Liege-Bastogne-Liege Women 2023 LIVE - Can dominant Demi Vollering complete the Ardennes clean sweep?

DEMI VOLLERING WINS LIEGE-BASTOGNE-LIEGE!

Vollering was happy to sit on the wheel into the final straight and forced Longo Borghini to launch first, which she did. She left it as late as possible but Vollering came round comfortably in the end to take a famous treble.

In the race for 3rd, Marlen Reusser was the rider who claimed it, after a huge day in the saddle, to bring home two podium places for SD Worx.

Riejanne Markus launches herself out of the chase group, but it looks to be for the final podium place at best. As the cat and mouse games begin.

Vollering and Longo-Borghini look like they're about to bring it down to a showcase sprint finale. They don't have time to muck about but on these fast final kilometres it's hard to imagine the poursuivantes pulling it back at this point.

The favourite let the wheel go on the last descent and allowed Longo-Borghini and Reusser to briefly go a deux out front, but on this tough uncategorised climb, it was never going to last and Vollering displaces her team-mate with a reasonable lead over the rest. It's looking very good for the hat-trick, as Van Vleuten in particular seems to be lacking that top end power.

Right at the crest of the climb. That seemed to happen very suddenly. I don't think Vollering helped by doing more than surfing the wheels. Six at the front now, with Annemiek van Vleuten making contact, along with Gaia Realini (Trek Segafredo.)

From the breakaway to the bunch, she takes a big bite out of Reusser's lead before swinging off and drawing her day to a close. Her team-mate Elisa Longo-Borghini takes over, with Elise Chabbey (Canyon-Sram) right on her wheel. Vollering is playing a careful game at this point, just measuring her effort, doing no more than she needs to and not letting them get too far away. This, the final categorised climb is just 1.3km long but it rises up to the mid-teens in gradient.

As Reusser nears the foot of the short but eye-wateringly steep Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, it's down to those two teams, as well as Movistar, to do what they can to bring her back. Demi Vollering can simply wait in the wings at this point.

22KM TO GO: AMANDA SPRATT CAUGHT OVER THE COTE DES FORGES

That makes things simpler for Trek. Liane Lippert started the move which was followed and further powered by Mavi Garcia (LivRacing TeqFind), since which Lippert herself has struggled to hang on.

Reusser's lead falls to 1'04.

She has motored to a lead of 1'40 over the now back together bunch. SD Worx aren't going to do any work to bring her back, obviously, and Trek have a tricky decision to make. Spratt is 47 seconds behind Reusser but doesn't look like she can bring back one of the best time triallists in the world on her own. No-man's land is not a good place to be and if they don't do something soon, this could be all over.

Just thirteen riders able to keep up with the pace injected by Van Vleuten and Elise Chabbey (Canyon Sram). Demi Vollering is there, along with Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Elisa Longo-Borghini.

Anna Henderson has been caught and links up with Jumbo team-mates Riejanne Markus and Amber Kraak.

Marlen Reusser drives on the climb, and only Amanda Spratt is able to stay with her. As it gets steep, in the middle of the climb, Spratt falls away. 54 seconds Reusser's lead over the peloton. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) puts the peloton under strain and takes a bite out of Reusser's advantage, but it's still pretty solid as they all go over the top.

Descending in the drops, in full aero tuck, and pedalling hard, the four are fighting, however forlorn their chances might appear. On this fast descent towards the famous climb, the lead is nudging back towards a full minute.

They'll need every one of those seconds if the climbers behind - like Vollering, Liane Lippert, Annemiek van Vleuten (both Movistar), Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez) and Juliette Labous (Team DSM) - turn on the afterburners.

And the breakaway's lead falls to just under 30 seconds. That changes the plan for Canyon-Sram, who take to the front of the bunch in an effort to light up this race.

With a reasonable 45 seconds in hand, but with the four sizeable tests to come, you'd think they'd like a little bit more. Niewiadoma has reportedly picked up a rear puncture, which will affect their momentum at least a little, as a change means she has been forced out of that group.

We have a group of five riders up the road, and not just any five riders - four of the most accomplished in the world and one handy interloper on her debut:

Marlen Reusser (SD Worx)
Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo)
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram)
Esmée Peperkamp (Team DSM)
Anna Henderson (Jumbo Visma)

Reusser could prove an especially handy foil for Vollering.

As they approach the top of the 4.5km Col du Rosier, the quintet has seen a two minute advantage cut in half. Expect it to grow again on the long descent to the foot of the next climb. It's only up and down in this race.

(Yes, we know it's a parody)

Welcome to live coverage of the women’s Liege Bastogne Liege. It’s partly cloudy and perfectly temperate in Wallonia, where Demi Vollering (SD Worx) is the odds-on favourite to complete an uncommon triple crown of Ardennes race victories.

Vollering was looking somewhat apprehensive on stage before the race began a couple of hours ago. Could she be feeling the pressure? Surely not. The Dutch superstar was imperious in Amstel Gold last week, and made the Mur de Huis look like a speed bump on Wednesday. What could she possibly have to be nervous about?

Although it’s hard to imagine her not taking a second victory in three years, the strength of her status means that every other team, especially the strongest, will be watching her like a hawk, and be prepared to do whatever it takes to stop her - even if that involves collaboration.

We join the action with 64km to go and with a very interesting situation developing up the road…