-Bastogne-Liège was won by Grace Brown, but we also visited the Walloon city in the Tour de France Femmes with a finale at the Roche-aux-Facons. That day was very similar to Wednesday's Flèche Wallonne: a battle between Demi Vollering, Puck Pieterse, and Kasia Niewiadoma, with the all-rounder from Fenix-Deceuninck emerging victorious. Should a similar scenario unfold on Sunday, it would certainly be a dream come true.

For Pieterse, this will be her debut in Liège, where Vollering, who has moved to FDJ-Suez, and Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) already know the classic through and through. The same goes for riders such as Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Liane Lippert of Movistar, and the returning - but recently ill - Anna van der Breggen of SD Worx-Protime.

Then we also have Pieterse, Tour of Flanders winner Lotte Kopecky, and Paris-Roubaix laureate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The Flemish rider rode Liège-Bastogne-Liège last year as an introduction to compete for victory in 2025. For Ferrand-Prévot, it is also an important race, for which she even skipped the Flèche Wallonne.

In addition, we expect to see the same women as in the other tough classics. Vollering naturally has a strong team again, including Evita Muzic and Juliette Labous, while on Wednesday, we saw an equally strong Fenix-Deceuninck team with Yara Kastelijn and Pauliena Rooijakkers, among others. Other women such as Kimberly Le Court (AG Insurance Soudal Quick-Step), Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), and Niamh Fisher Black (Lidl-Trek) will be looking to place themselves among the big teams and top favorites.

Top favorites: Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)

Liège-Bastogne-Liège for women will be held after the men's race, which means the broadcast will also start after the men's finish. This will be around 4:45 PM local time (10:45 AM EDT) on Eurosport (including HBO Max), NPO 1, and VRT1 (Sporza). The finish is scheduled for around 6:00 PM local time (noon EDT).