14.04.2026 World-Tour, News, Race news

FROM COBBLES TO CLIMBS: FRESH LEGS FOR THE ARDENNES CLASSICS

With the conclusion of the punchy, cobble-laden Flemish classics, the season now shifts into another exciting phase – the hillier, more measured Ardennes classics. This switch in terrain brings a changing of the guard, with a more climbing-oriented squad ready to take over from the cobbled specialists.

Neve Bradbury, Justyna Czapla, Antonia Niedermaier, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Soraya Paladin and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig are set to race in all three events – Amstel Gold Race (April 19), La Flèche Wallonne Femmes (April 22), and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (April 26).

While often grouped together and viewed similarly in prestige, each event carries its own distinct character. When asked if she has a favourite, Kasia instead points to the only one missing from her palmares.

“Honestly, I love all of them equally. If you were to ask me which one I would want to win the most, I think I would say Liege just because I’ve never won it before so to complete all three Ardennes would be something special. But yeah, all three hold a special place in my heart – I really like this type of racing and they’re all super fun.”

First on the list, Amstel Gold Race is the only women’s WorldTour one-day race in the bike-mad nation of the Netherlands. Winding from Maastricht to Valkenburg before four laps of a dynamic finishing circuit, the 158km course is bursting with climbs, but none overly long or severe, encouraging open and unpredictable racing. It acts as something of a bridge between the Flemish and latter two Ardennes classics – both terrain-wise and geographically – because it doesn’t actually sit in the Ardennes region. The punchy Cauberg (0.5km at 9.4%), cresting just 2km from the finish, is the race’s trademark feature, and it was here that Kasia kicked clear to win in 2019.

La Flèche Wallonne is far more formulaic. Starting and finishing in Huy on the banks of the river Meuse – a natural divide between the rolling landscapes of Wallonia and the more rugged Ardennes – the 140.5km route quickly heads into the hills for a demanding opening phase. The familiar finishing circuit is reached at kilometre 90, where unabating climbs animate the racing and thin the peloton. As ever, the decisive action is likely to come on the agonising final ascent of the Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.8%), a gruelling test where only the strongest climbers prevail. Kasia conquered it in 2024 with a mesmerising ride up its punishing slopes.

Last but not least is Liège-Bastogne-Liège – arguably the most honest and relentless of the Ardennes races. The point-to-point 158km course traverses spectacular but arduous terrain through the heart of the Ardennes, and only the strongest riders will fly down into Liège with success in sight. From 65km onwards, the course mirrors last year’s edition, while a new 3.8km climb (7.3%) at kilometre 29 could spark moves – attacks in this race are known to go a long way.

The peloton will once again face old friends… or foes. The Côte de la Redoute (1.5km at 9.2%) with 35km to go is often the springboard for decisive attacks, while others seek freedom, or come unstuck, on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.2km at 10.7%), the final climb before a fast 10km run-in to Liège.

It remains the only race of the Ardennes trio that Kasia is yet to win, meaning it’s certainly on her radar.

“I definitely see it [winning] as a possibility, but everything has to go well. Of course, there are some really strong teams that we saw racing well this year. So, sometimes I feel like the hard part is just like racing against those bigger teams. But, sometimes you just need a little bit of luck on your end and then things play out in the right way. I always think about Annemiek [van Vleuten] in such cases because very often, she was able to create the race that she wanted, making others suffer and going onto win. So, I’m striving to have this confidence and also those possibilities.”

She remains upbeat about her chances for all Ardennes races, despite a disrupted build-up following her crash at Sanremo Women, exactly one month before Amstel Gold Race.

“The crash in San Remo definitely wasn’t ideal. Also, I did not know how long would it take me to feel 100% healthy and good for proper training on the bike. But, I was taking every day as a step forward. The last three weeks required a lot of physio, osteo and just extra work in general, to make sure that after each training, I would put my body back to where it should be. That’s the dark side of crashing – it happens and then there is something lingering with you for weeks. Luckily, I can train properly and do my work; the only change is that I need to invest a lot of time after riding because it’s now easier to incur additional injuries. But, I’m happy with where I’m at. I wish I didn’t have the crash of course, but I’m optimistic for the Ardennes classics.”

While the WorldTeam tackles Amstel Gold Race on April 19, CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto Generation will be in action at the Grand Prix Féminin de Chambéry in France, setting up an exciting double day of racing. The team is Erja Bianchi, Valentina Corvi, Emily Dixon, Jule Märkl, Joëlle Messemer, Tsige Kahsay Kiros and Awen Roberts.

The race, set on the edge of formidable French alpine terrain, is notoriously demanding. Packing over 2000m of elevation into just 120km, the narrow, winding roads are full of opportunities to spark action, as well as technical challenges. The 2026 edition brings a complete course change… by simply reversing the direction. Clockwise or not, the terrain remains just as unforgiving, consistently splintering the peloton, with riders often trickling to the finish in dribs and drabs.

HOW TO FOLLOW

The three Ardennes classics will be shown on TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO Max, Sporza, Flobikes, SBS Sport and other regional providers. Follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto social channels for team updates on all races.

Overview