An atmosphere of revenge fills the air in the Ardent City as the ninth edition of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes approaches. The rematch between Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) promises to be enthralling, given their recent duels in the Ardennes.

Last August, Pieterse defeated her countrywoman in the finale of stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. And eight months later, last Wednesday, the 22-year-old Dutch rider won La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, beating Vollering once again.

Consequently, Vollering is eager to set the record straight on her familiar hunting ground of Liège. The FDJ-Suez leader, at 28, has an impressive record at the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes with two victories (2021 and 2023) and three other podiums (third in 2019, 2022, and 2024).

Both she and Pieterse will be solidly supported by their teams. Vollering can count on Juliette Labous, who once again delivered an impressive performance at La Flèche (seventh) and was eighth in Liège last year, Evita Muzic, and Elise Chabbey, who finished fourth in 2024.

Pieterse, making her debut at Liège, will be accompanied by three teammates who shone on Wednesday: Pauliena Rooijakkers, third at the 2024 Tour and 13th at La Flèche, Yara Kastelijn (15th) and Sara Casasola (19th), noting that Fenix-Deceuninck was the only team to place four women in the top 20 of La Flèche Wallonne Femmes.

A third Dutch contender might enter the battle on the slopes of La Redoute and La Roche-aux-Faucons. Anna van der Breggen is ready to return to the event, after dominating the first two editions (2017 and 2018). It remains to be seen if the 35-year-old climber's health has improved sufficiently after her last-minute withdrawal from La Flèche. If not, SD Worx-Protime can still rely on world champion Lotte Kopecky and former European champion Mischa Bredewold, who surprisingly won the Amstel Gold Race Ladies last Sunday.

Also to be watched are Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto), fifth last year, and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ). Winner of the Brabant Arrow, the Italian champion confirmed her excellent form by finishing third on the Mur de Huy, an explosive finale she doesn't particularly love. She arrives at Liège with the highest ambitions, having narrowly missed victory in the last two years, finishing second behind Demi Vollering in 2023 and then behind Grace Brown (who has since retired) in 2024, both times beaten in a sprint. Longo Borghini and Silvia Persico (fifth at Amstel) will form a formidable Italian duo.

Another pair to watch closely is the German Liane Lippert and Swiss Marlen Reusser (third in 2023) from the Movistar team. And keep an eye on French rider Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) who launched a beautiful solo attack at La Flèche and will be supported on Sunday by American Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner and New Zealander Kim Cadzow (sixth last year).

Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma|Lease a Bike) dreams of making her mark as in Roubaix. She raced La Doyenne early in her road career, though without success (retired in 2017 and seventh in 2018), but we know that for the French star, nothing is impossible.

The 24 teams and most anticipated athletes:
AG Insurance - Soudal Team : Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Rsa), Kim Le Court de Billot (Mri), Urska Zigart (Slo), Lore De Schepper (Bel)
Arkea-B&B Hotels Women : Valentine Cavallar (Aut)
Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto : Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol), Chloe Dygert (Usa), Antonia Niedermaier (Ger), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den)
Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team : Dilyxine Miermont (Fra), Sandra Alonso (Esp)
Cofidis Women Team : Nikola Noskova (Cze), Julie Bego (Fra)
DD Group Pro Cycling Team : Manon de Boer (Ned)
EF Education-Oatly : Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra), Kristen Faulkner (Usa), Magdeleine Vallieres (Can), Kim Cadzow (Nzl)
FDJ-Suez : Demi Vollering (Ned), Elise Chabbey (Sui), Juliette Labous (Fra), Evita Muzic (Fra)
Fenix-Deceuninck : Puck Pieterse (Ned), Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned), Yara Kastelijn (Ned), Sara Casasola (Ita)
Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi : Ane Santesteban (Esp)
Lidl-Trek : Niamh Fisher-Black (Nzl), Riejanne Markus (Ned), Elizabeth Deignan (Gbr), Amanda Spratt (Aus), Shirin van Anrooij (Ned), Ellen van Dijk (Ned)
Liv-AlUla-Jayco : Silke Smulders (Ned), Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita)
Lotto Ladies : Audrey De Keersmaeker (Bel)
Movistar Team : Liane Lippert (Ger), Marlen Reusser (Sui)
St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 : Lucie Fityus (Aus)
Uno-X Mobility : Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor), Katrine Aalerud (Nor)
Team Coop-Repsol : India Grangier (Fra)
Team Picnic PostNL : Marta Cavalli (Ita), Pfeiffer Georgi (Gbr), Eleonora Ciabocco (Ita
Team SD Worx-Protime : Lotte Kopecky (Bel), Anna van der Breggen (Ned), Mischa Bredewold (Ned), Femke Gerritse (Ned)
Team Visma | Lease a Bike : Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Fra), Marion Bunel (Fra), Mijntje Geurts (Ned), Maud Oudeman (Ned)
UAE Team ADQ : Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita), Silvia Persico (Ita), Erica Magnaldi (Ita), Maeva Squiban (Fra)
Volkerwessels Cycling Team : Bodine Vollering (Ned), Eline Jansen (Ned)
Roland : Morgane Coston (Fra)
Winspace Orange Seal : Nadia Gontova (Can)