Mauritian Rider Surges Past Favorites in Dramatic Finale; Triumph of Grit, Tactics, and Belief
LIÈGE, Belgium (April 27, 2025) — On the broad, sweeping finish of the Quai des Ardennes, amidst the spring sunlight and the roars of a passionate crowd, Kim Le Court pulled off the most stunning victory of her career — and one of the most heartwarming moments of the cycling season.
The 29-year-old rider from Mauritius, competing for AG Insurance–Soudal Team, captured the ninth edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes on Sunday afternoon, outsprinting an elite group of rivals to claim her first-ever Monument victory. Overcome with emotion, tears streamed down Le Court’s face as she crossed the line ahead of Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Demi Vollering (FDJ–Suez), with Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) a close fourth. Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx–Protime) won the sprint from a chasing group for fifth, 24 seconds behind the leaders.
“I can’t believe it. It’s crazy,” Le Court said, still gasping for breath moments after the finish. “I suffered a bit today with my breathing. I couldn’t breathe, I was dropped back several times, but I never gave up.”
A Race of Endurance and Resilience
The 147-kilometer race, which began on the outskirts of Bastogne, saw 137 starters after three late withdrawals — including former world champion Chloé Dygert. Early on, an unfortunate crash took out UAE Team ADQ’s Silvia Persico, while Liane Lippert of Movistar Team was able to remount and rejoin the peloton.
Tactically, the race was animated by an aggressive start. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) was the first to crest the Côte de Saint-Roch, but it wasn’t until the 45-minute mark that a breakaway of eight riders — including Victorie Guilman (Cofidis) and Tiril Jorgensen (Coop-Repsol) — finally established a rhythm ahead of the main field. At one point, their lead stretched to nearly four minutes.
However, the peloton, helmed by Vollering’s FDJ-Suez squad, always kept the leaders on a short leash. As the climbs intensified — Côte de Wanne, Côte de Stockeu, Côte de Haute-Levée — the breakaway steadily unraveled.
Segolene Thomas (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93) briefly surged ahead over the Col du Rosier, but it was Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) who launched the most daring solo attack as the race entered its final third. For a moment, it seemed Squiban might create a decisive gap, but she was reeled in on the legendary Côte de la Redoute — a climb that would crack several contenders, including former champion Elisa Longo Borghini.
Tactical Battles on the Final Climbs
As La Redoute shattered the peloton into fragments, Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) seized the moment, launching a daring counterattack joined by Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx–Protime), Cedrine Kerbaol, and Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto).
Their effort, however, was short-lived. Evita Muzic and Juliette Labous, towing the remnants of the favorites group, clawed them back just before the fearsome Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons.
It was on that punishing 1.3 km climb at 11% gradient that Puck Pieterse made her move — a searing acceleration that only Vollering, Kopecky, and Kerbaol could match. Le Court, struggling with breathing issues, was momentarily distanced, but showed extraordinary resilience to claw her way back into contention.
“At the end, I saw that I had the legs in La Roche-aux-Faucons,” Le Court recalled. “I really settled into my rhythm. I told myself not to push too hard at the beginning and to save a little for the end.”
Kerbaol launched a bold solo attack with 12 kilometers remaining, creating a three-kilometer solo adventure that briefly looked promising. But the trio of Pieterse, Vollering, and Le Court worked together methodically to close the gap with nine kilometers to go, setting up an electric sprint finish.
A Perfect Sprint
As the four survivors raced onto the Quai des Ardennes, the tension was palpable. Le Court, receiving final instructions from her sports director Jolien D’Hoore over the radio, knew exactly what she had to do.
“My DS Jolien told me to start the sprint on Demi’s wheel if we arrived in a group with her, and that’s what I did,” Le Court said. “I cramped too when I started sprinting but I never gave up.”
Timing her acceleration to perfection, Le Court surged past Vollering and Pieterse in the final meters, winning by half a bike length. Pieterse, reflecting on her second-place finish, was nevertheless upbeat.
“It was a nice race and I’m happy to finish off the Spring season like this,” Pieterse said. “I was still there in the final as one of the strongest. It’s super cool that we have some races on the road that have exactly those kind of climbs. It’s been a good Spring, and I’m happy I could end it like this with three podiums in a week!”
For Le Court, the victory was about far more than just strength — it was about perseverance, belief, and teamwork.
“My sports director and all my teammates gave me so much motivation every time I came back,” she said. “Julie van de Velde’s effort to get me back in the peloton played a big role. It’s proof that you should never give up.”
On the biggest day of her career, Kim Le Court refused to — and in doing so, she carved her name into cycling history.
