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La Flèche Wallonne: September 30th, 2020

Who will win La Flèche Wallonne 2020?


  • Total voters
    79
  • Poll closed .
The fall has begun, so it's time for the spring classics! On Wednesday the first of two races in the Belgian Ardennes will take place. With its finish on the steep Mur de Huy La Flèche Wallonne can be seen as the unofficial world championship for uphill sprinters. In the past there were editions with successful longer attacks, but in the current decade it was always a game of waiting for that one explosion in the final km. Julian Alaphilippe is expected to show up for his first race in the rainbow jersey. Five time winner Alejandro Valverde won't be starting, but his absence will be compensated by the presence of some other big names, including two Slovenians. [Edited] [Note: Vote "Other" if you mean Alaphilippe".]

The course is different from last year, with the Côte du Chemin des Gueuses as the new penultimate climb. It's longer but less steep than last year's Côte de Cherave, and a bit further before the Mur. The final consists of three local laps with the trio Ereffe-Gueuses-Mur.

profiel.jpg


muur-van-hoei.jpg


Climbs:
Côte de Trasenster(172 km)
Côte d'Ereffe (83 km)
Côte du Chemin des Gueuses (74 km)
Mur de Huy (64 km)
Côte d'Ereffe (51 km)
Côte du Chemin des Gueuses (42 km)
Mur de Huy (32 km)
Côte d'Ereffe (19 km) [2.1 km @ 5%]
Côte du Chemin des Gueuses (10 km) [1.8 km @ 6.5%]
Mur de Huy (0 km) [1.3 km @ 9.6%]

Recent winners:
2010 Cadel Evans
2011 Philippe Gilbert
2012 Joaquim Rodríguez
2013 Daniel Moreno
2014 Alejandro Valverde
2015 Alejandro Valverde
2016 Alejandro Valverde
2017 Alejandro Valverde
2018 Julian Alaphilippe
2019 Julian Alaphilippe
 
Last edited:
I think the reference is to the profile which seems to suggest the finish is not on the Mur at all!
Yes, that's weird. It's like that on the official website. Something must have gone wrong in the copying process. Riders will be in for a surprise if they trust that profile... :astonished:

Now I wish I could find a way to replace "Other" by "Alaphilippe" in the poll...
 
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Yes, that's weird. It's like that on the official website. Something must have gone wrong in the copying process. Riders will be in for a surprise if they trust that profile... :astonished:

Now I wish I could find a way to replace "Other" by "Alaphilippe" in the poll...
It is the same in PCM for AGR I think, quite tricky when you don't expect the last ramp and you are already toasted...

Maybe someone can follow Alaphilippe when he goes, but I doubt it.
 
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Really not impressed with Alaphilippe skipping a major classic that he’s red hot favourite for. And I’m surprised Lefevere didn’t apply a boot to his rear end for even suggesting it.

with all of the traditional contenders in recent years either absent or apparently out of form it’s a big chance for someone with little pedigree in major hilly classics to get one on his palmares
 
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Really not impressed with Alaphilippe skipping a major classic that he’s red hot favourite for. And I’m surprised Lefevere didn’t apply a boot to his rear end for even suggesting it.

with all of the traditional contenders in recent years either absent or apparently out of form it’s a big chance for someone with little pedigree in major hilly classics to get one on his palmares
He's already won this one twice. It's the one on Sunday that's the big fish.

Lefevere likely remembers Kwiatkowski cramping up and barely surviving to the finish in Lombardia in his first race after winning Worlds, and doesn't intend to overpush Alaf.
 

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