Cycling: legendary climb, quadruple ration of Mur de Huy… the Flèche Wallonne promises to be daunting for runners

Tadej Pogacar, vainqueur de la Flèche Wallonne en 2023. MAXPPP – DAVID PINTENS

The peloton will tackle the formidable Mur de Huy four times during the Flèche Wallonne on April 17, one of the main classics of the cycling calendar, the organizers announced on Wednesday.

For the first time, the women's race, for its 28th edition, will arrive after the men's race on a course lengthened to 143.5 km, indicated Amaury Sport Organization (ASO).

The women, who most often leave before the men, sometimes very early in the morning, will also arrive after the men the following Sunday, April 21, during the 110th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, one of the five Monuments of the season.

A 40th finish at the top of the Mur de Huy

Born in 1936, the Flèche Wallonne, the second part of the Ardennaises which also includes the Amstel Gold Race, has offered since 1985 a finish at the top of the Mur de Huy, a steep climb of 1.3 km at 9.6%.

🏹 #FlecheWallonne 2024 🏹
📆 Mercredi 17 avril / Wednesday, April 17.

⛰ 9 côtes/climbs

Et pour la première fois / and for the first time: 4️⃣ x Mur de Huy pic.twitter.com/HdZThKkqvP

— La Flèche Wallonne (@flechewallonne) January 24, 2024

The 88th edition will mark the 40th arrival at the top of the famous Wall, which will be climbed for the occasion four times before designating the successor of the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, winner in 2023, after 199, 1 km run from Charleroi.

Four days later, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel will aim for a third consecutive success on Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a feat only achieved by Léon Houa, Eddy Merckx and Moreno Argentin since the birth of "la Dean" in 1892.

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The route, almost identical to that of last year, will once again take the Cornémont coast, just after the famous Redoute, where Evenepoel left behind the Briton Tom Pidcock in 2023.