Monument status meets the last chance to settle the spring classics hierarchy, where climbers face a long day of attrition and the finale rewards those who can still accelerate
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes is the women's Monument that closes the Ardennes classics each April in Belgium. First run in 2017, it tests endurance and tactical sharpness across a route defined by repeated short climbs and accumulating fatigue rather than a single defining ascent.
First run in 2017, making it the youngest Monument by more than a century.
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This race carries the weight of Monument prestige and the pressure of being the final word on the spring classics season. It favors climbers who can manage fatigue across a long day rather than those who rely on one explosive moment. The winner typically emerges from a late selection formed in the final 20 kilometers, often settling questions left open by Amstel and Flèche. Demi Vollering, Annemiek van Vleuten, and Elisa Longo Borghini have all claimed the title, and the race consistently produces a clear hierarchy among the best Ardennes specialists.
The women's route builds its finale around the Côte de la Redoute and the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. Because the race is much shorter than the men's Doyenne, the pace is often higher from the start and the decisive section arrives faster. Tactical moves frequently begin on the Redoute, where teams try to isolate the favorites before the final technical climbs near Liège. The winner usually comes from an elite group rather than a long solo breakaway, which keeps the final 15 kilometers tense and selective.
Over 10 categorized climbs through wooded hills. None is long, but they are steep, frequent, and relentless.
The classic selection point with 35km to go. Survivors face the Roche-aux-Faucons before the finish.
The final decisive climb before the descent to Liege. Its position with 15km to go makes it the last chance for a winning move.
The women race covers a significant portion of the men route, testing endurance through repeated Ardennes climbs over a demanding distance.
Most recent winner: Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (2025)
Kimberley Le Court Pienaar from Mauritius won the race from a late breakaway, delivering one of the most unexpected results in Monument history.
Demi Vollering attacked on the Roche-aux-Faucons and won alone, confirming her status as the strongest stage racer in the women peloton.
Elizabeth Deignan won a tactical two-up sprint against Lucinda Brand, showing that La Doyenne rewards composure as much as climbing strength.
Two victories (2019, 2022) in the oldest Monument. Van Vleuten treated the Ardennes climbs as her personal terrain.
Two wins (2021, 2023) established Vollering as the most consistent Ardennes performer in the women peloton.
Won LBL Femmes twice, adding it to her unmatched collection of Ardennes classics victories.
Her 2025 victory from a breakaway was the first Monument win for Mauritius and one of the most surprising results in modern classics history.
The same Ardennes climbs that decide the men Monument shape the women race with equal severity.
The classic race-breaker. A 2km climb at 8.9% where the serious attacks begin.
The final decisive climb. Its position with 15km to go makes it the last launchpad.
The Walloon city that gives the race its name. The finish in Liege connects the women race to over a century of Monument history.
