Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2018: The Route

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Sunday, 24 April 2018 - At 135.5 kilometres, the route of the women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège takes in four hills. The Saint-Nicolas is crested with 5.5 kilometres left, while the last 1.5 kilometre to the line go up at 5%.

The race sets off in Bastogne. The route through the Ardennes is all but flat, yet it takes awhile for the first official climb to appear. At kilometre 82.5 the Côte de la Vecquée is crested, a 6.7 kilometres climb with an average gradient of 4.9%.

The Côte de La Redoute looms after almost 100 kilometres in the saddle. The iconic Ardennes climb is 2 kilometres and averaging 8.9%, while the steepest ramps are 13%. A short drop and equally short climb lead to Sprimont before a longer descent ushers in the finale.

First the short and sharp Côte de la Roche aux Faucons, which is a 1.3 kilometres toil at 11%, and then it’s on to the energy sapping Côte de Saint-Nicolas. The last official climb amounts to 1.1 kilometre at 8.6% with the steepest section of 10.9% in the first 500 metres. At the top there are only 5.5 kilometres left, the first 3 kilometres in descent and the last 1.5 kilometres go up at a nasty 5%.

Last year, Anna van der Breggen took off at the foot of the Saint-Nicolas. She left her fellow-escapees Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Elizabeth Deignan, Elisa Longo Borghini and Ashleigh Moolman to solo to victory.