Flèche Wallonne 2023 Preview And Favorites
Flèche Wallonne 2023 Preview And Favorites
Can Tadej Pogacar do it? Win the Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday en route to Liège-Bastogne-Liège after claiming the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race?
Can Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) do it? Win the Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday en route to Liège-Bastogne-Liège after claiming the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race?
The short mid-week race usually leads up to the bigger near-by monument Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but it takes a special skill set to win the race. Like the Lombardia is known for its Ghisallo and Paris-Roubaix for the Arenberg Forest, for Flèche Wallonne its the Mur de Huy.
After 200km, the Flèche Wallonne ends with a 1.3km long climb at an insane 9.6% average and ramps shooting up to 20%. Alejandro Valverde dominated the race in recent years with five wins, then it was Julian Alaphilippe with three. The winner always was able to wait as long as possible before showing his cards in the last 100 meters uphill to the line.
It is a violent, last-minute, effort that involves waiting, watching and then, attacking. FloBikes will have the race live and on demand for viewers in Canada, and highlights and related content for viewers worldwide.
Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) played it well last year to win over Valverde and Aleksandr Vlasov. Teuns is sick and won't be racing, Valverde retired, Vlasov MIA with Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday his focus.
Look for Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), Thomas Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) and Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech). Woods was sixth in 2022 ahead of Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar), another favorite for Wednesday. Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), second in Brabantse Pijl and Amstel Gold Race will be at the top of the potential winners' list.
But what about Tadej Pogacar? He stormed solo with 18km to race in the Tour of Flanders. When he resurfaced again Sunday in the Amstel Gold Race, he went on his own for the final 28km. He is THE out-right favorite for Flèche Wallonne.
Pogacar, however, will have to suffer the waiting game. And he doesn't like that, but doing so will most likely see him victorious again.
Attacking early in Flèche Wallonne comes with no rewards, the winners historically hold fire until the village of Huy and the 1.3km road that rises above. Famous for its cycling race that will crown another king Wednesday.
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