La Flèche Wallonne 2017 [FULL RACE]

April 19, 2017
La Flèche Wallonne 2017– Binche – Mur du Huy – 204,5 km

The 2017 La Flèche Wallonne is a road cycling one-day race that is scheduled to take place on 19 April. It will be the 81st edition of the La Flèche Wallonne and will be the seventeenth event of the 2017 UCI World Tour.

La Flèche Wallonne is a simple race. The peloton races for 204.5 kilometres over three ascents of the Mur de Huy, and in the end, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) wins. For the fourth year in succession and the fifth time in total, Valverde triumphed atop the Mur de Huy, and, once again, it all looked so disarmingly easy for the veteran.

From the moment Valverde launched his decisive acceleration inside the final 200 metres, the result was never remotely in doubt, and the riders lined up on his wheel seemed almost resigned to the inevitable. Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors) produced his by-now traditional late charge to place second, while Dylan Teuns (BMC) held off Sergio Henao (Sky) for third, but Valverde was already sitting up to celebrate his victory as they fought over the scraps.

A week shy of 37th birthday, Valverde is enjoying arguably the most remarkable sequence of a contentious career, which was interrupted by the belated ban he served in 2010 and 2011 following his implication in the Operacion Puerto blood-doping inquiry. Already the winner of the Ruta del Sol, Volta a Catalunya and Tour of the Basque Country this spring, he now eyes a fourth Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory on Sunday.

As he waited to mount the podium, Valverde was asked the secret of his success. “Confidence and strength,” Valverde said, before paying tribute to the efforts of his Movistar team. “They worked a lot for me from kilometre zero. It was hard but we had the confidence that we could win. This race is made for me.”

Movistar’s task was arguably facilitated by the preference of so many other teams to take their chances on the Mur de Huy rather than attempt to pry the race open before the final climb, with Sky and Orica-Scott among the teams to help clip back the solo effort of Bob Jungels (Quick-Step) in the finale.

Jungels led at the base of the Mur de Huy, but with a lead of just a handful of seconds, his was always likely to be a forlorn effort. Diego Rosa set the tempo on the lower slopes of the Mur, with Michal Kwiatkowski on his wheel, but the expected acceleration from the former world champion never materialised and riders fanned across the road as they emerged from the famous S-bend midway up the climb.

Valverde was guided at this point by Dani Moreno, and he maintained a watching brief as Michael Woods (Cannondale-Drapac) and David Gaudu (FDJ) moved alongside him to the front row of the leading group.

The deadlock was eventually broken with 250 metres to go when the highly-rated Gaudu – still only 20 years old and in his first season as a professional – launched a fine acceleration. Valverde was live to the threat and quickly tracked the Frenchman, before launching a stinging attack of his own.

Dylan Teuns was tucked onto Valverde’s rear wheel when he attacked and could not have been better positioned, but the Belgian was simply unable to match the ferocity of the acceleration. Henao tried to get on terms, but he, too, was powerless.

“I was a bit boxed-in by Kwiatkowski and Henao at one point but with a top favourite like Valverde, it’s just waiting until he goes,” Teuns said. “I tried to follow but he quickly was a bike-length away.”

Dan Martin was three rows back coming out of the S-bend, and the Irishman left himself with too much ground to make up in the final 200 metres, though he has made a habit of late surges over the years on the Mur de Huy. After a second place in 2014 and third a year ago, Martin had to settle for another podium finish here, and a grim realisation about his prospects in this race.

“Maybe I’ve got to wait until Alejandro retires to win Flèche Wallonne…” Martin said. “Obviously I hope I can beat him one day. It was a strange race today, with a strong headwind. I stayed calm, I knew it was possible to come back with the headwind but I couldn’t take Alejandro’s wheel. He has this explosiveness that is difficult to match.”

How it unfolded

After a flurry attack and counter-attack on leaving the start in Binche, a group of six riders eventually established itself as the morning break, as early escapees Yoann Bagot (Cofidis), Nils Politt (Katusha Alpecin) and Olivier Pardini (WB Veranclassic Protect) were joined by Fabien Doubey (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Romain Guillemois (Direct Energie) and Daniel Pearson (Aqua Blue Sport).

This sextet established a maximum lead of six minutes over the peloton before Movistar set to work paring down their advantage. Come the first of three ascents of the Mur de Huy, which came with 60 kilometres to race, their lead was down to just 1:35, and shortly afterwards, only Pardini, Guillemois and Doubey remained in front.

Alessandro De Marchi (BMC) went on the offensive on the Côte d’Ereffe, and though he was brought to heel by Carlos Betancur (Movistar), the attack had the end result of lifting the intensity in the peloton still further. Pardini was the last survivor from the break, but he was caught on the Cote de Cherave with 34 kilometres remaining, where De Marchi launched another attack, this time forging clear alone.

De Marchi had a margin of 20 seconds as he led over the second ascent of the Mur de Huy, and he was joined over the top by Jungels, who impressed in bridging across after the descent. Together, they maintained a lead of 30 seconds over the peloton, before Jungels opted to try his luck alone with 12 kilometres remaining, quickly stretching his lead out to 50 seconds.

Not since Igor Astarloa’s 2003 triumph has the winning move at Flèche Wallonne gone clear before the final haul up the Mur de Huy, and the penultimate ascent, the Cote de Cherave, confirmed that the sequence would not end now. An acceleration from Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe), allied to the forcing of Team Sky, cut Jungels’ advantage back down to within 30 seconds. Although Jungels managed to dangle out in front until the lower slopes of the Mur de Huy, he was swept up as Rosa set the tempo on the climb.

From there, the script reverted to the familiar. Eleven years after his first triumph, Valverde had his fifth Flèche Wallonne. “I’ll definitely be back next year,” he said.

Results :
1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 5:15:37
2 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:01
3 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
4 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
5 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-Scott
6 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb
7 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
8 Rudy Molard (Fra) FDJ
9 David Gaudu (Fra) FDJ
10 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
11 Michael Woods (Can) Cannondale-Drapac
12 Jon Izaguirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
13 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:08
14 Pierre Roger Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
15 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
16 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
17 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:13
18 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
19 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe
20 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie 0:00:16
21 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
22 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
23 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:21
24 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
25 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:24
26 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
27 Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:29
28 Igor Anton (Spa) Dimension Data
29 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:35
30 Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Sky
31 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:37
32 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Sunweb 0:00:39
33 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:42
34 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ
35 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:00:45
36 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data
37 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:48
38 Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:50
39 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:53
40 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:00:54
41 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
42 Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
43 Rúben Guerreiro (Por) Trek-Segafredo
44 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
45 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
46 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team 0:01:01
47 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
48 Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
49 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Movistar Team
50 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
51 Laurens De Plus (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
52 Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
53 Simone Petilli (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
54 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
55 Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:13
56 Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
57 Pello Bilbao (Spa) Astana Pro Team
58 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data 0:01:17
59 Floris De Tier (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:21
60 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data
61 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie
62 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team
63 Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:01:26
64 Sebastian Henao (Col) Team Sky
65 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:34
66 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb
67 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb
68 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
69 Jose Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:38
70 Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:01:44
71 Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:52
72 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Orica-Scott 0:02:09
73 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Dimension Data
74 André Cardoso (Por) Trek-Segafredo
75 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
76 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
77 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
78 Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:02:13
79 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team
80 Ben O’Connor (Aus) Dimension Data
81 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
82 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
83 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
84 Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac
85 Brendan Canty (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac
86 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
87 Brice Feillu (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:02:20
88 Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
89 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:02:23
90 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Direct Energie
91 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie 0:02:27
92 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
93 Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:02:31
94 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
95 Antoine Warnier (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
96 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
97 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie
98 Amael Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team
99 Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect 0:02:41
100 Christophe Masson (Fra) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
101 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:02:46
102 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-Merida
103 Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:02:56
104 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky
105 Michel Kreder (Ned) Aqua Blue Sport
106 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:03:00
107 Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:03:04
108 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Sunweb
109 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Katusha-Alpecin 0:03:11
110 Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie 0:03:14
111 Kevin Reza (Fra) FDJ 0:03:19
112 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky 0:03:22
113 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:03:30
114 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:03:32
115 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Quick-Step Floors
116 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 0:03:55
117 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
118 Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:04:20
119 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal 0:04:36
120 Mark Christian (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport
121 Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
122 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:05:51
123 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
124 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
125 Jack Haig (Aus) Orica-Scott
126 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Quick-Step Floors 0:05:54
127 Matej Mohoric (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
128 Matteo Bono (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
129 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data
130 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-Scott 0:06:09
131 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Bahrain-Merida 0:06:16
132 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:06:42
133 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-Scott 0:07:04
134 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale-Drapac
135 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team
136 Andrey Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 0:07:14
137 Damien Howson (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:07:16
138 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:07:46
139 Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ 0:08:56
140 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
141 Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:08:59
142 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie
143 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
144 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
145 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team
146 Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team
147 Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 0:09:05
148 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb
149 Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (Nor) Team Sunweb
150 Gregory Habeaux (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
151 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin