La Fleche Wallonne - Live coverage

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All the action as Alaphilippe defends his title on the Mur de Huy

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The peloton has gathered in Blegny-Mine for the start of Flèche Wallonne. The roll-out is at 11.25 local time, with the bunch due to hit kilometre zero at 11.30. There are 11 climbs along the 202km route, but this race usually comes down to the final haul up to the finish at the Mur de Huy. Since Igor Astarloa's victory in 2003, after all, no move before the final climb up the Mur de Huy has succeeded in staying away. Can somebody finally buck the trend this afternoon?

The peloton has rolled out of Blegny-Mine and the 2022 Flèche Wallonne is formally underway.

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The climbs on the menu today are as follows:

Julian Alaphilippe

Julian Alaphilippe reports for duty in search of a fourth Flèche Wallonne victory. (Image credit: Daniel Ostanek)

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Daniel Ostanek is on the Mur de Huy for Cyclingnews today, and you can read his preview of the race here. 

The race first finished in Huy in 1983, with the finale shifting to the Mur itself in 1985. That alteration, at least according to lore, was with local favourite Claude Criquielion in mind, given his limitations in the sprint. He duly won that 1985 edition in the rainbow jersey of world champion, and he added a second victory atop the Mur de Huy in 1989.

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A year ago, Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates missed this race due to what later emerged to be false positives for COVID-19 on the team. He made amends by winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège the following Sunday and he downplayed the idea that he was out for a revenge this afternoon. 

Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), fresh from his exertions at Paris-Roubaix, counter-attacks from the peloton in the company of Luc Wirtgen (Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces) in a bid to bridge up to the eight leaders.

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The escapees, meanwhile, are bounding up the Côte de Tancrémont, the day's first climb.

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Rolland, Impey and the escapees approach the day's second climb, the Côte des Forges (1.3km at 7.8%) with a lead north of three minutes over the bunch.

A fine effort from Wirgten, who bridges across to the leaders on the Côtes des Forges. Reynders, meanwhile, still has a handful of seconds to recoup.

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Reynders has succeeded in making it across to the break, leaving ten riders at the head of the race with a lead of 2:25 on the peloton.

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Ineos and UAE Team Emirates set the pace in the peloton. The British squad have Tom Pidcock and the on-form Daniel Martinez in action this afternoon, while UAE Team Emirates can count on Tadej Pogačar and 2020 winner Marc Hirschi.

The next classified climb, the Côte d'Ereffe, is 45km or so away, but there is precious little by way of flat road in this corner of the world. The ten escapees are negotiating the gentle undulations smoothly for now and collaborating well. Their lead over the peloton nudges out once again towards three minutes.

QuickStep-AlphaVinyl are also contributing to the chase effort at the head of the peloton. Three-time winner Julian Alaphilippe is the team's most obvious option on the Mur de Huy, but one wonders if Remco Evenepoel will be left off the leash to attack before the final haul up the climb. QuickStep, certainly, are in dire need of a big result in the Classics after their lacklustre campaign on the cobbles. 

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Bruno Armirail is in this move for Groupama-FDJ, who enjoyed a fine run in the cobbled Classics through Stefan Küng and Valentin Madouas. Their Ardennes prospects, however, have been limited by the absence of David Gaudu, who misses today's race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège after his preparation was hampered by bronchitis. The Breton made a strong start to 2022 at the Volta ao Algarve, and the Ardennes were an important target after his third place in Liège last year.

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Geraint Thomas is among the delegation of Ineos riders posted towards the head of the peloton. Remarkably, this is the Welshman's first-ever appearance at Flèche Wallonne. Indeed, on Sunday, he is slated to make what will be only his second start at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. His previous appearance came in his golden year of 2018, though he made little impact in the race on that occasion.

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Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan) is back at Flèche Wallonne for the first time since 2018. His best finish on the Mur de Huy was 8th in 2012, which preceded his best Liège-Bastogne-Liège showing of 2nd the following weekend, when he was caught and passed by Maxim Iglinskiy in the finale. “It’s a long time since I’ve been here so it’s nice to be back racing in Belgium," Nibali said at the start. "Today I’ll see how I am for Liège and the Giro. I’ve recovered well since Sicily, I had two quiet days at home. Today’s finish in not suited to my characteristics, but maybe as a team, we’ll look to anticipate if we can. But in any case, it’s a good chance for me to test my condition. There’ll be a duel between [Pogačar and Alaphilippe] on the Mur de Huuy but there’ll be some outsiders in the mix too. In any case, we’ve usually seen that the race will be decided on the last time up the Mur.”

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Benoit Cosnefroy, who placed second in 2020, has to change bikes and the Frenchmman is now chasing back on through the team cars.

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Jens Reynders leads the escapees over the top of the Côte d’Ereffe. Back in the bunch, meanwhile, a few riders have crashed after getting tangled up on the climb. Winner Anacona (Arkea-Samsic) is among them, but he gets a replacement bike from a teammate  and presses on quickly.

The ten leaders remain together after the Côte d'Ereffe and their buffer over the peloton stands at 1:33 with eight climbs remaining.

The next ascent on the agenda is the Côte de Cherave (1.3km at 8.1%), which is a little under 10km away. 

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Pierre Rolland leads the break over the top of the Côte de Cherave. Back in the peloton, meanwhile, a number of riders are beginning to lose contact, including Vegard Stake Laengen, who did so much work for UAE Team Emirates early in the race.

Tom Pidcock is sitting towards the rear of the peloton over the top of the Côte de Cherave. It will be fascinating to see if the Briton or Daniel Martinez is Ineos' chief option in the finale.

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Movistar show themselves for the first time at the front on the first ascent of the Mur de Huy. Alejandro Valverde is making his final appearance in a race he has won five times.

Pidcock looks to be struggling at the rear of the peloton on this first ascent of the Mur de Huy. Remco Evenepoel, by contrast, looks very smooth indeed near the front and one wonders if the Belgian might soon be on the offensive. 

Pidcock has been distanced over the top of the Mur de Huy, and he is clearly not going to be in contention for victory this afternoon. 

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Tom Pidcock has abandoned Flèche Wallonne. We await confirmation of the reason, but the Briton's Classics campaign has, of course, already been blighted by illness.

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Meanwhile, the break's lead has dropped to 50 seconds as the pace ratchets up in the peloton.

The race is doubling back towards its second ascent over the Côte d'Ereffe (2.1km at 5%). 

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Out in front, the break fragments still further, with Juul Jensen and Hulgaard dropped on the lower slopes of the climb. Pierre Rolland lasts a little longer, but he, too, is distanced as Armirail sets the tempo.

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Jan Bakelants (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) attacks from the peloton after the Ereffe and the Belgian is trying to forge across to the remants of the break.

At the rear of the peloton, meanwhile, the on-form Warren Barguil (Arkea-Samsic) stops for a bike change, but he quickly rejoins the fray.

Anthony Delaplace drops back to help Barguil back up to the rear of the peloton. The Breton is among the team cars and should make it back by the next climb, the Côte de Cherave.

Bakelants makes it across to Juul Jensen, Rolland and Hulgaard, who were dropped from the break on the Ereffe. This quartet is 1:08 down on the five leaders, while the peloton has relented slightly and sits at 1:41.

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Jan Polanc has also dropped back to help Pogacar's pursuit. The speed was already picking up on the approach to the Cherave, but Pogacar will make it back on.

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Pogačar, meanwhile, has rejoined the peloton just before the start of the Côte de Cherave. 

Alberto Bettioli accelerates on the Cherave to tee up an attack from his EF-EasyPost teammate Simon Carr. That move has seen the Bakelants group pegged back by the peloton. Carr bounds clear of the bunch, where Mauri Vansevenant sets the pace for QuickStep.

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) is dropped from the bunch on the Cherave, as the pace rises in response to Carr's attack.

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Geraint Thomas takes over at the head of the peloton for Ineos, with Kwiatkowski tucked in on his wheel. Following Pidcock's abandon, Daniel Martinez appears to be the Ineos leader this afternoon.

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Ferron leads the peloton on the Mur de Huy, where Guglielmi loses contact through the famous S-bend. Carr, meanwhile, closes to within 17 seconds. The peloton, which sped into the climb, has taken a steadier pace on the slopes of the Mur itself, and the gap is out to 55 seconds.

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Matt Holmes (Lotto Soudal) attacks over the other side of the Mur de Huy. He doesn't manage to break away just yet, but he has strung out the peloton considerably.

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On the last time through this exposed section, Bahrain Victorious made an attempt to split the race in the crosswinds, but there has not yet been a similar effort this time around.

The pace is high, mind, with Louis Vevake winding things up for QuickStep.

-25km

The leaders are 5km or so from the Côte d'Ereffe. A reminder of the three climbs left in the finale:

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Carr presses on with Ferron on his wheel. Armirail, Impey, Guglielmi and Janssens are sticking to their task not far behind, while the Bahrain-led peloton is at 32 seconds. 

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Daryl Impey (Israel-PremierTech), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Fenix) and Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic) are caught by the peloton, leaving two riders out in front, Valentin Ferron (TotalEnergies) and Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost).

-15km

Ferron was struggling to hold Carr's wheel on the climb, but the Frenchman has been a most willing contributor to the pace-making over the other side. The two leaders retain a gap of 17 seconds over the peloton, but they surely won't survive over the Cherave. 

-13km

Israel Premier Tech join the pace-making effort at the head of the peloton on behalf of Michael Woods. Daryl Impey gives a turn after his exertions in the early break.

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Remy Rochas (Cofidis) zips off the front on the Cherave with Mauri Vansevenant (QuickStep) on his wheel. 

Rochas kicks again and rids himself of Vansevenant. The Frenchman is alone at the head of the race with a buffer of a few seconds over the Ineos-led peloton.

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Andersen presses on undeterred as the two leaders hug the south bank of the Meuse. They have 17 seconds on the Israel Premier Tech-led peloton.

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Michal Kwiatkowski winds up the pace for Ineos, who have Daniel Martinez and Carlos Rodriguez lined up with intent near the front.

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Andersen and Vansevenant are caught with 900m to go. Enric Mas takes up the pace-making for Movistar, with Dylan Teuns and Vlasov on his wheel...

Alejandro Valverde moves up behind Mas and looks poised to make his effort, but a seated Pogacar is also cruising up the outside...

Mas leads through the S-bend with his Movistar leader Valverde on his wheel. 300 metres to go...

Vlasov and Valverde are in front, but then Teuns launches his effort. This trio have opened a gap...

Teuns and Valverde pull away, and it looks like it will be between these two...

Valverde tries to raise the pace as the road flattens out, but he can't get past Teuns... 

Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) wins La Flèche Wallone ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe).

Pogacar was well placed, but he simply couldn't follow the move from Teuns, Valverde and Vlasov. Alaphilippe was further back and he made a fearsome effort to rip past Pogacar, but he never looked like getting on back on terms with Teuns and Valverde.

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Result
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain Victorious 4:42:12
2Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:02
3Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Bora-Hansgrohe
4Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 0:00:05
5Daniel Martinez Poveda (Col) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:07
6Michael Woods (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
7Ruben Guerreiro (Por) EF Education-EasyPost
8Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
9Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
10Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) TotalEnergies

Dylan Teuns beats Alejandro Valverde on the Mur de Huy.

(Image credit: Getty)

La Flche Wallonne 2022 86th Edition Blegny Mur de Huy 2021 km 20042022 Dylan Teuns BEL Bahrain Victorious Alejandro Valverde ESP Movistar Team photo Dion KerckhoffsCVSprintCyclingAgency2022

(Image credit: Dion Kerckhoffs/CVSprintCyclingAgency)

Dylan Teuns on his victory: "It's maybe not always the best one who wins, but on the Mur it's definitely a climb where you need the legs and today I had strong legs. Maybe I was the strongest today. I knew a little bit the place where he always makes the first acceleration. Five years ago when I became third I was there in the wheel, and when he made the second move I couldn't follow anymore. Today, I made the second move and I felt him coming but I still had a little left in the legs to keep him behind me.

Julian Alaphilippe on his fourth place: "The first feeling is that I’m relieved, relieved the race is over. I obviously had quite a bit of pressure on my shoulders before the race and I just tried to do the best race possible. I don’t have regrets because the team did great work today. In the final, the legs spoke. I did what I could. I think my positioning wasn’t too bad, and even if I had been further up, I don’t think I could have won. No regrets.

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