World Champion and three-time winner of the race Julian Alaphilippe will lead the team at the 86th edition.
This year’s edition of Flèche Wallonne will be a special one, at it celebrates four decades since the first passage over the now iconic Mur de Huy. Starting from Blegny, the 202.1km race will see the riders take three times on a tough circuit in the second half of the course, where a trio of demanding climbs awaits: Côte d’Ereffe (2.1km, 5%), Côte de Cherave (1.3km, 8.1%) and Mur de Huy (1.3km, 9.6%).
It goes without saying that the last of these will be the scene of the much-anticipated battle for victory the final time up there Wednesday afternoon, especially as the stinging gradients peak out at 22% not far from the finish line where last year Julian Alaphilippe arrived victorious after a fantastic surge in the last 200 meters.
One of the only five riders in history to have racked up consecutive wins at Flèche Wallonne, the World Champion will continue his spring campaign at the Belgian Classic, where he has finished on the podium at all his five participations. Alaphilippe, a winner of the event in 2018, 2019 and 2021, will be joined on Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s roster by Remco Evenepoel – who will have his first taste of the Ardennes Classics – Pieter Serry, neo-pro Stan Van Tricht, Mauri Vansevenant, Ilan Van Wilder and Louis Vervaeke.
“We go with a strong team to Flèche Wallonne, a race we know and like. Having Julian – who has shown a good condition in the Basque Country at the beginning of the month – as our leader gives us a lot of confidence that we can be in the mix again and fight for a good result, just like at the previous editions”, said sports director Klaas Lodewyck.
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
