SDWorx-Protime sports activities director Anna van der Breggen has confirmed that defending champion Demi Vollering might be their squad’s fundamental contender for Flèche Wallonne and that teammate and World Champion Lotte Kopecky will make her debut in Wednesday’s mid-week Classic as a assist rider.
A seven-times winner and file holder within the Flèche Wallonne herself, Van der Breggen identified in a press launch Tuesday that Vollering “is all the time good within the Flèche Wallonne and is our solely main woman on this Classic.”
“She is surrounded by a powerful group that may experience full in assist. Blanka Vas, Elena Cecchini and Femke Gerritse are there to take a seat in on any breakaways so Demi can save her power as a lot as attainable till the Mur.”
“We are additionally curious to see how Niamh Fisher-Black will fare. This is a climb that ought to go well with her as nicely.”
Like the boys’s race, the ultimate circuits of the 146-kilometre Flèche Wallonne Femmes have had the Cote de Cherave, which precedes the Mur de Huy, faraway from the course this yr—one thing about which Van der Breggen has very combined emotions.
“I actually remorse that, as a result of that climb made the finale doubly fascinating,” she argued within the press launch.
“[With the Cherave] in the event you did not wish to wait till the Wall [Huy], there have been choices there to make the distinction. Now you have got a descent on a large highway in direction of the foot of the Mur de Huy. So it’s much more seemingly that the pure climbers will come to the highest and that an elite group on the Mur will decide who wins or loses.”
Amongst her a number of triumphs, Van der Breggen recalled, there was a victory the place she broke away with two different riders previous to the Mur. But that possibility is far much less more likely to succeed with solely the Cote d’Ereffe – a very good 17 kilometres earlier than the foot of the Mur – previous it on every of the 2 ascents.
“The ultimate climb [Mur de Huy] makes the Flèche Wallonne totally different. The Mur de Huy is such a particular climb. Depending on what kind of rider you’re, you experience up it with a unique method,” Van der Breggen stated.
“If your type just isn’t at the perfect for tackling the hills,” she added, “You can attempt to bluff on the Mur, however you run the danger of coming to a standstill on the steepest half. If you are not among the many best possible climbers, it’s a must to attempt to get away earlier than the Mur to have an opportunity of successful.”
Van der Breggen felt that the climb being so quick made it exhausting even for the mountain specialists, as ‘regular’ ascents final for much longer and provide the selection of various methods. On the Mur de Huy, however, every thing occurs within the area of just some minutes.
“The Flèche Wallonne is totally different in comparison with the opposite Ardennes Classics. In the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, fatigue piles up. In the Flèche Wallonne you have got fairly a tame begin, particularly this yr with the modifications. Only within the finale does it explode, and most riders are nonetheless pretty contemporary.”
She stated that whereas SDWorx might be placing every thing behind Vollering, by way of favourites, different contenders to look at on Wednesday might nicely embody Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram) and Lidl-Trek teammates Elisa Longo-Borghini and Gaia Realini.
