Valverde wins La Fleche Wallonne 2015
By Cycling News
Alaphilippe, Albasini round out podium
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) defended his La Flèche Wallonne title with a gutsy performance on the Mur de Huy. The Spaniard led from the front on the final climb and held off the challenges from Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep) and Michael Albasini (Orica GreenEdge) to win by a clear margin.
The win marked the Spaniard's third win the race and came after Movistar reeled in a late attack from Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), who broke clear on the penultimate climb of the Côte de Cherave, and survived into the final 500 metres.
Valverde used the catch of Wellens as the moment to confidently move to the front of the strung out group of favourites, and as the gradient began to bite world champion and pre-race favourite Michał Kwiatkowski started to lose ground.
The Katusha pairing of Dani Moreno and Joaquim Rodriguez desperately tried to hang onto Valverde’s coattails but they were too far back to respond, with the only the well-placed Albasini and surprise runner-up Alaphilippe able to muster any form of a challenge.
The Frenchman was too good for Albasini but by the time Valverde looked back he was clear of the rest and had plenty of time to savour another La Flèche Wallonne victory.
The race was, however, marred by series of crashes with former winner Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) forced to abandon. There were other falls for Daniel Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) and former Tour de France winner Chris Froome (Team Sky).
The addition of the Côte de Cherave, coming just before the Mur de Huy, played a part in reducing the depth of the field before the final climb of the Mur but Movistar and Valverde were never troubled, blending a mix of attack and defence that saw Giovanni Visconti form a dangerous late counter attack with Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) before the last two climbs.
Attacks from Vincenzo Nibali, Tejay van Garderen and Wellens soon followed but Movistar – with help from Lampe Merida, who were working for Rui Costa – neutralized anything that attempted to establish a lead.
How it unfolded
Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Mike Teunissen (Team LottoNL-Jumbo), Brice Feillu (Bretagne-Séché Environnement), Jérôme Baugnies (Wanty - Groupe Gobert), Reinier Honig (Team Roompot), Daniele Ratto (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), and Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport) formed the day’s early break, jumping clear inside the opening 10 kilometres and establishing a healthy eight-minute lead over the peloton.
In near-perfect conditions the peloton eased into the task of organising a chase with Katusha and Movistar the first to oblige with turns on the front. Their efforts were merely to keep the break in check, rather than prepare an organised and concerted chase as up ahead De Gendt used his experience to set a steady pace on the opening climbs.
As the peloton approached the Mur de Huy for the first time Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) crossed wheels with Machado. The Irishman gingerly returned to his feet, and eventually the bunch, but his challenge was effectively over.
Team Sky made their presence at the front felt with British road champion Peter Kennaugh setting the pace for the peloton and the gap the break slipping to a more manageable five minutes.
Honig and Teunissen were unceremoniously dropped from the break soon after but the five remaining riders pressed on as Katusha, Etixx-QuickStep and Movistar emerged as the teams willing to control a more determined chase.
Disaster struck for Gilbert, when like Martin, he was taken down in another avoidable fall – the peloton visibly bunching together with parked cars either side of the road. Lars Petter Nordhaug, Wouter Poels (Sky), Ben King (Garmin-Cannondale), Amael Moinard (BMC) and Anthony Roux (FDJ) were caught in the next fall.
Up ahead, the five remaining leaders started the Mur’s second ascent with just a 50-second buffer on a rampaging peloton and by the time they crested the summit only Thomas De Gendt and Jerome Baugnies remained clear.
Visconti and Luis Leon Sanchez took the opportunity to drift clear of the bunch and latch onto the two leaders as they powered down the descent and the newly formed group established a twenty-second lead. With Movistar and Astana taking a breather, it fell to Katusha and Etixx to control the peloton.
On the slopes of the Ereffe, Tejay van Garderen accelerated clear but his efforts were in vain – unable to catch the leaders, he was swallowed up before the penultimate climb – the race’s new addition of the Côte de Cherave.
Visconti and Sanchez started the ascent with a slender lead and it was Nibali was attacked from the bunch first. He simply brought the pack closer to the leaders and provided Wellens with the platform to hit the peloton at the right moment.
Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) tried to give chase but the Italian was unable to keep Wellens in his sights as the Lotto Soudal rider led into the foot of the Mur.
The lead was no more than 15 seconds but any hope of a Lotto win were dashed as the gradient rose. Wellens’ fluidity in pedal stroke was instantly lost, as Lampre and Movistar gathered at the front of the peloton.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team | 5:08:22 |
2 | Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
3 | Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica GreenEdge | |
4 | Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha | |
5 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Team Katusha | |
6 | Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:04 |
7 | Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky | |
8 | Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
9 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
10 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
11 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:00:08 |
12 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:10 |
13 | Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
14 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:00:13 |
15 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
16 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | 0:00:16 |
17 | Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
18 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
19 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing | 0:00:19 |
20 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
21 | Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
22 | Steve Morabito (Swi) FDJ.fr | |
23 | Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:22 |
24 | Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) IAM Cycling | 0:00:23 |
25 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
26 | Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
27 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky | |
28 | Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida | 0:00:28 |
29 | Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:00:30 |
30 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | 0:00:36 |
31 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
32 | Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
33 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:00:38 |
34 | Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:00:42 |
35 | Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:43 |
36 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot | 0:00:51 |
37 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:00:53 |
38 | Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team | |
39 | Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:00:57 |
40 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:09 |
41 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | 0:01:16 |
42 | Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Lampre-Merida | 0:01:19 |
43 | Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:01:32 |
44 | Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:01:37 |
45 | Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica GreenEdge | 0:01:39 |
46 | Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha | 0:01:47 |
47 | Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:01:54 |
48 | Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
49 | Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
50 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
51 | Huub Duijn (Ned) Team Roompot | |
52 | Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:02:00 |
53 | Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:02:01 |
54 | Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team | 0:02:02 |
55 | Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | 0:02:05 |
56 | Carlos Betancur (Col) AG2R La Mondiale | |
57 | Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
58 | Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | |
59 | Larry Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling | |
60 | Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida | |
61 | Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
62 | Simon Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge | |
63 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
64 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:02:12 |
65 | Marc De Maar (Ned) Team Roompot | |
66 | Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:02:16 |
67 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar | |
68 | Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
69 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:02:19 |
70 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Team Roompot | |
71 | Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | 0:02:22 |
72 | Stephen Cummings (GBr) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:02:27 |
73 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
74 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
75 | José Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:02:43 |
76 | Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team | |
77 | Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Team Katusha | |
78 | Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:02:50 |
79 | Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | 0:02:56 |
80 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | 0:03:29 |
81 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:03:33 |
82 | Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
83 | Yannick Eijssen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
84 | Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:03:45 |
85 | Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot | 0:03:58 |
86 | Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:04:03 |
87 | Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:04:46 |
88 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:04:49 |
89 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:05:44 |
90 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:05:47 |
91 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
92 | Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
93 | Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | |
94 | Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge | 0:05:50 |
95 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
96 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:05:53 |
97 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:06:24 |
98 | Jose Rodolfo Serpa (Col) Lampre-Merida | |
99 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:07:11 |
100 | Michal Golas (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
101 | Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:07:19 |
102 | Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:07:59 |
103 | Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team | |
104 | Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:08:03 |
105 | Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Team Katusha | |
106 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
107 | Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
108 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar | |
109 | Pieter Serry (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
110 | Youcef Reguigui (Alg) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:08:08 |
111 | Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
112 | Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:08:17 |
113 | Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | 0:08:22 |
114 | Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:08:46 |
115 | Mike Terpstra (Ned) Team Roompot | 0:09:10 |
116 | Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | 0:09:40 |
117 | Brice Feillu (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
118 | Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
119 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
120 | Patrick Schelling (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
121 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:09:52 |
122 | Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:10:57 |
123 | Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky | 0:12:19 |
124 | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:13:18 |
125 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:13:20 |
126 | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek Factory Racing | |
127 | Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:13:28 |
128 | Songezo Jim (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:13:42 |
129 | Davide Frattini (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:13:51 |
130 | Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:14:27 |
131 | Frederico Zurlo (Ita) UnitedHealthcare | |
132 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:17:46 |
133 | Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot | 0:18:02 |
DNF | Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Matej Mohoric (Slo) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Benjamin King (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Rein Taaramae (Est) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky | |
DNF | Daniel Martin (Irl) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Dmitrii Kozonchuk (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky | |
DNF | Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky | |
DNF | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky | |
DNF | Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Kévin Reza (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Clement Chevrier (Fra) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Jonathan Fumeaux (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Pirmin Lang (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Arthur Van Overberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
DNF | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
DNF | Jérôme Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Cheng Ji (Chn) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
DNF | Clément Venturini (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Boris Dron (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Andreas Stauff (Ger) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
DNF | Jesper Asselman (Ned) Team Roompot | |
DNF | Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Yohan Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Ivan Rovny (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
DNF | Romain Guillemois (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Fredrik Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
DNF | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
DNF | Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
DNF | Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
DNF | Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge |
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