Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar), challenging the script of this year's La Flèche Wallonne, went in for an early attack at the 37km mark rather than wait for the race to unfold on the steep slopes of the Mûr de Huy.

A similar strategy has brought many victories for world champion Annemiek van Vleuten, but it didn't work this time, as she finished seventh behind winner Demi Vollering (SD Worx). Van Vleuten, who has not won a race this spring, admitted that he is in good shape but that the peloton is stronger than before.

"There is always a wait until the last mule de uits, and I don't like those races because they are a bit boring," van Vleuten said.

"I thought if I ran the [last] Mule de Uy I might surprise everyone, which didn't really work out because none of the SD Walks racers were there, but I thought it was the finish and I attacked as hard as I could."

The breakaway was reeled in on the Côte de Chélève, 44km before the finish, and Van Vleuten's Movistar team kept a high pace into the final mule de Huy.

Initially, only Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) was able to chase. They were Ashley Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal-Quick Step) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo).

SD Walks' Marlen Reuser led the main group, keeping the select group within 15 seconds.

"Moolman, Longo Borghini, and Niwi Adoma were with me. Elisa and Kasia took over and Ashley didn't join us. It's a shame because if everyone had run together, especially if SD Walks didn't work back there, we might have had a chance to stay in front. Unfortunately, it carried over," Van Breuten said of the failure.

Amanda Spratt's (Trek Segafredo) solo run was caught as Vollaring pushed Côte de Scherave hard and fast.

Volering's strength was what led to the next selection. She continued to push at high speed until there were only eleven men left in the last 7 km.

In that group were Niwi Adma and Elise Chaby (Canyon-SRAM), Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ), Longo Borghini and Gaia Lealini (Trek-Segafredo), Mourman-Pasio and Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), Veronica Eworth (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), and Movistar teammates Van Vleuten and Liane Lippert.

"Vollering was really strong in Scheleb. She kept a strong pace there and I was quite annoyed by that. In any case, I knew it wasn't my best day. I don't feel bad, and I feel like I'm up there like I have been in previous years, but the others were better," Van Breuten said.

Volering continued to lead the pack with a few kilometers to go, and no one challenged the group until the second chase group on the course reconnected with the breakaway with 2.7 km to go.

Vollering led the race on the Mules de Huy and held off Lippert and Learrini to take the win.

"Of course, I didn't race for the result of seventh place. Of course, I didn't race for the result of seventh place. I still don't know what that means," van Breuten said, but he said he was proud of his teammate Lippert's podium as they head into the third and final round of the Ardennes Classics in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

"It was great to see Riane finish second. It was great to see Riane finish second. This will make for a good race on Sunday and should suit me a bit better. I still have a few days to think about how I will fight in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.