HUY, Belgium (April 24, 2025) — In the sharp spring sunlight of the Belgian Ardennes, Puck Pieterse stood at the summit of the Mur de Huy, breathing hard but radiant, her face etched with equal parts disbelief and determination. With a devastatingly timed attack just 125 meters from the line, the 22-year-old Dutch rider from Fenix-Deceuninck claimed a spectacular victory in her first appearance at La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, shattering expectations in the 28th edition of the iconic race.
“This climb—it’s everything,” Pieterse said at the finish, still flushed from her effort. “I knew I just had to wait. The moment had to be perfect.”
Perfect, it was. In the final meters of the race’s brutal crescendo—1.3 kilometers at a merciless 9.6% average gradient—the mountain biker-turned-road phenom unleashed an acceleration so explosive that it left one of the peloton’s most seasoned climbers, Demi Vollering (FDJ–SUEZ), grasping for answers as she crossed the line two seconds adrift. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) finished third, rounding out a podium defined as much by guile as it was by grit.
A Race Defined by Absences and Opportunity
SD Worx-Protime, usually a dominant force in the Ardennes classics, entered the day on the back foot. Seven-time Flèche champion Anna van der Breggen, who was originally slated for a dramatic return to racing, was ruled out due to lingering illness after abandoning the Amstel Gold Race. Her absence was confirmed following a last-minute medical evaluation Wednesday morning.
“She just wasn’t ready,” an SD Worx team official told reporters. “It wouldn’t have been fair to her or the race.”
Without their talismanic leader, SD Worx appeared disoriented. Meanwhile, teams like Fenix-Deceuninck and FDJ–SUEZ seized the vacuum.
Early Moves and Mid-Race Mayhem
Though the Mur would ultimately decide the outcome, the race was far from processional. After a tentative opening over the Côte de Bohissau, a breakaway quartet formed, including Célia Le Mouel (Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team), Marieke Meert (Volkerwessels), Julie Van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal), and Monica Greenwood (Team Coop-Repsol). They were soon joined by eight others, forming a sizeable but short-lived escape group.
By the 47-kilometer mark, the peloton, wary of letting anything go too early, reeled them back in. Anne Knijnenburg (Volkerwessels) briefly lit up the Côte d’Ereffe with a solo attempt, but the day’s most compelling move came from French national champion Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly). Launching her offensive on the same climb, Kerbaol bridged to Knijnenburg, then distanced her to mount a daring solo adventure that would stretch nearly 50 kilometers.
On the first ascent of the Mur, Kerbaol still held a 40-second advantage over the peloton and a stubborn 20 seconds over Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility), who tried and failed to bridge. It was a brave ride, but the inevitable happened. On the second climb of Côte de Cherave, just under 7 kilometers from the finish, the peloton swallowed her whole.
The Mur Decides
As the race funneled toward its inevitable climax, the peloton was whittled down to just 30 riders. The reintroduction of the Côte de Cherave—absent in 2024 due to roadworks—added a jagged edge to the final act.
From there, all eyes turned to the Mur.
Pieterse, riding with icy calm, locked onto the wheel of Vollering, who had been expertly delivered to the foot of the climb by Juliette Labous.
“Juliette did a very strong job,” Vollering said after the finish. “It’s nicer to suffer in the wheel of a teammate. I just didn’t have that final kick. Puck was incredible today.”
Indeed, it was the kind of calculated, devastating move rarely seen from a first-timer on such hallowed ground. Pieterse bided her time, waiting through the steepest sections until launching inside the final 150 meters.
“I think halfway through the Mur, I was like, ‘they should be hurting a lot,’” Pieterse explained. “But I still felt quite good actually. After the attack, I didn’t look back.”
She didn’t need to.
A Podium of Champions
Behind Pieterse, Vollering offered no excuses.
“It wasn’t about tactics in the end,” she said. “It was about who had the legs in those final meters.”
Elisa Longo Borghini, third on the day, was content—and quietly ambitious ahead of Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.
“I felt good, especially thanks to my teammates who positioned me well,” the Italian said. “I pushed hard with 100 meters to go. I arrived here as an outsider, and I’ll be again for Liège. But I’m fresh, physically and mentally. I hope it comes down to La Redoute. That’s where I can make a difference.”
A New Star in the Ardennes
For Pieterse, this victory felt less like a breakout and more like a coronation. Already known for her prowess in cyclocross and mountain biking, the Dutchwoman has now stamped her mark on one of the most iconic climbs in professional cycling.
In a race shaped by patience and poise, her ability to deliver under pressure may signal the rise of a new Ardennes star.
“She’s the real deal,” one rival quietly admitted near the team buses.
With Liège on the horizon, the peloton may have just glimpsed the future of women’s classics racing—one fierce, fearless ride at a time.
