It’s a wild midweek race that defines the Ardennes trio. A bunch of pros ride hard for hours, then it all explodes on the last climb. There’s usually a selection before, but it still turns into a drag race up the Mur de Huy for the win.
Good news for Canadian fans: there are eight Canucks on the start lists across both races.
On the men’s side, Hugo Houle (Alpecin-Premier Tech) lines up again after racing Amstel Gold Race and Brabantse Pijl. He’s joined by Michael Leonard (EF Education-EasyPost) and Pier-André Côté (NSN Cycling).
2026 Flèche Wallonne
The women’s field is where Canada is really stacked. Magdeleine Vallières Mill (EF Education-Oatly) leads the group after a strong spring and will be one to watch on the Mur. She’s joined by Olivia Baril (Movistar), Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek), Alison Jackson and Clara Emond (St Michel–Preference Home–Auber93), and Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike). Holmgren is still being carefully managed early in her season, with this only her third race day of the year.
As for Vallières Mill, the Ardennes races are a big goal for her. She will be there in the finale of Flèche, but the punchiness may suit someone like Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney or Demi Vollering more. The world champ will be in the mix, but Liège–Bastogne–Liège, with its attritional nature, may suit her better for a big result. Either way, can we talk about how cool it is to have a Canadian in the rainbow jersey at all these races?
The Mur de Huy
The course is the same familiar pattern: Côte d’Ereffe, Côte de Cherave, and then the Mur de Huy. Repeat, repeat, then it blows apart.
It almost always comes down to a reduced group hitting the final ramp together. From there, it’s about timing, courage, and surviving the punishment to the line.
Coverage is available on FloBikes, with Canadian Cycling Magazine reporting from both the men’s and women’s races. You can watch the men’s race beginning at 6:45 a.m. EDT, and the women’s at 10:45 a.m. EDT.
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