Mona Mitterwallner scored her best Women’s WorldTour result, finishing in 12th place atop the brutal slopes of the Mur de Huy at La Flèche Wallonne in Belgium.
Under brilliant blue skies, the Austrian climber could count on a strong team showing to stay in contention over a total elevation gain of 2,200 meters on the 148 km route.
“I’m super happy with how we raced as a team today,” Mitterwallner said afterwards. “It’s my second road race of the year, and it’s one of the hardest. I’m just super proud of the whole team effort today.”
Puncheur Titia Ryo was instrumental in helping the 24-year-old remain in a reduced group of 20 that reached the foot of the final ascent.
“It’s good weather and good legs for my team,” Ryo beamed at the finish. “It’s a good job, I’m happy.”
Relentless accelerations on the Côte d’Ereffe and Côte de Cherave on the final circuit cut the group once more. Demi Vollering (FDJ United – SUEZ) then pounced with a decisive long-range attack on the Mur de Huy, holding off a late surge from Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), with the original twenty wrestling their bikes up the final pitches behind.
“I really wanted to get a top ten, to be honest,” said Mitterwallner. “There was an unfortunate moment on the penultimate climb, so I had to make a mega effort to get back to the first group. Then I closed the gap and was like, ‘Oh, one more climb to go,’ and I really hoped to have the legs, but I exploded over the last 200 meters.”
The team is back in action at the most historic of the Ardennes Classics on April 26, La Doyenne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
La Flèche Wallonne Femmes results
1 VOLLERING Demi – FDJ United – SUEZ 3:53:27
2 PIETERSE PUCK – Fenix-Premier Tech 0:00
3 BLASI Paula – UAE Team ADQ 0:03
4 NIEWIADOMA Kasia – CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto 0:06
5 VAN DER BREGGEN Anna – Team SD Worx – Protime 0:11
6 VALLIERES Magdeleine – EF Education-Oatly 0:14
7 FERRAND-PRÉVOT Pauline – Team Visma | Lease a Bike 0:28
8 FISHER-BLACK Niamh – Lidl – Trek 0:34
9 HOLMGREN Isabella – Lidl – Trek 0:40
10 VINKE Nienke – Team SD Worx – Protime ”
12 MITTERWALLNER Mona – Human Powered Health 0:49
Race gallery
Photos: GettySport and Oskar Scarsbrook
