Foldable Bikes Party: 10 riders to watch in the women's Ardennes Classics

Saturday, 14 April 2018

10 riders to watch in the women's Ardennes Classics

https://ift.tt/2HAgJ8F

The Ardennes Classics triple crown returns to the 2018 Women's WorldTour for a second season. Last year, Amstel Gold Race made its return, followed by the long-running La Flèche Wallonne and the debut of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) stunned the cycling world when she won all three races.

Cyclingnews picks 10 riders to watch at this year's Amstel Gold Race on April 15, La Flèche Wallonne on April 18 and Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 22.

Anna Van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans)

If you're betting on a favourite to win Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, then you'll be putting all your money on Anna van der Breggen. The Dutchwoman powered to victory in all three events last year and now carries the title "Queen of the Ardennes". She said that she doesn't believe it's possible to complete the trifecta for a second consecutive year, but we aren't convinced. Given her unrivalled solo victories at Strade Bianche and Tour of Flanders, it seems that nothing and no one will be able to unseat this ruler of the Ardennes.

Van der Breggen's Boels Dolmans team have been known to share the wealth, however, and if an opportunity arose for a teammate to attempt glory, the likely candidates would be Amy Pieters and Megan Guarnier.

Pieters has had perhaps her strongest season to date after victory at Ronde van Drenthe and most recently the overall title at the Healthy Ageing Tour. The courses used for the Ardennes Classics are a fair bit hillier, but she has shown her strengths over the pitchy climbs after placing inside the top 10 at Amstel Gold Race last year.