{"id":539998,"date":"2026-04-19T21:18:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T21:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/539998\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T21:18:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T21:18:14","slug":"profile-route-fleche-wallonne-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/539998\/","title":{"rendered":"Profile & Route Fl\u00e8che Wallonne 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the 22nd of April the peloton tackles the second of the Ardennes classics: La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne. The Belgian classic is marked by the multiple ascents of the famous Mur de Huy, the only one of the week’s tryptic that features a summit finish. We take a look at its profile.<\/p>\n

The race was created in 1936 with Phil\u00e9mon De Meersman taking the first win; and Marcel Kint taking three triumphs consecutively less than 10 years before it was created. Rik van Steenbergen, Fausto Coppi, Raymond Poulidor, Eddy Merckx, Rik van Looy, Roger de Vlaeminck, Francesco Moser, Bernard Hinault, Laurent Fignon, Laurence Armstrong and Laurent Jalabert are amongst the winners of this race.<\/p>\n

There is a combination of classics specialists and climbers that have won this race including Davide Rebellin, Cadel Evans, Philippe Gilbert, Alejandro Valverde (four times from 2014 to 2017)… The most recent editions have been won by Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Hirschi, Dylan Teuns, Tadej Pogacar and Stephen Williams. In 2025 Pogacar took a comfortable win with a seated attack on the Mur de Huy<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\nProfile: Herstal – Mur de Huy\"Profile_FlecheWallonne2026\"\/<\/p>\n

Herstal – Mur de Huy, 205.5 kilometers<\/p>\n

205 kilometers and 3100 meters of climbing. That is the data you\u2019ve got for this race, it is one that doesn\u2019t feature any long ascent however it does feature a lot of rolling roads throughout the entire route. It’s a classic that suits the pure puncheurs and also some climbers, a race which is frequently quite controlled and sees a sprint finish up the very steep ramps of the final climb. The race starts in Chey, and has more climbing and distance than last year’s route due to the return of the C\u00f2te de Cherave.<\/p>\n

This however has proven to be over the year a race which is only decided in the final climb, hence most favourites will just ride as conservatively as possibly until that point whilst their teams to the work to control the race. The race is decided on a circuit, of which there will be three laps of 37 kilometers in distance.<\/p>\n

In each lap we’ve got the C\u00f4te d’Ereffe, summiting with 18.5 kilometers to go, having 2.2 kilometers at 5.4%. A small hilltop follows, but then the very fast and furious run-in to the Mur de Huy begins and that is where the race will be decided. Before getting there, there will be the C\u00f4te de Cherave which is 1.3 kilometers long at 7%, ending with 5.5 to go.<\/p>\n

A grind, an ascent that gets steeper all the way up. It\u2019s a pure anaerobic effort, and is ideal for the lightweight puncheurs and climbers. The ascent is 1.2 kilometers long at 10.3% and gets steeper and steeper towards the finish line. It’s an effort that is gradually upped all the way. The fight into the bottom of the climb is every year very intense, and once there it’s usually a lead up into the spring. The final 300 meters are very steep and so riders frequently try slightly earlier, but a long-range attack is unlikely to succeed.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/List of winners Fl\u00e8che WallonneYearCountryRiderTeam1936\u00a0BelgiumPhilemon De MeersmanLa Fran\u00e7aise1937\u00a0BelgiumAdolph BraeckeveldtHelyett1938\u00a0Belgium\u00c9mile Masson Jr.1939\u00a0BelgiumEdmond DelathouwerLeducq-Mercier1940No race1941\u00a0BelgiumSylvain Grysolle1942\u00a0BelgiumKarel Thijs1943\u00a0BelgiumMarcel Kint1944\u00a0BelgiumMarcel Kint1945\u00a0BelgiumMarcel Kint1946\u00a0BelgiumD\u00e9sir\u00e9 KeteleerGroene Leeuw1947\u00a0BelgiumErnest SterckxAlcyon\u2013Dunlop1948\u00a0ItalyFermo CamelliniM\u00e9tropole1949\u00a0BelgiumRik Van SteenbergenMercier\u2013Hutchinson1950\u00a0ItalyFausto CoppiBianchi\u2013Ursus1951\u00a0\u00a0SwitzerlandFerdi K\u00fcblerTebag1952\u00a0\u00a0SwitzerlandFerdi K\u00fcblerTebag1953\u00a0BelgiumStan OckersPeugeot\u2013Dunlop1954\u00a0BelgiumGermain DeryckeAlcyon\u2013Dunlop1955\u00a0BelgiumStan OckersElv\u00e9\u2013Peugeot1956\u00a0BelgiumRichard Van GenechtenElv\u00e9\u2013Peugeot1957\u00a0BelgiumRaymond ImpanisPeugeot-BP1958\u00a0BelgiumRik Van SteenbergenElv\u00e9\u2013Peugeot\u2013Marvan1959\u00a0BelgiumJos HoevenaersFaema1960\u00a0BelgiumPino CeramiPeugeot\u2013BP\u2013Dunlop1961\u00a0BelgiumWilly VannitsenGitane\u2013Geminiani\u2013Leroux\u2013Dunlop1962\u00a0BelgiumHenri De WolfBaratti\u2013Milano1963\u00a0FranceRaymond PoulidorMercier\u2013BP\u2013Hutchinson1964\u00a0BelgiumGilbert DesmetWiel’s\u2013Groene Leeuw1965\u00a0ItalyRoberto PoggialiIgnis1966\u00a0ItalyMichele DancelliMolteni1967\u00a0BelgiumEddy MerckxPeugeot\u2013BP\u2013Michelin1968\u00a0BelgiumRik Van LooyWillem II\u2013Gazelle1969\u00a0BelgiumJos HuysmansDr.Mann\u2013Grundig1970\u00a0BelgiumEddy MerckxFaemino1971\u00a0BelgiumRoger De VlaeminckMars\u2013Flandria1972\u00a0BelgiumEddy MerckxMolteni1973\u00a0BelgiumAndr\u00e9 DierickxFlandria\u2013Shimano\u2013Carpenter1974\u00a0BelgiumFrans VerbeeckWatney\u2013Maes1975\u00a0BelgiumAndr\u00e9 DierickxRokado1976\u00a0NetherlandsJoop ZoetemelkGan\u2013Mercier\u2013Hutchinson1977\u00a0ItalyFrancesco MoserSanson1978\u00a0FranceMichel LaurentPeugeot\u2013Esso\u2013Michelin1979\u00a0FranceBernard HinaultRenault\u2013Gitane\u2013Campagnolo1980\u00a0ItalyGiuseppe SaronniGis Gelati\u2013Colnago1981\u00a0BelgiumDaniel WillemsCapri Sonne\u2013Koga Miyata1982\u00a0ItalyMario BecciaHoonved\u2013Bottechia1983\u00a0FranceBernard HinaultRenault\u2013Elf\u2013Gitane1984\u00a0DenmarkKim AndersenCoop\u2013Hoonved1985\u00a0BelgiumClaude CriquielionHitachi\u2013Splendor\u2013Sunair1986\u00a0FranceLaurent FignonSyst\u00e8me U1987\u00a0FranceJean-Claude LeclercqToshiba\u2013Look1988\u00a0West GermanyRolf G\u00f6lzSuperconfex\u2013Yoko1989\u00a0BelgiumClaude CriquielionHitachi\u2013Merckx\u2013Mavic1990\u00a0ItalyMoreno ArgentinAriostea1991\u00a0ItalyMoreno ArgentinAriostea1992\u00a0ItalyGiorgio FurlanAriostea1993\u00a0ItalyMaurizio FondriestLampre1994\u00a0ItalyMoreno ArgentinGewiss\u2013Ballan1995\u00a0FranceLaurent JalabertONCE1996\u00a0United StatesLance ArmstrongMotorola1997\u00a0FranceLaurent JalabertONCE1998\u00a0DenmarkBo HamburgerCasino\u2013Ag2r1999\u00a0ItalyMichele BartoliMapei\u2013Quick-Step2000\u00a0ItalyFrancesco CasagrandeVini Caldirola\u2013Sidermec2001\u00a0BelgiumRik VerbruggheLotto\u2013Adecco2002\u00a0BelgiumMario AertsLotto\u2013Adecco2003\u00a0SpainIgor AstarloaSaeco2004\u00a0ItalyDavide RebellinGerolsteiner2005\u00a0ItalyDanilo Di LucaLiquigas\u2013Bianchi2006\u00a0SpainAlejandro ValverdeCaisse d’Epargne\u2013Illes Balears2007\u00a0ItalyDavide RebellinGerolsteiner2008\u00a0LuxembourgKim KirchenTeam High Road2009\u00a0ItalyDavide RebellinDiquigiovanni\u2013Androni2010\u00a0AustraliaCadel EvansBMC Racing Team2011\u00a0BelgiumPhilippe GilbertOmega Pharma\u2013Lotto2012\u00a0SpainJoaquim Rodr\u00edguezTeam Katusha2013\u00a0SpainDaniel MorenoTeam Katusha2014\u00a0SpainAlejandro ValverdeMovistar Team2015\u00a0SpainAlejandro ValverdeMovistar Team2016\u00a0SpainAlejandro ValverdeMovistar Team2017\u00a0SpainAlejandro ValverdeMovistar Team2018\u00a0FranceJulian AlaphilippeQuick-Step Floors2019\u00a0FranceJulian AlaphilippeDeceuninck\u2013Quick-Step2020\u00a0\u00a0SwitzerlandMarc HirschiTeam Sunweb2021\u00a0FranceJulian AlaphilippeDeceuninck\u2013Quick-Step2022\u00a0BelgiumDylan TeunsTeam Bahrain Victorious2023\u00a0SloveniaTadej Poga\u010darUAE Team Emirates2024\u00a0Great BritainStephen WilliamsIsrael\u2013Premier Tech2025\u00a0SloveniaTadej Poga\u010darUAE Team Emirates XRG<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On the 22nd of April the peloton tackles the second of the Ardennes classics: La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne. 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