Boulogne Billancourt, 22 settembre 2020 |
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| TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF
WITH AN AUTUMN FLÈCHE WALLONNE
©A.S.O. / A.Broadway
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Key points:
Holding the spring classics in the wake of the Tour de France and right after the world championships is not something we see every year. The Mur de Huy remains just as steep in the autumn season and will set the stage for a fierce battle, but the revamped calendar offers a clearer picture of where each pretender stands. Although it is no crystal ball, the start list includes the three men who finished on the podium of the Tour as well as ten riders who won a stage or wore the yellow jersey at some point in the race. One of them is Julian Alaphilippe, who failed to match his performance of July 2019 but feels in his element when the road bends towards the sky on the Chemin des Chapelles. This race was his breakout performance in 2015, when he finished in second place. He was also the runner-up in 2016 before going on to become the top dog in later editions. “Alaf” has never lost the Flèche Wallonne to any rider not named Alejandro Valverde. The Spaniard will be skipping his totemic race for the first time this year. However, Alaphilippe would be wrong to count his chickens before they hatch, as the Slovenian duo will be seeking to rule the roost in Belgium as in the Tour. The same kick that “Superman” López displayed on the Col de la Loze also makes him a force to be reckoned with on the Mur, while Marc Hirschi is also a contender on account of his sheer panache.
However, other riders will also be seeking to leave their mark on the Flèche Wallonne, as riders who came up short in the Grande Boucle strive to make amends for the disappointment. If he has already recovered, Egan Bernal will want to announce to the world that the whiz kid is back. Other true champions sat out the Tour and will be fighting to shine in a race close to their hearts: Belgian Tim Wellens, hunting for a win on home turf; Italian Diego Ulissi, who came in third last year and dominated the recent Tour de Luxembourg; Enrico Gasparotto, who has finished twice in the top 10 of the Flèche; or Dylan Teuns, who has also stood on the podium and would like to go two better than in 2017.  25 teams, main contenders
Australia Mitchelton–Scott: A. Yates (GBR), Albasini (SUI) and Impey (RSA)
Bahrain Bahrain McLaren: Landa (ESP), Caruso (ITA), Poels (NED) and Teuns (BEL)
Belgium Deceuninck–Quick-Step: Alaphilippe, Cavagna (FRA) and Jungels (LUX) Lotto–Soudal: Wellens and De Gendt (BEL) Circus–Wanty Gobert: Bakelants (BEL) Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise: E. Planckaert (BEL) Bingoal–WB: Vanendert (BEL) Alpecin–Fenix: Vakoc (CZE)
France Ag2r–La Mondiale: Cosnefroy, Vuillermoz and Godon (FRA) Groupama–FDJ: Madouas and Molard (FRA) Cofidis: J. Herrada (ESP) and Edet (FRA) Total Direct Énergie: Calmejane and Hivert (FRA) Team Arkéa–Samsic: Barguil (FRA)
Germany Bora–Hansgrohe: Kämna (GER) and McCarthy (AUS) Team Sunweb: Hirschi (SUI)
Kazakhstan Astana Pro Team: Fraile (ESP), López (COL) and Lutsenko (KAZ)
Netherlands Jumbo–Visma: Roglic (SLO), Bennett (NZL) and Kuss (USA)
Poland CCC Team: Geschke (GER) and De Marchi (ITA)
South Africa NTT Pro Cycling: Gasparotto (ITA) and Gibbons (RSA)
Spain Movistar Team: Prades (ESP)
United Arab Emirates UAE Team Emirates: Pogacar (SLO), Costa (POR) and Ulissi (ITA)
United Kingdom Ineos Grenadiers: Bernal (COL), Kwiatkowski (POL) and Moscon (ITA)
United States Trek–Segafredo: Porte (AUS), Mollema (NED) and Skujins (LAT) EF Pro Cycling: Higuita, Martínez and Uran (COL)
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Fabrice Tiano
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