Following her victory at La Flèche Wallonne Féminine on Wednesday, Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) is just one win away from her third consecutive Ardennes victory.

The Italian was one of the riders to watch at the start of the hill classics 10 days ago, but few would have expected her to go 2-for-2 after her wins in the Amstel Gold Race and Flèche. She will be looking to follow Anna van der Brechen as the only rider to complete the triple this Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Cavalli, who won her second race of the season, outpaced Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) in the final breakaway before the finish.

Just before the long curve before the finish line, Cavalli rounded Chapelle from right to left, passed Liane Lippert (Team DSM) and Demi Vollaring (SD Worx), and jumped on Van Vleuten's wheel.

"It's a big surprise for me because I won in a different way in Amstel," she said at the post-race press conference. I surprised everyone with my attack, but I was in the best shape of the others today." [I had good tactics for the race and the team worked hard for me. But I didn't expect to push harder than Anne-Mike in the last 100 meters to make up the difference.

"I tried to stay as calm as possible because I knew that in the last few meters the gradient on Mur de Uys was slower and if I had a little energy left I could push here. I tried to stay as calm as possible because I've seen so many racers over-anticipate and eventually lose their footing. In the end, my timing was perfect."

Cavalli said he was surprised to win in Amstel after breaking away from the elite group on the final climb just before the finish.

Cavalli's victory came just three days after a grueling race in Paris-Roubaix Femme, where he finished fifth. Cavalli said he was still sore from the 125-km race across the tough cobblestones of northern France.

"Yesterday and today I have pain all over my body, my back and arms still hurt. It's not easy to recover from Roubaix."

"Today's race was a surprise because at the beginning of the year this race was not in my plans. If I had to re-plan my season, I might have to avoid Roubaix. But I like this feeling of being different from everyone else, of listening to my body."

Cavalli will now head to Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the third Ardennes triple, which has only been achieved three times in history in the women's and men's peloton. She said she has no expectations for La Doyenne, but hopes to stay quiet until the final and finish as part of a small group.

"I didn't have any expectations for Liège this morning," she said. We've had three good races in a row and we have nothing to lose. I'll wait quietly until the final climb."

"I know Liège will be another good race for me, but the final result can be decided by a sprint. I want to be in as small a group as possible. Never say never. I have three days to recover, do some reconnaissance and wait for Sunday without any pressure."