2025 Flèche Wallonne Preview: On Wednesday we get a mid-week climber’s Classic bonus with the Flèche Wallonne and its murderous final climb of the Mur de Huy. Another day of excitement for us fans as the Amstel Gold Race winner, Mattias Skjelmose lines up with double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel and World champion Tadej Pogačar. We look at last year’s race, the course and who will win.
The 2024 Flèche Wallonne
Stephen Williams surprisingly won the 2024 Flèche Wallonne. After a cold and wet race of 200 kilometres, the British rider jumped away with 300 metres to go and no one had the legs to catch him before the line. Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) finished second, aheadMaxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) in third. The route of the Flèche Wallonne had changed this year. The Wall of Huy (1.3km at 9.6%) had to be climbed four times, instead of the three of previous years. The Côte de Cherave (1.3km at 8.1%) wasn’t in final circuit and the finish was after 198 kilometres, on the usual summit of the Mur de Huy.
Cold and wet in Belgium
The start in Charleroi was held under a sunny blue sky, but that wasn’t to last. Six riders made up the break of the day: Lilian Calmejane (Intermaché-Wanty), Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies), James Whelan (Q36.5), Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Johan Meens (Bingoal WB) and Igor Chzhan (Astana Qazaqstan). They managed to take a lead of 4 minutes on the peloton, where INEOS Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek were working for Tom Pidcock and Mattias Skjelmose. The weather conditions then changed. The temperature was still around 10º C, but there was heavy rain and the strong wind made the race a real battle against the elements. At one point there was hail, which could have turned to snow. The cold was too much for many riders and the break practically stopped as the peloton continued to lose riders. Before the final got going, top riders Pello Bilbao and Dylan Teuns had already abandoned. Groupama-FDJ and EF Education-EasyPost took on the work in the peloton. This caused more riders to be dropped on the second climb of the Mur of Huy. Skjelmose, Marc Hirschi and Tom Pidcock were the biggest victims. The peloton made up of around 50 riders coming into the final 60 kilometres. Søren Kragh Andersen saw his chance and attacked, followed by Markus Hoelgaard. Hoelgaard couldn’t get far enough away and was caught on the Côte d’Ereffe.
A strong attack for Stephen Williams
The remaining favourites decided to make their move. Maxim Van Gils and Ben Healy put the pressure on, but they didn’t get much closer to Kragh Andersen. The Dane of Alpecin-Deceuninck started the penultimate climb of the Mur de Huy with a lead of 1:30. Behind him the peloton split, with Stephen Williams as the strongest climber. Santiago Buitrago, Richard Carapaz, Van Gils and Clément Champoussin were also in this top group of climbers. But they were still at around a minute down on the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider. Williams held himself back from a full attack and dropped to the Van Gils group, the rest of the favourites were not far behind. Both groups were working well together, which brought down the lead. Uno-X Mobility was also working hard and first pulled in the group with Williams and Van Gils and then also Kragh Andersen, 15 kilometres from the finish, on the Côte d’Ereffe. Visma | Lease a Bike was also working for their man, Tiesj Benoot. There was an attack from an Uno-X rider (Tobias Halland Johannessen?), but he was closed down by Tim van Dijke. The peloton then headed towards the last climb of the Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%). Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale led the race on to the wall of a climb, but there was only around 20 riders left with a chance of victory. Toms Skujins and Benoît Cosnefroy were at the front as the group started the fight up the steep climb. No one had an acceleration left in their legs, but then Stephen Williams pushed his way to the front and jumped away with 300 metres to go. The British rider had made enough of a gap, that no one could catch him before the finish line. A strong Kévin Vauquelin was the next strongest and did get closer to Williams, but it was too late. The Frenchman finished in second place, just ahead of Maxim Van Gils in third.
Williams held them off to the line
2024 Flèche-Wallonne Result:
1. Stephen Williams (GB) Israel-Premier Tech in 4:40:24
2. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels
3. Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Lotto Dstny at 0:03
4. Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
5. Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain-Victorious
6. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility at 0:10
7. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Dorian Godon (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
9. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Visma | Lease a Bike
10. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis.
The podium might look different this year
The 2025 Route:
Race organisers, ASO, have redesigned the course of the Flèche Wallonne for 2025. The finish is still on the famous Mur de Huy for the fortieth time. Only the approach to it is different. On the final circuit, the Côte de Cherave returns between the Côte d’Ereffe and the final climb to the Mur de Huy, so the finale is the same as in 2023. Last year, ASO removed the Cherave from the final lap, but included a fourth climb of the Mur de Huy. This year returns to the older route. There are eleven climbs, including the trio of Ereffe-Cherave-Muur van Huy.
2025 Flèche Wallonne map
The start has been changed. The men will not start from Charleroi, but in Ciney, near Namur. After just ten kilometres, they hit the first climb of the day, the Côte de Ver (1.4km at 4.6%). Next there are some uncategorised climbs and the Côte de Petite Somme (1.2km at 8.8%). Shortly afterwards, after a hundred kilometres of racing, they start the finishing circuit, which has to be ridden three times.
2025 Flèche Wallonne profile
This year, in addition to the Côte d’Ereffe (2.1km at 5%), the circuit will also include the Côte de Cherave (1.3km at 7.6%). The top of this climb is just six kilometres from the finish, but in the past, no one could get away here and stay away to the top of the Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.7%). The wide lanes towards Huy are not good for attackers. If anyone reaches the start of the Mur de Huy with a lead, they still have a tough job ahead of them. Especially between 800 and 200 meters from the finish, the climb is very steep. The percentages are rarely below 15% and on the inside of the bends it is nearer 20%. Timing is crucial, because in the last 200 meters the road flattens out and riders can come back.
Five wins for Alejandro Valverde on the Huy
The Favourites:
It is unlikely that last year’s winner, Stephen Williams will repeat his victory, he is down to start, but the British rider has not done much this season. Plus the start-list this year is at a higher level. Tadej Pogačar, the favourite in every race he starts in, will be on Wallonia on Wednesday. The Slovenian has started five WorldTour one-day races this spring; won twice and been on the podium in every race. He of course will be at the start as the top favourite. In his first four participations, Pogačar’s best place was ninth. But in 2023 he returned to take the win. A few days before that victory, Pogačar had also won the Amstel Gold Race. He didn’t win last Sunday, but he was solo for a long time. When he was caught, he still battled for second place, losing by a very small margin to Skjelmose. Th eWorld champion was still strong, but his busy spring might just be starting to take its toll. At the moment Pogačar is on the start list, but he might miss Wednesday’s Classic to recover for Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Although he might want revenge for last Sunday.
Is Pogačar tired?
Mattias Skjelmose and Remco Evenepoel caught Pogačar in the finale of the Amstel Gold Race. Evenepoel looked very strong after returning from his injury earlier in the year and he seems to be back at his old form. On his comeback, he won the Brabantse Pijl and two days later he came third in Amstel. The explosive final on the climb of the Huy is probably not the best for Evenepoel, when he rode once before, he finished 42nd, but this year the double Olympic champion will give it his all on the Mur de Huy. On the other hand he could go for a long attack, but the Slovenian might have the same idea.
The ‘old’ Remco is back
It was Mattias Skjelmose who won the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday. A surprise, but he is not unknown. The 24-year-old Dane has been one of the better hilly Classic riders for a while. Until his victory in the Amstel, his best result in one of the top Classics was a second place in Flèche Wallonne. In 2023, Skjelmose was beaten by Pogačar on the Mur de Huy, so the steep climb suits him. Last year he had to be taken out of the race with hypothermia.
Skjelmose handled both Pogačar and Evenepoel last Sunday
Lidl-Trek also has Thibau Nys on the start-line on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Belgian says he prepared well for the hilly Classics and he won the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain. Nys was also active on Sunday in the final of the Amstel Gold Race and finished in twelfth place. His big goal is the Flèche Wallonne. Nys looks to be made for a short, steep climb like the one on the Mur de Huy, his explosive cyclocross background should come into play.
Thibau Nys has a good chance
Tom Pidcock is in the same boat. The British rider started his first season for Q36.5 well, but since his last training block he hasn’t looked to be at 100%. In the Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race he was fairly invisible, but you can’t write off Pidcock, as he could bounce back with a result. His best finish in the Flèche was sixth at his first attempt in 2021.
Which Pidcock will we see?
Romain Grégoire also finished in the top ten of the Flèche Wallonne on his debut. The Frenchman of Groupama-FDJ was seventh last year and was also seventh last Sunday in the Amstel Gold Race, so he is in good shape, as is his teammate Guillaume Martin. The 31-year-old has had success already this season; last weekend he was sixth in the Tour du Doubs, victories in the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs and the Tour du Jura. Last year he was tenth in Flèche Wallonne. The win is probably beyond him, but he should be up there at the finish.
Romain Grégoire – The best Frenchman?
There are other Frenchmen: Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty) and Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels). Alaphilippe attacked on the Gulperberg in the Amstel Gold, but it came to nothing when Pogačar left him behind, at least we saw a flash of his old form and style. He is also a three-time winner of Flèche Wallonne. Barré isn’t in the same league, yet, but he was sixth in Amstel last Sunday. We know that Vauquelin can perform on the Huy, last year he finished second, but he crashed in the Amstel Gold Race and may not start on Wednesday.
Will we see the old Julian Alaphilippe?
Maxim Van Gils also crashed in Amstel and abandon. Another disappointment for the Belgian, who had missed part of the spring due to illness. If the Belgian starts Flèche Wallonne, he could make a difference. He finished third on the Mur de Huy last year.
Will Maxim Van Gils be fit to start?
Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) has not raced for a month, so his form is questionable. But previously he rode well in Milan-Turin with a third place. He can handle the Mur de Huy, he was sixth in the 2024 Flèche Wallonne.
Tobias Halland Johannessen can handle the Mur
Also worth mentioning is: Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Victor Lafay (Decathlon AG2R), Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), Enric Mas (Movistar), Tiesj Benoot & Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike) and former winners; Marc Hirschi (Tudor) and Dylan Teuns (Cofidis).
Tadej Pogačar is still the top favourite, but he will have to fight for it
Who Will Win?
Very Probable: Tadej Pogačar
Probable: Remco Evenepoel and Thibau Nys
Possible. Mattias Skjelmose, Tom Pidcock and Romain Grégoire
Maybe: Maxim Van Gils, Dylan Teuns, Julian Alaphilippe and Tobias Halland Johannessen.
* Start list might change before Wednesday.
# Stay PEZ for the race report on Wednesday and all the Flèche Wallonne news in EUROTRASH Thursday. #
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