La Flèche Wallonne 2013 (77th edition) will be held on Wednesday, April 17. The race is the first of two Belgian Ardennes classics (the other being the Liège-Bastogne-Liège).

Like any Belgian race, weather can alter things dramatically, but Wednesday’s forecast is calling for mild conditions, with mild temperatures in the upper 15.5°C (60°F) and a chance of afternoon showers.

Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha Team), the most recent winner of the La Flèche Wallonne, crashed out of Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race and only made the decision to race tomorrow after training for three hours Tuesday morning.

Other big favorites are 2011 winner Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale). But of course, the race is open to surprises.

La Flèche Wallonne 2013 Start List

Team Katusha

  1. Joaquím Rodríguez Oliver (Spa)
  2. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita)
  3. Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus)
  4. Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa)
  5. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa)
  6. Yury Trofimov (Rus)
  7. Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa)
  8. Eduard Vorganov (Rus)

Orica GreenEdge

  1. Michael Albasini (Swi)
  2. Simon Clarke (Aus)
  3. Michael Hepburn (Aus)
  4. Michael Matthews (Aus)
  5. Christian Meier (Can)
  6. Travis Meyer (Aus)
  7. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus)
  8. Pieter Weening (Ned)

BMC Racing Team

  1. Philippe Gilbert (Bel)
  2. Brent Bookwalter (Usa)
  3. Marcus Burghardt (Ger)
  4. Stephen Cummings (Gbr)
  5. Mathias Frank (Swi)
  6. Klaas Lodewyck (Bel)
  7. Amaël Moinard (Fra)
  8. Dominique Nerz (Ger)

Sky Procycling

  1. Richie Porte (Aus)
  2. Joshua Edmondson (Gbr)
  3. Sergio Henao Montoya (Col)
  4. Vasili Kiryienka (Blr)
  5. Salvatore Puccio (Ita)
  6. Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (Gbr)
  7. Rigoberto Uran (Col)

RadioShack Leopard

  1. Andy Schleck (Lux)
  2. Matthew Busche (Usa)
  3. Laurent Didier (Lux)
  4. Tony Gallopin (Fra)
  5. Ben Hermans (Bel)
  6. Maxime Monfort (Bel)
  7. Thomas Rohregger (Aut)
  8. Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa)

Cannondale Pro Cycling

  1. Peter Sagan (Svk)
  2. Stefano Agostini (Ita)
  3. Damiano Caruso (Ita)
  4. Alessandro De Marchi (Ita)
  5. Michel Koch (Ger)
  6. Moreno Moser (Ita)
  7. Maciej Paterski (Pol)
  8. Daniele Ratto (Ita)

Omega Pharma – Quick-Step

  1. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol)
  2. Kevin De Weert (Bel)
  3. Michal Golas (Pol)
  4. Serge Pauwels (Ned)
  5. Jérôme Pineau (Fra)
  6. Pieter Serry (Bel)
  7. Julien Vermote (Bel)
  8. Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa)

Garmin Sharp

  1. Ryder Hesjedal (Can)
  2. Thomas Dekker (Ned)
  3. Alex Howes (Usa)
  4. Michel Kreder (Ned)
  5. Daniel Martin (Irl)
  6. Peter Stetina (Usa)
  7. Fabian Wegmann (Ger)
  8. Nathan Haas (Aus)

Team Blanco

  1. Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned)
  2. Moreno Hofland (Ned)
  3. Paul Martens (Ger)
  4. Bauke Mollema (Ned)
  5. Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor)
  6. Bram Tankink (Ned)
  7. David Tanner (Aus)
  8. Laurens ten Dam (Ned)

Movistar Team

  1. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa)
  2. Andrei Amador Bipkazacova (Crc)
  3. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por)
  4. Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa)
  5. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa)
  6. Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa)
  7. Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col)
  8. Giovanni Visconti (Ita)

Team Saxo-Tinkoff

  1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa)
  2. Roman Kreuziger (Cze)
  3. Karsten Kroon (Ned)
  4. Nicolas Roche (Irl)
  5. Chris Anker Sørensen (Den)
  6. Nicki Sørensen (Den)
  7. Rory Sutherland (Aus)
  8. Oliver Zaugg (Swi)

Astana Pro Team

  1. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz)
  2. Jakob Fuglsang (Den)
  3. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita)
  4. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita)
  5. Andriy Grivko (Ukr)
  6. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz)
  7. Simone Ponzi (Ita)
  8. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel)

IAM Cycling

  1. Matthias Brändle (Aut)
  2. Rémi Cusin (Fra)
  3. Stefan Denifl (Aut)
  4. Pirmin Lang (Swi)
  5. Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda)
  6. Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi)
  7. Patrick Schelling (Swi)
  8. Marcel Wyss (Swi)

Sojasun

  1. Anthony Delaplace (Fra)
  2. Jonathan Hivert (Fra)
  3. Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra)
  4. Cyril Lemoine (Fra)
  5. Marino (Fra) Jean-Marc
  6. Julien Simon (Fra)
  7. Yannick Talabardon (Fra)
  8. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra)

Lampre-Merida

  1. Damiano Cunego (Ita)
  2. Matteo Bono (Ita)
  3. Davide Cimolai (Ita)
  4. Massimo Graziato (Ita)
  5. Manuele Mori (Ita)
  6. Daniele Pietropolli (Ita)
  7. Simone Stortoni (Ita)
  8. Diego Ulissi (Ita)

FDJ

  1. Arnold Jeannesson (Fra)
  2. Sandy Casar (Fra)
  3. Alexandre Geniez (Fra)
  4. Laurent Pichon (Fra)
  5. Cédric Pineau (Fra)
  6. Jérémy Roy (Fra)
  7. Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra)

Lotto Belisol

  1. Dennis Vanendert (Bel)
  2. Dirk Bellemakers (Ned)
  3. Gaetan Bille (Bel)
  4. Bart De Clercq (Bel)
  5. Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel)
  6. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel)
  7. Jelle Vanendert (Bel)
  8. Tim Wellens (Bel)

Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise

  1. Laurens De Vreese (Bel)
  2. Sander Helven (Bel)
  3. Pieter Jacobs (Bel)
  4. Eliot Lietaer (Bel)
  5. Stijn Neirynck (Bel)
  6. Preben Van Hecke (Bel)
  7. Arthur Van Overberghe (Bel)

Euskaltel Euskadi

  1. Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa)
  2. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa)
  3. Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa)
  4. Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa)
  5. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa)
  6. Miguel Minguez Ayala (Spa)
  7. Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa)
  8. Romain Sicard (Fra)

AG2R La Mondiale

  1. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita)
  2. Romain Bardet (Fra)
  3. Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col)
  4. Mickaël Chérel (Fra)
  5. John Gadret (Fra)
  6. Blel Kadri (Fra)
  7. Sébastien Minard (Fra)
  8. Matteo Montaguti (Ita)

Colombia

  1. Dalivier Ospina Navarro (Col)
  2. Juan Arango Carvajal (Col)
  3. Edwin Avila Vanegas (Col)
  4. Julio Camacho Bernal (Col)
  5. Robinson Chalapud (Col)
  6. Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (Col)
  7. Duber Quintero Artunduaga (Col)
  8. Juan Valencia (Col)

Accent Jobs – Wanty

  1. Tim De Troyer (Bel)
  2. Thomas Degand (Bel)
  3. Jérôme Gilbert (Bel)
  4. Gregory Habeaux (Bel)
  5. Will Routley (Can)
  6. Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel)
  7. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel)
  8. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra)

Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team

  1. Thomas De Gendt (Bel)
  2. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb)
  3. Maurits Lammertink (Ned)
  4. Pim Ligthart (Ned)
  5. Marco Marcato (Ita)
  6. Wout Poels (Ned)
  7. José Rujano Guillen (Ven)
  8. Lieuwe Westra (Ned)

Team Argos-Shimano

  1. Warren Barguil (Fra)
  2. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger)
  3. Simon Geschke (Ger)
  4. Yann Huguet (Fra)
  5. Thierry Hupond (Fra)
  6. Thomas Peterson (Usa)
  7. Georg Preidler (Aut)

Crelan – Euphony

  1. Sébastien Delfosse (Bel)
  2. Gilles Devillers (Bel)
  3. Reinier Honig (Ned)
  4. Egidijus Juodvalkis (Ltu)
  5. Christophe Premont (Bel)
  6. Klaas Sys (Bel)
  7. Maxime Vantomme (Bel)
  8. Frédéric Amorison (Bel)

La Flèche Wallonne History

La Flèche Wallonne was created to boost the sales of the newspaper Les Sports during the 1930s and was first run in 1936. While perhaps not as revered as one of the Classic ‘Monuments’, the race is widely regarded as a Classic and featured on the UCI Road World Cup and UCI ProTour. It became part of the UCI World Ranking calendar in 2009.

Like many cycle race events, the course has altered considerably over the years, both in route and length. The event was first run on roads from Tournai to Liège (growing from 236 km to 300 km – its longest ever distance – in 1938), after which Mons became the starting point.

From 1948, the race started at Charleroi; from 1960 the event ran in the opposite direction, starting at Liège and finishing at Charleroi (or, from 1965, Marcinelle). Some years have seen the event start and finish in the same place: Verviers (1974–1978) or Huy (1983–1985). From 1986, the race started in Spa and finished in Huy. Since 1990, the race distance has not exceeded 210 km.

Today, the 199.5 km event starts in Charleroi and heads east to Huy, where the riders do three laps of a tough circuit including the steep Mur de Huy (The wall of Huy) climb, with several sections steeper than 15% and up to 24.4% on one section. The finish is at the top of the Mur after the third ascent.

Mur de Huy

Mur de Huy
Mur de Huy. Photo by Ludovic PéronOwn work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

The Mur de Huy (English: Wall of Huy) is a 128 meters (420 ft) high hill located in Huy, Belgium. It is also known as le Chemin des Chapelles (English: The Path of the Chapels) because of the seven chapels along its route. The Mur de Huy has been the site of the finishing line of the Flèche Wallonne since 1983. It is climbed three times with the finishing line at the top of the last climb up the Mur. The climb has a length of 1,300 m (4,300 ft) with an average grade of 9.3% and some sections around 17% (up to 24.4% in one bend), the Flèche Wallonne is often decided on its slopes.

La Flèche Wallonne 2009, Mur de Huy
Riders are climbing Mur de Huy, La Flèche Wallonne 2009
  • Total Distance: 1375.3 meters
  • Start Elevation: 75.56 meters
  • Finish Elevation: 202.56 meters
  • Elevation differential: 127 meters
  • Avg. Gradient: 9.2%
  • Max. Gradient: 24.4%
Mur de Huy Profile
Mur de Huy Profile (photo: brentacol.com)

La Flèche Wallonne 2013 Race Profile

La Flèche Wallonne 2013 profile
La Flèche Wallonne 2013 profile

Sources

M. Özgür Nevres

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