Liège-Bastogne-Liège: Demi Vollering delivers for SD Worx
Demi Vollering beats Annemiek van Vleuten and Elisa Longo Borghini in five-up sprint.
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Demi Vollering (SD Worx) sprinted from a group of five to score the biggest victory of her career at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.
The Dutch rider delivered after SD Worx animated the race and teammate Anna van der Breggen led out the sprint. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) placed second in the final kick for the line, with Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) crossing third.
The result sees Vollering take the win she’d been so close to throughout the season, after twice placing second and twice in the top-6 through the classics to date.
“This race is one I really like,” an emotional Vollering said. “Two years ago I was third here in my first pro year and that I’m now already first, it’s a dream come true.”
🎬 Un groupe de 5 à l'avant et un sprint pour la victoire de 🇳🇱@demivollering.
Revivez le dernier kilomètre de ce #LBLwomen. 🏁🎬 5 riders at the front and a sprint for victory by 🇳🇱@demivollering.
Relive the last kilometre of this #LBLwomen. 🏁 pic.twitter.com/n32efs5zhM— Liège-Bastogne-Liège (@LiegeBastogneL) April 25, 2021
The race came down to a stellar selection in the final 10km after SD Worx had cranked the pressure in the final hour into Liège.
Van der Breggen played domestique-de-luxe for fast-finisher Vollering, setting a hard pace for into the final kilometer to help set up a sprint and prevent long-range moves from big motors van Vleuten and Longo Borghini.
The sprint finally opened at 300 meters to go. Van Vlueten went first as she attempted a long move next to the barrier the barriers, only for Vollering to mark her wheel and hit the wind with 100 meters to go and edge out the Movistar ace by a wheel-length.
“It’s amazing. Anna did such a good job and the whole team … it’s awesome,” Vollering said, battling the tears.
“I’m really grateful that they worked for me,” she continued. “I’m really grateful that they did it for me. It’s such an amazing team … thanks to the whole team.”
Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) finished fourth, van der Breggen fifth.
🚩 Bastogne – Liège 🏁
📏141 KM
7⃣x⛰
📈 2300 M D+⏰ : 8h35
📺 : 11h20#LBLwomen pic.twitter.com/tvquaVOGmZ— Liège-Bastogne-Liège (@LiegeBastogneL) April 25, 2021
The race had started with Trek-Segafredo missing key players Lizzie Deignan due to illness and Ruth Winder due to a COVID- contact.
Also read: Lizzie Deignan, Team DSM, Parkhotel Valkenburg out of women’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège
SD Worx forces the selection
SD Worx was active in bringing the race to life as the team worked to distance sprint threats such as Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma).
With the early break of two caught, Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx) hit out on the Col du Rosier only to be caught 10km later ahead of the Côte de la Redoute. SD Worx kept on the pressure through the Redoute, with Moolman Pasio splitting off the front of the bunch to spark a surge of counter moves and make the main selection of the race.
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FSJ) and Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo) bridged to Moolman Pasio at the summit of the Redoute and the trio went away for some 20km, danging just 20 seconds ahead of the lead group of around 30 riders. However, with Movistar, Jumbo-Visma and Canyon-SRAM all pulling in the bunch, the attack trio was caught inside the final 20km as the race rattled toward the final climb before Liège.
3️⃣ coureuses en tête :
3️⃣ riders in the lead:🇿🇦@ashleighcycling
🇳🇱@lucinda_brand
🇩🇰@CUttrupLudwig#LBLwomen pic.twitter.com/JhAvK3aWzU— Liège-Bastogne-Liège (@LiegeBastogneL) April 25, 2021
Final climb sees Vos, Uttrup Ludwig off the back
SD Worx didn’t take its foot off the accelerator over the final Roche aux Faucons climb, with van der Breggen and two teammates motoring hard on the front to split the front of the race down further.
Niewiadoma and then van Vleuten made separate surges through the climb in an effort to drop sprint-threat Vos. The Dutchwoman was able to recover from the first move, only to lose touch as the road kept climbing, with Uttrup Ludwig also dropped. Moolman Pasio sat on the pair’s wheels as they tried to chase after the front group, paving the way for Vollering and van der Breggen as they rode toward victory in Liège.
Results provided by ProCyclingStats.Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes Results
Stage Rank Name Team Time 1 VOLLERING Demi Team SD Worx 3:54:31 2 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek Movistar Team 0:00 3 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa Trek-Segafredo Women 0:00 4 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna Canyon//SRAM Racing 0:00 5 VAN DER BREGGEN Anna Team SD Worx 0:02 6 VOS Marianne Team Jumbo-Visma Women 1:27 7 MOOLMAN Ashleigh Team SD Worx 1:27 8 LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 1:27 9 BRAND Lucinda Trek-Segafredo Women 1:59 10 SPRATT Amanda Team BikeExchange 1:59 11 PALADIN Soraya Liv Racing 1:59 12 MARKUS Riejanne Team Jumbo-Visma Women 1:59 13 CHABBEY Elise Canyon//SRAM Racing 1:59 14 CAVALLI Marta FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 1:59 15 NOVOLODSKAIA Maria A.R. Monex Women's Pro Cycling Team 1:59 16 MAGNALDI Erica Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling 1:59 17 FISHER-BLACK Niamh Team SD Worx 1:59 18 SANTESTEBAN Ane Team BikeExchange 1:59 19 GARCÍA Mavi Alé BTC Ljubljana 1:59 20 THOMAS Leah Movistar Team 1:59 21 AALERUD Katrine Movistar Team 1:59 22 ENSING Janneke Team BikeExchange 2:07 23 MUZIC Évita FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 2:47 24 FAULKNER Kristen Team TIBCO - SVB 3:57 25 CHAPMAN Brodie FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 3:57 26 MALCOTTI Barbara Valcar - Travel & Service 3:57 27 WILES Tayler Trek-Segafredo Women 4:02 28 HENDERSON Anna Team Jumbo-Visma Women 4:02 29 VAN DEN BROEK-BLAAK Chantal Team SD Worx 4:02 30 MERINO Eider A.R. Monex Women's Pro Cycling Team 4:02 31 LACH Marta Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling 4:34 32 LOWDEN Joscelin Drops - Le Col s/b TEMPUR. 4:34 33 ZABELINSKAYA Olga Cogeas - Mettler Pro Cycling Team 4:34 34 LÉVÉNEZ Sandra Arkéa Pro Cycling Team 4:34 35 AMIALIUSIK Alena Canyon//SRAM Racing 4:37 36 DE JONG Thalita Bingoal Casino - Chevalmeire Cycling Team 5:13 37 SIERRA Arlenis A.R. Monex Women's Pro Cycling Team 5:13 38 KOSTER Anouska Team Jumbo-Visma Women 5:13 39 CROMWELL Tiffany Canyon//SRAM Racing 5:13 40 PIERGIOVANNI Federica Damiana Valcar - Travel & Service 5:13 41 BEEKHUIS Teuntje Team Jumbo-Visma Women 5:13 42 GUDERZO Tatiana Alé BTC Ljubljana 5:13 43 HARVEY Mikayla Canyon//SRAM Racing 5:13 44 KOPPENBURG Clara Rally Cycling Women 5:15 45 REUSSER Marlen Alé BTC Ljubljana 9:04 46 CHURSINA Anastasiia Alé BTC Ljubljana 9:04 47 MARTÍN Sara Movistar Team 9:04 48 VAN ANROOIJ Shirin Trek-Segafredo Women 9:04 49 NEWSOM Emily Team TIBCO - SVB 9:04 50 VIECELI Lara Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling 9:04 51 DEMEY Valerie Liv Racing 9:04 52 STULTIENS Sabrina Liv Racing 9:04 53 ALESSIO Camilla Bepink 9:04 54 KOREVAAR Jeanne Liv Racing 9:04 55 BARNES Hannah Canyon//SRAM Racing 9:04 56 SALAZAR Lizbeth Yareli A.R. Monex Women's Pro Cycling Team 14:58 57 MEERTENS Lone Lotto Soudal Ladies 14:58 58 LANG Mae Andy Schleck - CP NVST - Immo Losch 14:58 59 VAN DE VELDE Julie Team Jumbo-Visma Women 14:58 60 TOWERS Alice Drops - Le Col s/b TEMPUR. 14:58 61 KERBAOL Cédrine Arkéa Pro Cycling Team 14:58 62 KULYNYCH Olha Doltcini - Van Eyck - Proximus CT 14:58 63 NILSSON Hanna Lotto Soudal Ladies 14:58 64 PATUELLI Alessia Alé BTC Ljubljana 14:58 65 SCHIFF Carolin Andy Schleck - CP NVST - Immo Losch 14:58 66 DOEBEL-HICKOK Krista Rally Cycling Women 14:58 67 CHRISTIAN Anna Drops - Le Col s/b TEMPUR. 14:58 68 WILLIAMS Georgia Team BikeExchange 14:58 69 PATIÑO Paula Andrea Movistar Team 14:58 70 TENNIGLO Moniek Team BikeExchange 14:58 71 GASPARRINI Eleonora Camilla Valcar - Travel & Service 14:58 72 MAGRI Silvia Valcar - Travel & Service 14:58 73 JASKULSKA Marta Liv Racing 14:58 74 ARZUFFI Alice Maria Valcar - Travel & Service 14:58 75 ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena Liv Racing 14:58 76 CECCHINI Elena Team SD Worx 14:58 77 FOUQUENET Amandine Arkéa Pro Cycling Team 14:58 78 ALLIN Pauline Arkéa Pro Cycling Team 14:58 79 DUVAL Eugénie FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 15:03 80 STEIGENGA Nicole Doltcini - Van Eyck - Proximus CT 15:03 81 YONAMINE Eri Team TIBCO - SVB 15:03 82 CHRISTMAS Dani Drops - Le Col s/b TEMPUR. 15:07 83 AERNOUTS Amber Doltcini - Van Eyck - Proximus CT 15:07