Defending champion in the women's race Puck Pieterse (Fenix Deceuninck) returns to southern Belgium this week, but Tadej Pogačar does not. Instead deciding to focus on winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège for a fourth time. The second of three Ardennes Classics, La Flèche Wallonne and La Flèche Wallonne Féminine will take place on Wednesday April 22, 2026, sandwiched inbetween Amstel Gold Race and Liège.
Flèche Wallonne is the shortest of the three races and often comes down to a sprint up the final section of the Mur de Huy. This translates as the Wall of Huy in English, and is one of the steepest climbs used in a European UCI event. As such the race suits a specific type of rider, and it's not uncommon to see that rider win year after year through the prime of their career.
Anna van der Breggen did this in the women's race, winning it seven times between 2014 and 2021 while Alejandro Valverde and Julian Alaphilippe have both won on multiple occasions. Neither is it uncommon for one rider to win all three Ardennes Classics in a week, as Demi Vollering did in 2023
>> How to watch La Fleche Wallonne races on TV
Date |
22 April 2025 |
|
Total distance |
200km (men), 148.3km (women) |
|
Start location |
Herstal (men), Huy (women) |
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Finish location |
Huy, Mur de Huy |
|
UCI Ranking |
UCI WorldTour, UCI Women's WorldTour |
|
2025 winners |
Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates XRG (men) / Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck (women) |
|
TV Coverage (UK) |
TNT Discovery+ |
|
TV Coverage (US) |
Peacock |
La Flèche Wallonne 2026 route
The route of Flèche Wallonne has changed little in modern times, as both races are decided on the final climb of the Mur de Huy. It is no surprise to see that continue into 2026. the 1.2 kilometre climb has an average gradient of 10.3% but gets steeper towards the top, hitting 18.8% at it's steepest before levelling off in the final hundred metres.
The men's race tackles it three times in the second half of the race while the women's race climbs it twice in the final third. On each occasion the peloton hit the bottom of the climb straight off the descent of the Côte de Cherave.
The severity of the Mur de Huy is so great that the climb all but nullifies the action until the final few minutes of the race. While breaks will go up the road, the favourites know the best way to win Flèche is to wait until the final minute to launch their attack. It's a tried and tested method that has worked for years.
La Flèche Wallonne: Riders to watch
While the men's race lacks a little star quality, with last year's winner Tadej Pogačar staying away, and many other Grand Tour favourites deciding not to ride, the women's race is stacked with all the major names, save Lotte Kopecky. Here's our list of riders to watch in both races.
Demi Vollering: Rarely off the podium in 2026 and in a team that has taken over the number one spot from SD Worx Protime, the Dutchwoman will start as favourite. As she does for most races. One of the best climbers in the peloton, she'll need to distance the slightly faster finishers before the final 100 metres of the race.
Mattais Skjelmose: Second at Amstel Gold to Remco Evenepoel at the weekend, the Dane will lead LIdl - Trek. Second in 2023 when he had an excellent Ardennes campaign, he's failed to finish for the past two years.
Puck Pieterse: The young Dutchwoman surprised many last year, not by winning, but by winning with such a clear margin. She backed up last year's win with a second place at Liege just a few days later and after placing sixth at Strade Bianche and third at Flanders, it'll be a surprise if she's not on the podium.
Paul Seixas: The new French hope could bag his first spring classic this year if form is anything to go by. First and second on GC in the two stage races he's ridden this year along with four stage wins, he was second to Pogačar at Strade after winning Faun-Ardèche Classic. If he wins, his star will continue to rise rapidly across France.
Kasia Niewiadoma: If there's an hill in a race finale, the Polish champ will be in the mix. Following a horror crash in Milan - San Remo, Niewiadoma came back with an impressive second place at Amstel Gold. Outsprinting Vollering as the pair chased down winner Paula Blasi.
Benoit Cosnefroy: With his boss not taking part, this is the Frenchman's chance. Third at Amstel Gold, winning the sprint behind Evenepole and Skjelmose shows he's in form while his second and fourth place in previous editions is proof he knows how to approach the Mur when it matters.
La Flèche Wallonne previous winners
2025: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE-Team Emirates XRG
2024: Stevie Williams (GBr) Israel-Premier Tech
2023: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE-Team Emirates
2022: Dylan Teuns (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
2021: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck - Quick-Step
2020: Marc Hirschi (Sui) Team Sunweb
2019: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck–Quick-Step
2018: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors
2017: Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team
2016: Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team
2015: Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team
2014: Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team
2013: Daniel Moreno (Esp) Team Katusha
2012: Joaquim Rodríguez (Esp) Team Katusha
2011: Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma–Lotto
2010: Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine previous winners
2025: Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck
2024: Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM
2023: Demi Vollering (Ned) Team SD Worx
2022: Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ-Suez Futuroscope
2021: Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Team SD Worx
2020: Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels-Dolmans
2019: Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels-Dolmans
2018: Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels-Dolmans
2017: Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels-Dolmans
2016: Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Rabobank-Liv
2015: Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Rabobank-Liv
2014: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Fra) Rabobank-Liv
2013: Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Women Cycling Team
2012: Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-Lululemon
2011: Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2010: Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
