La Flèche Wallonne Femmes
Belgian one-day road cycling race
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La Flèche Wallonne Femmes is a professional women's bicycle road race held each year in Wallonia, Belgium, in April. It is part of the UCI Women's World Tour, cycling's season-long competition of top-tier races, in which it is the second-oldest single-day event after the Trofeo Alfredo Binda in Italy.[1] The event is raced on the same day as La Flèche Wallonne for men.
| |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Mid April |
| Region | Wallonia, Belgium |
| English name | The Walloon Arrow for Women |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup (1999–2015) UCI Women's World Tour (2016–present) |
| Type | One-day race |
| Organiser | Amaury Sport Organisation |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 1998 |
| Editions | 29 (as of 2026) |
| First winner |  Fabiana Luperini (ITA) |
| Most wins |  Anna van der Breggen (NED) (7) |
| Most recent | Demi Vollering (NED) |
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine was inaugurated by Tour de France organizers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) in 1998 and quickly became a road race classic. From 1999 onwards, the women's Flèche Wallonne was a UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup event. In 2016, the race became part of the new UCI Women's World Tour.[1] In the late 2010s, the race was rebranded as La Flèche Wallonne Femmes – making it consistent with other women's events run by ASO.
Riders from the Netherlands have dominated the event, winning 15 of the 29 editions held. Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen holds the record for the most wins, with 7 wins in succession from 2015 to 2021.[2]
Route
The race is held in conjunction with the men's race, on much of the same roads but at a shorter distance.[3] The race starts in Huy, taking in a circuit with short and steep climbs, before a finish at the top of the steep Mur de Huy climb.[3] Between 1998 and 2009, the route was under 100 km (62 mi) in length. From 2010 onwards, the length of the race has increased substantially – around 120 km (75 mi) to 140 km (87 mi) in length, with multiple ascents of the Mur de Huy climb.[3] The 2026 edition of the race was the longest yet, a distance of 148.2 kilometres (92.1 mi) with two ascents of the Mur de Huy.[4]
Mur de Huy
The race finishes at the top of the steep Mur de Huy climb. Measuring 1.3 km (0.81 mi) in length with an average grade of 9.3% and some sections around 17% (up to 26% in one bend), the climb usually decides the winner of the race.[3] Since 2010, the Mur de Huy has been tackled multiple times, with the 2022 and 2023 editions tackling the climb three times.[5][6]
Winners
Multiple winners
| Wins | Rider | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Anna van der Breggen (NED) | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| 5 | Marianne Vos (NED) | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 |
| 3 | Fabiana Luperini (ITA) | 1998, 2001, 2002 |
 Nicole Cooke (GBR) | 2003, 2005, 2006 | |
| 2 | Demi Vollering (NED) | 2023, 2026 |
Wins per country
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 15 | Netherlands |
| 4 |  United Kingdom, Italy |
| 2 |  France |
| 1 |  Canada,  Germany,  Poland,  United States |