After previously finishing in second place on two occasions at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Grace Brown took the victory at the 2024 edition of La Doyenne, as she beat several of the pre-race favourites in the sprint to the line in Liège.
The Australian rider had been part of a move that went clear following an attack by Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) on the Côte de Stockeu, as the Swiss rider drew a small group clear that would stay together until the Côte de la Redoute, where it began to fracture.
Chabbey and Brown would form a three-rider group with Kim Cadzow (EF Education-Cannondale) at the front, with Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) attacking behind them on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons and forming a chasing group.
They would make the catch onto the front group with just under 10km to go, with several attempts to go solo following on. However, it would all come down to the sprint, with Niewiadoma leading it out. Longo Borghini then came around her and it looked like the Italian national champion was going to take the victory. However, Brown managed to come out of her slipstream in the final hundred metres to win the race.
More to follow…