2021 Fleche Wallonne Preview
When you hit the wall, just push on through… two more times. Yes, the Fleche Wallonne is here, bringing three ascents of the fearsome Mur de Huy. As is tradition, the final ascent is also the finish. Expect a few mistimed closing attacks-cum-sprints before the winner, who looked like he’d left it too late, gasps past them and across the line.
There are no spectators, which stings a bit on this special climb. Get your vaccines so we can go back to being at bike races again. Plus that 5G implant really improves your download speeds.
Where to Watch
UK and Europe: Eurosport & GCN
USA: NBC Sports Gold (Hey, remember them?!)
Canada: Flobikes
Australia: GCN+
Route
It’s Charleroi to Huy. What more is there to say? Savage climb at the end. Tadej Pogacar wins it.
Startlist
2021 Fleche Wallonne startlist (external site)
Ones to Watch
*2015-2020 winner* Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) – It’s terribly off-brand that we only ever include the men in our Ones to Watch. But it’d go beyond ‘off-brand’ and straight into ‘criminal’ if we didn’t mention Anna van der Breggen. She’s won every edition since 2015. Every one. That’s cycling’s longest winning streak, and it’s the all-time record for Fleche wins (for comparison men’s record holder Alejandro Valverde has accumulated five in his 85 years as a pro cyclist). All eyes will be on her.
*2020 winner* Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) – Last year’s winner isn’t looking too sharp after a whole shitstorm of nonsense consumed him the moment he finished celebrating his win. He looked off the pace at Amstel Gold, and while he thinks he can still find his legs for Fleche or Liege, we’re not convinced.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) – Hirschi’s teammate is the better bet this year. That brutal finish has the honor of deceiving even the more experienced names in the sport, but Pogacar is a tactically astute rider with a serious kick when the road’s at its steepest.
Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) – It’s hard to ignore a pedigree like Alaphilippe’s back-to-back victories in 2018 and 2019. Hell, he didn’t even lose last year, instead opting to sit it out following a crazy couple of months of rescheduled racing. Count him out at your peril. Or don’t, since he never wins when we include him here.
The Rest – Roglic, Pidcock, Valverde. Whisper it, but Cosnefroy? Should be a good race.