A strong and versatile team is ready for the 90th edition of the Belgian one-day race.
Mur de Huy. One of cycling’s most iconic climbs, which has become synonymous with Flèche Wallonne, another prestigious Classic that our team won multiple times. On Wednesday, the Mur de Hur awaits for another rendez-vous that promises to make again for one of the year’s most spectacular and breathtaking finales.
This year, as it celebrates nine decades since it held its first edition won by Belgium’s Philémon De Meersman, the race gets underway for the first time from Herstal, very close to Liège, and concludes after 200 kilometers, with the third ascent of the Mur de Huy (1.3km, 10%), on whose slopes the winner will once again emerge.
Steff Cras, Gil Gelders – a late replacement for Ilan Van Wilder, who has been struggling for fitness since picking up an infection in Tirreno-Adriatico – Junior Lecerf, Valentin Paret-Peintre – who spoke after finishing fourth at the Volta a Catalunya about the excitement of making his Flèche Wallonne debut this month – Mauri Vansevenant, Louis Vervaeke and Giro di Sardegna winner Filippo Zana will be the seven Soudal Quick-Step riders at the start of the season’s 18th World Tour race.
It’s a race with a legendary finish, and we’ll start it with a strong team, consisting of riders who have shown their form recently.
“Of course, the most likely scenario is a large group arriving at the bottom of the Mur de Huy and fighting for victory on those steep gradients, but we have riders who can also anticipate things and attack before in the hope of avoiding the traditional sprint on the Mur. As we said, we go there with a solid and versatile squad, and that gives us plenty of confidence in our chances of getting a good result”, said sports director Kevin Hulsmans.
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