3 mn thread: 🇧🇪 Wall of Huy 2026, Apr 22
Okay, okay, this is the Flèche Wallone this Wednesday😉, but it has been, what, 20 years that almost everyone wait and relies on the last mile to make a decision, in spite of a triple climb of the Wall of Huy and a couple of other climbs in the circuit? Heck, no, even half-a-mile is considered very adventurous on this race. 😀
Tomorrow, there won't be any top guy. As on the Amstel on Sunday, the field of riders will probably be one of the weakest the race ever welcomed. (And wait for the Tour of Romandie next week, with a startlist even shorter than the ones of the French 2.1 in February, despite the presence of Pogatchar...).
Skjelmose (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek) may be the favourite if the temperature remains mild (he is the Dane who can't bear cold) and if he stops completing his collection of traffic signs. Behind him we may find a gang of four members of the French Connection🇫🇷: Grégoire (FDJ), Martinez (Barhrain), Seixas (Decathlon) or Vauquelin (Ineos). The race is too far from the Basque Country and Izagirre and Arranburu (🇪🇸 Cofidis) normally lose their superpowers at that distance.
https://www.la-fleche-wallonne.be/en/Open linkView original on sh.itjust.works
Nothing happened but crashes and crashes – did the wind play a part in the number of crashes?
I hadn't picked Schmid🇨🇭 as a favourite, for I thought he was too heavy for this specific exercise. Well, he didn't believe me, obviously 😃
Tulett🇬🇧, I hadn't considered at all! And he did the whole climb at the front, next to Seixas🇫🇷. he was dropped in the end by the Frenchman, but still... I hope for him he doesn't get relegated because he cornered a bit Cosnefroy🇫🇷 in the last straight.
Skjelmose🇩🇰 remained behind, hidden in 3^rd^ or 4^th^ line. Willingly? Anyway, even if he finished rather well, he remained far from the first ones.
Izagirre🇪🇸 had brought with him a bit of Basque dirt in a box. That's his best result in the 11 editions he raced.
Grégoire🇫🇷 looked fine and then not any more. 9^th^ is his worst result here, despite the lack of mutants (well, if we don't count Seixas🇫🇷 as a mutant) on the race this year.
I don't know if Vauquelin🇫🇷 had time to get his bike back before the Wall, or if he had to do with his teammate's bike.