NOS Cycling•yesterday, 4:25 PM•Adjusted yesterday, 6:02 PM
Williams triumphs in a harsh edition of Flèche Wallonne that will never be forgotten
Stephen Williams has won the 88th edition of the Flèche Wallonne. The British rider was the first to reach the Wall of Huy, traditionally the steep executioner of this Belgian semi-classic.
Kevin Vauquelin and Maxim Van Gils finished second and third.
Due to the harsh cold and the rain pouring down, a real war of attrition took place, leaving only 36 men left at the front with 60 kilometers to go.
As always, the Flèche Wallonne revolved around that one killer hill. Over 199 kilometers between Charleroi and Huy, the riders had to break the Wall of Huy no fewer than four times: the last time just before the finish.
And so this Ardennes classic almost every year ends in a bunch sprint, 1.3 kilometers uphill. The winner is therefore often a lightweight with a strong final shot in the legs.
Caught by the cold
But this year it was not just the Wall of Huy that was the executioner. The big question was also: who is best able to withstand severe weather? Because it was really bad and angry in Wallonia. Torrential rain. Hail. And even snow. April does what he wants.
The water came from everywhere. Because yes, when riders try to take shelter behind each other, they also wet each other with all that splashing water on the road. The cold penetrated deep into the bones of the riders.
One of the big favorites Mattias Skjelmose – second last year – had to be carried off the bike completely overcome by the cold.
Hypothermic Skjelmose is carried away in apocalyptic Flèche Wallonne
After a long, hot shower, the Danish champion was fine again, his team later announced. But his Flèche Wallonne was over, as was the case for many top players.
Top players pass early
Former winners such as Dylan Teuns (2022) and Marc Hirschi (2020) had to pass early and gave up. And Tom Pidcock, who sprinted to victory in the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday, also had to abandon the race.
However, it was not possible to identify a clear top favorite in advance. Tadej Pogacar decided not to defend his title from last year. The Slovenian, like Mathieu van der Poel, is saving himself for Liège-Bastogne-Liège next Sunday.
AFP Walloon Arrow
There was one rider who felt fine in this bad weather: Søren Kragh Andersen. With his bulky body, the Dane does not exactly have the build for the steep climb of the Wall of Huy. And so the 29-year-old rider decided to leave early, about 60 kilometers from the finish. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider then created a lead of 1.25 minutes.
Normally such an early flight never succeeds in the Flèche Wallonne. The peloton behind them thinned out to about 25 riders. And so the opportunities for the Dane seemed to grow. But the weather cleared up and thanks to good head work from the entire (!) Norwegian team Uno-X, it was over for Kragh Andersen 14.5 kilometers before the finish.
Loess steep hump
The severely thinned peloton prepared for that tough sprint uphill on that very steep hill. The battle for positioning could begin. Anyone who does not climb the wall among the first ten riders is seen. But those who take the lead right away usually fail prematurely.
Who played that game best: Stephen Williams. The 27-year-old Welshman sprinted away from the group 300 meters from the finish and no one could catch up with him.
The Israel-Premier Tech rider also won the Tour Down Under, the heat-affected stage race through Australia, earlier this season. But that victory pales in comparison to his victory today. “I have watched the Flèche Wallonne countless times and hoped to one day be able to compete for victory with good legs,” Williams said after the finish. “But what a day… what a day!”.
