April 18/18 11:43 am - La Fleche Wallonne results
Posted by Editoress on 04/18/18
Alaphilippe dethrones Valverde!
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) didn't make it five wins in a row atop the Mur de Huy! The Spanish veteran found a young rival finally able to overthrow him with Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) dominating everyone on the infamous climb. The Frenchman claimed his biggest win to date just before turning 26 years old… the same age Valverde was when he claimed the first of his nine victories in the Ardennes (5 at la Flèche, 4 at Liège). Jelle Vanendert (Lotto Soudal) finished third after an impressive outing on the Mur.
After an emotional moment of silence to pay tribute to Michael Goolaerts, Seraing experienced an animated start as the city welcomed la Flèche Wallonne for the first time in the race history. Attacks went from the gun with a group of six riders - Romain Hardy (Fortuneo-Samsic), Anthony Roux (Groupama-FDJ), Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Hansgrohe), Anthony Perez (Cofidis), Romain Combaud (Delko Marseille Provence KTM) and Patrick Müller (Vital Concept Cycling Club) - quickly going away. Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Antoine Warnier (VB Aqua Protect Veranclassic) joineing them after 20km. The group enjoyed a maximum lead of 5:25 by the time they tackled the first climb.
Alejandro Valverde’s Movistar and Dan Martin’s UAE Team Emirates quickly took the front positions of the pack to control the gap. The attackers’ lead was down to 4:10 atop the côte de la Redoute (km 82). The peloton maintained the gap around 4 minutes before accelerating on the way to Huy. The leaders summited the Mur for the first time (km 140.5) with an advantage down to 1:25, with Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) already featured in some early moves.
The Polish puncheur couldn’t get away from Movistar’s watch but attacks kept going until a group of six managed to go clear 37km away from the finish: Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott), Anthony Roux (Groupama-FDJ), Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Hansgrohe), Tanel Kangert (Astana) and Maximilian Schachmann (Quick-Step Floors). Together, they extended their lead to 40s as they faced the Mur de Huy for the penultimate and second climb while Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) dropped out of contention.
The gap even increased to 55s with 17km to go, until Mikel Landa (Movistar) received some help with Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal). Roux and Benedetti got dropped in the Côte de Cherave while the peloton got back only 15s behind. Kangert and Nibali were caught at the foot of the final climb, while Maximilian Schachmann (Quick-Step Floors) went on his own, only to be caught with 200m to go by… his teammate Julian Alaphilippe, stronger than anyone on the Mur de Huy.
ASO report
Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale) finished 33rd at 1:22 back.
Results from La Flèche Wallonne in Belgium
| Seraing to Huy, 198.5 km | |
| 1 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | 4:53:37 |
| 2 Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team | at 0:04 |
| 3 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:06 |
| 4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Mitchelton-Scott | |
| 5 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb | |
| 6 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 7 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 8 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Quick-Step Floors | |
| 9 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | all s.t. |
| 10 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:12 |
| 11 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky | 0:15 |
| 12 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data | 0:19 |
| 13 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:21 |
| 14 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:25 |
| 15 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:28 |
| 16 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
| 17 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data | both s.t. |
| 18 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:30 |
| 19 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates | 0:32 |
| 20 Robert Gesink (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:34 |
| 21 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:36 |
| 22 Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | 0:39 |
| 23 Jesus Herrada (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| 24 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | 0:42 |
| 25 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:44 |
| 26 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:47 |
| 27 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | 0:49 |
| 28 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:54 |
| 29 Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | 1:05 |
| 30 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 1:08 |
| 31 Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb | 1:13 |
| 32 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 1:18 |
| 33 Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 1:22 |
| 34 Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | s.t. |
| 35 Mathias Frank (Sui) AG2R La Mondiale | 1:25 |
| 36 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 1:27 |
| 37 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | 1:29 |
| 38 Gorka Izaguirre Inausti (Esp) Bahrain-Merida | 1:34 |
| 39 Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (Eth) Trek-Segafredo | 1:43 |
| 40 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team | 1:46 |
| 41 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors | 1:55 |
| 42 Mikel Landa (Esp) Movistar Team | 1:59 |
| 43 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | 2:13 |
| 44 Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 2:23 |
| 45 Warren Barguil (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | s.t. |
| 46 Floris De Tier (Bel) LottoNL-Jumbo | 2:51 |
| 47 Omar Fraile Matarranz (Esp) Astana Pro Team | 3:01 |
| 48 Pierre Rolland (Fra) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 3:06 |
| 49 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team Sunweb | 3:07 |
| 50 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Astana Pro Team | s.t. |
| 51 Rob Power (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | 3:27 |
| 52 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 3:56 |
| 53 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Dimension Data | 4:03 |
| 54 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | 4:12 |
| 55 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida | 5:37 |
| 56 Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | 7:32 |
| 57 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky | 7:37 |
| 58 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | 9:23 |
| 59 Andrey Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | 9:29 |
| 60 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb | 9:37 |
| 61 Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates | |
| 62 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| 63 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
| 64 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky | |
| 65 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 66 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
| 67 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
| 68 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
| 69 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Katusha-Alpecin | all s.t. |
| 70 Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 9:45 |
| 71 Bjorg Lambrecht (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 72 Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
| 73 Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 74 Willie Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin | all s.t. |
| 75 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 9:52 |
| 76 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| 77 Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
| 78 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal | all s.t. |
| 79 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky | 9:56 |
| 80 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 10:02 |
| 81 Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
| 82 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott | |
| 83 Kevin Reza (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
| 84 Paul Martens (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
| 85 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
| 86 Simon Gerrans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
| 87 José Joaquin Rojas (Esp) Movistar Team | |
| 88 Alex Howes (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | all s.t. |
| 89 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | 10:17 |
| 90 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | 10:21 |
| 91 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal | |
| 92 Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) UAE Team Emirates | |
| 93 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
| 94 Chad Haga (USA) Team Sunweb | |
| 95 Stef Clement (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | all s.t. |
| 96 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | 10:27 |
| 97 Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 98 Jose Herrada (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 10:31 |
| 99 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| 100 Amael Moinard (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | both s.t. |
| 101 Ion Izagirre (Esp) Bahrain-Merida | 10:44 |
| 102 Romain Hardy (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | 11:15 |
| 103 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin | 11:18 |
| 104 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo | 11:52 |
| 105 Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | 12:54 |
| 106 Julien Mortier (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 107 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data | 13:06 |
| DNF Quentin Pacher (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
| DNF Thomas Deruette (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
| DNF Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
| DNF Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| DNF Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
| DNF Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
| DNF Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
| DNF Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
| DNF Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
| DNF Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
| DNF Enric Mas (Esp) Quick-Step Floors | |
| DNF James Knox (GBr) Quick-Step Floors | |
| DNF Rúben Guerreiro (Por) Trek-Segafredo | |
| DNF Gregory Daniel (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
| DNF Justin Jules (Fra) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
| DNF Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo | |
| DNF Lucas De Rossi (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
| DNF Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| DNF Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
| DNF Tanguy Turgis (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
| DNF Patrick Müller (Sui) Vital Concept Club | |
| DNF Justin Mottier (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
| DNF Johan Le Bon (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
| DNF Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
| DNF Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF Christophe Masson (Fra) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
| DNF Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
| DNF John Anderson Rodriguez Salazar (Col) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
| DNF Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Esp) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
| DNF Julien El Fares (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
| DNF Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
| DNF Antoine Warnier (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
| DNF Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
| DNF Yoann Bagot (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
| DNF Loïc Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| DNF Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
| DNF Michael Albasini (Sui) Mitchelton-Scott | |
| DNF Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | |
| DNF Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky | |
| DNF Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky | |
| DNF Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
| DNF Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
| DNF Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
| DNF Rory Sutherland (Aus) UAE Team Emirates | |
| DNF Matteo Bono (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
| DNF Imanol Erviti (Esp) Movistar Team | |
| DNF Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team | |
| DNF Winner Andrew Anacona (Col) Movistar Team | |
| DNF Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team | |
| DNF Kilian Frankiny (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| DNF Lars Boom (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
| DNF Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data | |
| DNF Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data | |
| DNF Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin | |
| DNF Ian Boswell (USA) Katusha-Alpecin | |
| DNF Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
| DNF Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
| DNF Benjamin King (USA) Dimension Data | |
| DNF Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
| DNF Kim Magnusson (Swe) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
| DNF Léo Vincent (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
| DNF Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
| DNF David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
| DNF Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
| DNF Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
| DNS Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise |
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