Although slightly below the record distance of last year's race (140.7 kilometers compared to 146), the Freccia Vallone Femmes course increases in difficulty with the return of the Côte de Cherave (1.3 km at 8.1%), which was removed last year due to road works. This allows the reformation of the formidable triumvirate, together with the Côte d'Ereffe (2.1 km at 5%) and the Mur de Huy (1.3 km at 9.6%), which will all be tackled a second time during the final 37.2 km loop. "Having this difficulty so close to the Mur will have a significant impact," says race director Gilles Maignan. "Last year there was a long, flat section after Ereffe, now we have Cherave, which is not an easy climb. The weather will also make things more difficult. Rain is forecast with wind (from the west) that will generally be against the riders. They will have to fight until the end to stay at the front, it will be exhausting." The final climb of Cherave, whose summit is 5.7 km from the finish, could favor outsiders determined to create a different scenario from a straight final climb. "This is particularly true because the descent of Cherave, while not really complicated, is quite fast with two curves at the bottom," Maignan observes. "If it's wet, cyclists won't easily get back together as they would on a dry surface."

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Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) returns to her beloved Mur de Huy. Last year she broke a five-year victory drought and from there gained momentum that four months later led her to triumph in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, where she again beat Demi Vollering. "My goal for the Arrow of Wallonia is clear: to win. I feel confident, even though the fall at Strade Bianche affected my season, but now I've left all that behind."

Winner of the event in 2023 as part of her fabulous Ardennes triple and second last year, Demi Vollering arrives at the foot of the Mur with new colors from FDJ-Suez and a more targeted approach. The Dutch rider skipped the pavé races, like the Tour of Flanders; a month after her last race (where she finished fourth at the Donne Milano-Sanremo), she returned on Sunday to the Amstel Gold Race Ladies, finishing twentieth. "I did a good high-altitude training camp on Teide with my teammates. The objectives are clear and my sensations are good."

SD Worx-Protime's plans were disrupted in recent days by Anna van der Breggen's illness. After missing Sunday's Amstel Gold Race Ladies, the Dutch rider is now recovering for the Freccia Vallone Femmes. With seven victories between 2015 and 2021, she is the undisputed queen of the Arrow. Her Sports Director Gianpaolo Mondini spoke about Van der Breggen's condition: "We have good hopes. Yesterday morning we decided to do the reconnaissance, even though Anna told us 'actually I don't need to do the reconnaissance, I've done it many times, I know all the curves'. It's really important for us to have her on the team, and she can explain what is an even better line to take on the final Mur." Regarding the team's potential if Van der Breggen were to withdraw, Mondini comments: "I want to say that this is not the ideal type of race for Lotte (Kopecky), but she is improving a lot, especially uphill. We expect (Elisa) Longo Borghini and then (Demi) Vollering to adapt better to this type of finale, so we expect their teams to control things."

Despite having been on the podium four times, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) has never won the Freccia Vallone Femmes. The Italian finished second in 2013, third in 2014, third in 2021, and third again last year. "At the Arrow of Wallonia, it's about waiting, which I absolutely don't like! You have to wait for the last climb of the Mur, but I also think having the Côte de Cherave back can make the race even more aggressive. I'm certainly not hoping for a sprint, but it will be very difficult not to arrive there with five or six people. My approach to the Ardennes was not exactly what I hoped for, but the fall at Flanders mixed up the cards and you have to be ready for a plan B. So now I'm happy and I'm approaching the next two races with a clear mind.

START LIST

CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto
1. NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna
2. BRADBURY Neve
3. LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup
4. NIEDERMAIER Antonia
5. PALADIN Soraya
6. TOWERS Alice

FDJ - SUEZ
11. VOLLERING Demi
12. CHABBEY Elise
13. CURINIER Léa
14. LABOUS Juliette
15. MUZIC Évita
16. RAYER Eglantine

UAE Team ADQ
21. LONGO BORGHINI Elisa
22. CHAPMAN Brodie
23. IVANCHENKO Alena
24. MAGNALDI Erica
25. MARTURANO Greta
26. SQUIBAN Maeva

Team SD Worx - Protime
31. VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
32. GERRITSE Femke
33. HÄBERLIN Steffi
34. HARVEY Mikayla
35. KOPECKY Lotte
36. WIEBES Lorena

Team Picnic PostNL
41. CAVALLI Marta
42. CIABOCCO Eleonora
43. GEORGI Pfeiffer
44. NELSON Josie
45. PEPERKAMP Esmée
46. VINKE Nienke

Team Visma | Lease a Bike
51. BUNEL Marion
52. CHLADOŇOVÁ Viktória
53. GEURTS Mijntje
54. OUDEMAN Maud
55. REIJNHOUT Rosita
56. VAN AGT Eva

Lidl - Trek
61. FISHER-BLACK Niamh
62. DEIGNAN Elizabeth
63. MARKUS Riejanne
64. REALINI Gaia
65. SPRATT Amanda
66. VAN ANROOIJ Shirin

AG Insurance - Soudal Team
71. (LE COURT) PIENAAR Kimberley
72. DE SCHEPPER Lore
73. LOUW Anya
74. MANLY Alexandra
75. MOOLMAN Ashleigh
76. VAN DE VELDE Julie

Fenix-Deceuninck
81. ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena
82. ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen
83. CASASOLA Sara
84. KASTELIJN Yara
85. PERKINS Flora
86. PIETERSE Puck

EF Education-Oatly
91. RÜEGG Noemi
92. CHRISTIE Henrietta
93. EWERS Veronica
94. JACKSON Alison
95. KERBAOL Cédrine
96. VALLIERES Magdeleine

Movistar Team
101. LIPPERT Liane
102. ERIĆ Jelena
103. MARTÍN Sara
104. MEIJERING Mareille
105. PATIÑO Paula
106. STEELS Claire

CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team
111. MIERMONT Dilyxine
112. HARTMANN Elena
113. HASHIMI Fariba
114. JASKULSKA Marta
115. LE MOUEL Célia
116. ZSANKÓ Petra

Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi
121. SANTESTEBAN Ane
122. BIRIUKOVA Yuliia
123. KUSKOVA Yanina
124. SILVESTRI Debora
125. TERUEL Alba
126. VADILLO Eneritz

Liv AlUla Jayco
131. SMULDERS Silke
132. ANDERSSON Caroline
133. ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby
134. TON Quinty
135. TREVISI Anna
136. TRINCA COLONEL Monica

Uno-X Mobility
141. KOSTER Anouska
142. AALERUD Katrine
143. ANDERSON Solbjørk Minke
144. BOILARD Simone
145. GÅSKJENN Ingvild
146. OTTESTAD Mie Bjørndal

VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team
151. JANSEN Eline
152. KNIJNENBURG Anne
153. MEERT Marieke
154. MOLENAAR Laura
155. VAN ROOIJEN Anne
156. VOLLERING Bodine

Arkéa - B&B Hotels Women
161. CLAES Lotte
162. ASENCIO Laura
163. CAVALLAR Valentina
164. COLJÉ Maaike
165. DRUMMOND Michaela
166. RYO Titia

Roland
171. COSTON Morgane
172. DRONOVA-BALABOLINA Tamara
173. GIULIANI Giulia
174. STIASNY Petra

Cofidis Women Team
181. BEGO Julie
182. BOULAIS Flavie
183. GUILMAN Victorie
184. KERN Špela
185. KOPPENBURG Clara
186. NOSKOVÁ Nikola

St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93 WE
191. THOMAS Ségolène
192. FITYUS Lucie
193. NORMAND Adèle
194. RABY Coline
195. SIMPSON Ella
196. WATTS Emily

Winspace Orange Seal
201. PEREKITKO Karolina
202. FAHY Camille
203. FRANCIS Jenaya
204. GONTOVA Nadia
205. LYLYK Kiara
206. VALENTIN Constance

Team Coop - Repsol
211. GRANGIER India
212. DALE Stine
213. GREENWOOD Monica
214. JØRGENSEN Tiril
215. KAGEVI Stina
216. LIND Magdalene

Lotto Ladies
221. ARENS Maureen
222. BÉNÉZET MINNS Lucy
223. BOELS Dina
224. DE KEERSMAEKER Audrey
225. GIELKENS Esmée
226. VERVLOET Sterre

DD Group Pro Cycling Team
231. DE BOER Manon
232. GOOSSENAERTS Marieke
233. KIEKENS Cleo
234. STOCKMAN Julie
235. VAN DAM Yonna
236. VLYMINCK Julie