La Flèche Wallonne 2025, 23rd April

[Salvarani]

And Merckx lost. 800 km was always his kryptonite in one-day races.

The last 50km is always the hardest after 800km.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The last 50km is always the hardest after 800km.

Yes, that's also how I always feel during my 51 km rides.

 

[Sciatic]

memoire-du-cyclisme.eu has the info on dates, results and length, but you may need to use archive.org.

First finish on the Mur in 1985 was 246 km long. The race was shortened since 1990 (going from 253 km the previous year to 208 km).

EDIT: Ah, I see the official site has the length for all editions listed: https://www.la-fleche-wallonne.be/en/history

EDIT2: By the time of the winner, 1985 was probably 219 km long.

Thanks for those resources—I will enjoy digging into memoire sometime.

 

[Sciatic]

The last 50km is always the hardest after 800km.

Oh yeah, I’ve always found that to be true

 

[Lequack]

UAE backstage

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Ms7VdZ3g0&feature=youtu.be

 

[Medvind]

Maybe we should have predicted Pog's incredible final on Huy considering how he rode on Koppenberg i RVV, only MVDP could follow then, rest was obliterated. Sure, climbs are not the same same, but what Koppenberg showed was that Pog's one minute power for a 65 kg guy is enormous.

 

[Red Rick]

Maybe we should have predicted Pog's incredible final on Huy considering how he rode on Koppenberg i RVV, only MVDP could follow then, rest was obliterated. Sure, climbs are not the same same, but what Koppenberg showed was that Pog's one minute power for a 65 kg guy is enormous.

The very big difference is that that's seated which usually doesn't translate too well to the Mur which a protracted out of the saddle uphill sprint

 

[Medvind]

The very big difference is that that's seated which usually doesn't translate too well to the Mur which a protracted out of the saddle uphill sprint

Agree, Pog is just something different, he could use his incredible seated power to just storm up Huy. Not often one see that, but how recent in modern era have we seen a RVV winner also win FW?

 

[Netserk]

Wasn't he also seated in 2023? Back then I read about how he had a tilted saddle to better allow that.

 

[Red Rick]

Wasn't he also seated in 2023? Back then I read about how he had a tilted saddle to better allow that.

More than most but when the sprint started he got off of his ass.

 

[Medvind]

Wasn't he also seated in 2023? Back then I read about how he had a tilted saddle to better allow that.

No, he wasn't, However, he sat a lot, but stod up a couple of times, for example when Bardet attacked.