EUROTRASH: Don’t Sleep on Midweek Cycling Races: Flèche Wallonne Recap & Liège Preview

The recent Flèche Wallonne Femmes saw Kasia Niewiadoma of Canyon//SRAM Racing secure a dominant victory, attacking on the Mur de Huy to claim her first-ever win at the iconic Ardennes Classic. Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) rounded out the podium, with Vollering unable to repeat her 2023 triumph. This result marks a significant shift in the spring classics narrative, particularly concerning the established pecking order.

This win is monumental for Niewiadoma, ending a five-year drought since her last major victory at the 2019 Amstel Gold Race. Her consistent top-five finishes at the Ardennes, including multiple podiums at Flèche, have always marked her as a contender, but a win had eluded her. For Vollering, it signals that her imperious form of last season is not a given, opening the door for rivals ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and highlighting the unpredictable nature of these mid-week tests.

Niewiadoma's long-awaited victory on the Mur de Huy proves that persistence, and perhaps a touch of audacity, still pays dividends in an era often dominated by predictable powerhouses.