There are certainly no shortage of candidates to climb the throne of the 28th edition of La Fleche Wallone Femmes: just think that at the start there will be the last four winners, namely Kasia Niewiadoma (2024), Demi Vollering (2023), Marta Cavalli (2022) and... Anna van der Breggen, who returns to compete in a race she won seven times in a row.

After three seasons away from the group (but not from cycling, as she was working as a sports director for SD Worx-Protime), the 35-year-old Dutch rider has returned to racing this year and has shown she hasn't lost her climbing class, being the only one to keep up with Demi Vollering at Strade Bianche.

Speaking of Vollering, at the Arrow she can count on the support of Évita Muzic (fourth last year and fifth in 2023) and Juliette Labous (sixth in 2021), while Anna van der Breggen will have Lotte Kopecky by her side. The three-time Tour of Flanders winner and two-time world champion only raced this event last year, finishing fourteenth, but since then has continued to improve uphill and wants to become the second Belgian cyclist to reach the podium, after Cindy Pieters who was third 26 years ago.

The starting list looks extremely high-level with the top six riders from the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift general classification: Kasia Niewiadoma, Demi Vollering, Pauliena Rooijakkers, Évita Muzic, Gaia Realini and Cédrine Kerbaol. Niewiadoma, last year's winner, is recovering (fourth at the Tour of Flanders) and can count on a solid team highlighted by Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig.

But we cannot forget Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) or Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance–Soudal): twelve years after sharing their first podium, with the Italian in second place and the South African in third, they want to be protagonists again. Moolman Pasio has entered the top 6 eleven times in fourteen participations, while Longo Borghini has conquered four podiums: last year they were fifth and third respectively.
Also to follow are Gaia Realini (Lidl–Trek, third in 2023), Liane Lippert (Movistar, second in 2023) and all the athletes who want to leave their mark on the Wall of Huy.

The main protagonists
Liv-Al-'Ula-Jayco: Silke Smulders (NED), Monica Trinca Colonel (ITA)
AG Insurance–Soudal: Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), Kim Le Court de Billot (MRI)
DD Group Pro Cycling Team: Chloe Desmet (BEL)
Fenix–Deceuninck: Puck Pieterse, Pauliena Rooijakkers, Yara Kastelijn (NED)
Lotto Ladies: Maureen Arens (NED)
Arkéa–B&B Hotels Woman: Valentina Cavallar (AUT),  Lotte Claes (BEL)
FDJ–Suez: Demi Vollering (NED), Elise Chabbey (SUI), Juliette Labous, Évita Muzic (FRA)
Cofidis Women Team: Nikola Nosková (CZE), Julie Bego (FRA)
St. Michel–Preference Home–Auber93: Lucie Fityus (AUS)
Winspace Orange Seal: Karolina Perekitko (POL)
CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto: Kasia Niewiadoma (POL), Neve Bradbury (AUS), Antonia Niedermaier (GER), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (DEN)
Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team: Dilyxine Miermont (FRA), Sandra Alonso (ESP)
Team SD Worx–Protime: Lotte Kopecky (BEL), Anna van der Breggen, Femke Gerritse (NED)
Team Picnic PostNL: Marta Cavalli (ITA), Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR), Eleonora Ciabocco (ITA)
Team Visma–Lease a Bike: Marion Bunel (FRA), Rosita Reijnhout (NED), Viktória Chladoňová (SVK)
VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team: Bodine Vollering Eline Jansen, Anne Knijnenburg (NED)
Team Coop–Repsol: India Grangier (FRA)
Uno-X Mobility: Mie Bjørndal Ottestad, Katrine Aalerud (NOR)
Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi: Ane Santesteban, Usoa Ostolaza (ESP)
Movistar Team: Liane Luppert (GER), Cat Ferguson (GBR), Marlen Reusser (SUI)
Roland: Morgane Coston (FRA)
UAE Team ADQ: Elisa Longo Borghini, Erica Magnaldi (ITA), Dominika Włodarczyk (POL), Maëva Squiban (FRA)
EF Education–Oatly: Noemi Ruegg (SUI), Cédrine Kerbaol (FRA), Veronica Ewers (USA)
Lidl–Trek: Niamh Fisher-Black (NZL), Riejanne Markus, Shirin van Anrooij (NED), Elizabeth Deignan (GBR), Gaia Realini (ITA), Amanda Spratt (AUS)