Stage 4 of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift takes the riders on a 122.7 km journey from Valkenberg to the Quai des Ardennes in Liege.
After the flat opening three stages in the Netherlands the race heads south for the first uphill challenges of this year’s Tour, into Belgium and onto the roads which host the punchy spring Classics.
Combining the climbs of the Amstel Gold Race (Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg twice, plus the Cauberg) with those of Liege-Bastogne-Liege will make this stage very challenging. The route to the finale - tackled via Mont-Theux (2.8km at 5.6%) - will have put the peloton to the test on the climbs of the Côte de la Redoute, Côte des Forges and Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons.
Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx - Protime) is now in the Yellow Jersey courtesy of her excellent Stage 3 ITT win in Rotterdam and as a double Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner (in 2021 and 2023) she is very much looking forward to this stage.
Can anyone outshine her in the Ardennes on this occasion? The strong puncheurs and Classics specialists in the peloton will be relishing the opportunity the day presents.
Keep an eye out for the likes of Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), in form Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) and Lidl-Trek pair Elisa Balsamo and Shirin van Anrooij who could all be in with a shout of taking the victory.
