The fourth stage of the Tour de France Femmes is quite special. It begins in the tourist town of Valkenburg, which is world-famous in the cycling world thanks to the Amstel Gold Race, and finishes 122 kilometers later in Liège, Belgium. This stage combines elements of the Amstel Gold Race at the beginning and Liège-Bastogne-Liège at the end.

After the start in Valkenburg, the peloton faces four climbs: the Bemelerberg (twice), Cauberg, and Geulhemmerweg. These notorious Dutch climbs are situated at the beginning of the stage and will likely have little effect on the overall race dynamics, though there will be a battle for mountain points.

Returning to the starting point in Valkenburg, it’s worth noting that this cycling hub in the Netherlands has frequently hosted major cycling events. Hosting top events like the Tour de France and World Championships is crucial for promoting grassroots cycling. This is a lesson that John Wauben, who has worked for the municipality of Valkenburg for 45 years, has taken to heart.

“After the World Championships in Valkenburg in 1998, we saw a 10% increase in KNWU license holders. These figures show the impact such a major event can have. Our ambition is to bring a major cycling race to Valkenburg every five to ten years. This way, we continue to distinguish ourselves as the cycling city of the Netherlands,” Wauben says.

However, all good things must come to an end, and thus the Tour caravan leaves Dutch soil halfway through stage four. The final part of stage four features a series of challenging Walloon climbs. The riders start with the Mont-Theux (2.8 km at 5.6%), which serves as an appetizer for the last 35 kilometers. The final features a near-identical finish to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, including the Côte de la Redoute (1.6 km at 9.4%), the Côte des Forges (1.3 km at 7.8%), and the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3 km at 11%).

After Roche-aux-Faucons, there are still some tough sections in the final ten kilometers, making it a challenging day for the strong puncheurs.

Stage four thus combines elements of the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Marianne Vos won the Dutch one-day classic this year, outpacing Lorena Wiebes at the line in Berg en Terblijt. Liège-Bastogne-Liège, on the other hand, was surprisingly won by Australian Grace Brown. The FDJ-Suez rider proved to be the fastest and smartest of a small elite group in the streets of Liège. Will we see these key players in stage four of the Tour de France Femmes?