Former winners Van der Breggen, Ferrand-Prevot and Stevens also on the start line
Image 1 of 6
Marianne Vos is back(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Megan Guarnier, Marianne Vos and Lotta Lepisto on the podium(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) winning the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Cor Vos)
Emma Johansson wins Stage 1 ahead of Carmen Small - Emakumeen Bira 2016 Stage 1(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
A wide armed victory celebration for Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Emma Johansson, Lizzie Armitstead and Pauline Ferrand Prevot - three champions.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
This year’s La Flèche Wallonne Féminine promises to be an exciting one with four previous winners on the line including Marianne Vos (Rabo Liv), who is at the start of her comeback season and has not yet participated in any of the events on the new Women’s WorldTour. Vos will line up alongside her teammates Anna van der Breggen and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, and Evelyn Stevens (Boels-Dolmans), all of whom have won on the Mur de Huy.
Vos is a five-time winner of La Flèche Wallonne Féminine (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013). Stevens won in 2012, Ferrand Prevot won in 2014 and van der Breggen will start as the defending champion having won it last year.
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine marks the sixth round of the Women's WorldTour held on April 20 in Belgium. World champion Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) is currently leading the rankings after the first five rounds.
Armitstead won the rounds at Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Cittiglio and the Tour of Flanders and currently has 368 points. She is leading her teammate Chantal Blaak, who won the round at Gent-Wevelgem and briefly held the ranking lead until Armtitstead reclaimed it at Flanders, who has 343. Emma Johansson (Wiggle High5) is sitting in third place with 285 points and Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) is in fourth with 240 points.
Armitstead will be on the start line of La Flèche Wallonne with her dominant Boels-Dolmans team, supported by Megan Guarnier and Stevens.
Orica – AIS will likely support Annemiek van Vleuten, who placed second last year. Wiggle High5 will support Emma Johansson, who has finished in the top 10 on all the WorldTour events to date and recently won stage 1 at Emakumeen Bira. Wiggle High5 will also field Elisa Longo Borghini, who placed second in 2013 and third in 2014.
This year's La Flèche Wallonne Féminine will host a 137km race on two circuits in Belgium. Both circuits will travel over sharp climbs; Cote d'Ereffe, Cote de Bellaire, Cote de Bohissau, Cote de Soliere and the Mur de Huy. However, on the last circuit, the peloton will also travel over the Cote de Cherave before the final trip up the Mur de Huy.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
25 women’s teams for La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
Orica – AIS Australian National Team Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team Lensworld-Zannata Lotto Soudal Ladies Topsport Vlaanderen – Etixx Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope 86 French National Team Canyon Sram Racing Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team Ale Cipollini Bepink Inpa – Bianchi Servetto Footon Astana Women's Team Boels Dolmans Cycling Team Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team Team Liv-Plantur Hitec Products Btc City Ljubljana Bizkaia – Durango Lointek Team Wiggle High5 Cylance Pro Cycling
Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
