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La Flèche Wallonne, Belgium

20 April, 201.5K

The Killer Does Double!

Main

Today Danilo Di Luca stomped the terra in Belgium, just three days after drinking the Netherlands dry of Amstel Gold! Di Luca, of the squadra italiana Liquigas-Bianchi, won the 69th edition of the La Flèche Wallonne. 201.5K of Northern racing that ended on the third ascent of Mur de Huy.

Di Luca flashed his legs at the right moment, as a group of all-stars hit the slopes of the Mur de Huy. Di Luca gave the final blow to Kim Kirchen and Davide Rebellin, who finished 2nd and 3rd.

Early on a group of 7 got away, in the group were Davide Bramati (Quick-Step), Jens Voigt (CSC), Benoît Poilvet (CA), Frederic Finot (Francaise des Jeux), Kurt Van de Wouwer (MrBookmaker), Jef Peeters (Jacques), Oliver Kaisen (RAGT). With only Voigt of CSC, being the threat for victory. The first ascent of the Mur de Huy (km 65), the group had close to 2 minutes.

Voigt, not one for groups, was having none of it. With 60K remaining, he cranked the pace up until there was only Jef Peeters (Jacques) remaining. The German and Belgian pressed-on, in a two-up time trial. Finally, Voigt turned it up to 11 and dropped off Peeters. At 36K to go it was the lone figure of Voigt, pounding away at the semi-slick Belgian roads.

But with 25K and two serious climbs, it was going to be tough. The gap was at 1'30", Voigt had to handle the Côte de Ahin and the painful Mur de Huy. There was a hungry, and thinning, peloton behind. The bunch was strung out, but some big names were there, Oscar Freire, Damiano Cunego, Davide Rebellin, David Etxebarria, Kim Kirchen, Cadel Evans, Angel Vicioso, Alexander Vinokourov, and Aitor Osa.

With 10K remaining, it was nearly over for Voigt. The favorites were flexing their muscles. Vinokourov was gunning down the road, and Kirchen was joining in. Voigt was finished.

Gruppo compatto on the foot of the Mur de Huy (1K to go), one of cycling's most famed climbs. The Huy is known more for it's sharpness than it's length. Cunego was on of the favorites that felt the pinch, and faded fast.

It was Di Luca who popped up to answer an attack by Kirchen. Rebellin gave it all he had to stick with Di Luca, but could not come around Kirchen. Di Luca gave light to the damp Belgian day and won another historic race, his third Pro-Tour victory.

Di Luca has won the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, Amstel Gold Race, and now the La Flèche Wallonne in 2005. Liège-Bastogne-Liège is on the horizon, but Di Luca will be a marked man. Sunday will give the answers as Di Luca fights for another victory.

Results: 4:44'55", ave 42.4 K/h
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi, AGAIN!!!!!!!
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo, (The Lux started the attack)
3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner, misses out
4 David Etxebarria (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 0.04
5 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
6 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth
7 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Quick-Step
8 Aitor Osa (Spa) Illes Balears
9 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 0.08
10 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
11 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak 0.11
12 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile
13 Matthias Kessler (Ger) T-Mobile
14 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Caffita (faded quick on Muy)
15 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
16 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.16
17 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 0.17
18 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis
19 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.19
20 Bradley McGee (Aus) Française Des Jeux
21 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC 0.22
22 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.24
23 Benjamin Noval (Spa) Discovery Channel
24 Joaquím Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
25 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
26 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC 0.27
27 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak
28 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
29 Axel Merckx (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
30 Fabian Jeker (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir
31 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 0.31
32 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
33 Iñigo Landaluze (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
34 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Crédit Agricole
35 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.34
36 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 0.35
37 Marcus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
38 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.37
39 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Domina Vacanze
40 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears
41 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
42 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step
43 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
44 Iker Camaño (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
45 Patxi Vila (Spa) Lampre-Caffita 0.45
46 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis
47 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
48 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Française Des Jeux
49 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre-Caffita 0.48
50 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 0.51
51 Pieter Mertens (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim
52 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.58
53 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Liberty Seguros-Würth
54 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.02
55 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française Des Jeux 1.04
56 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.06
57 Massimo Codol (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 1.11
58 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Crédit Agricole
59 Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
60 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre-Caffita 1.14
61 Volodimir Gustov (Ukr) Fassa Bortolo 1.22
62 David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-Caffita 1.29
63 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak 1.32
64 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Crédit Agricole 2.23
65 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Discovery Channel
66 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Illes Balears
67 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Ag2R Prévoyance 2.32
68 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Discovery Channel 2.33
69 Bingen Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis
70 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
71 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux 2.45
72 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance 3.01
73 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner 3.03
74 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Team CSC 3.24
75 Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner 3.29
76 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 3.53
77 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Liquigas-Bianchi 4.34
78 Inaki Isasi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 5.12
79 Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak 5.37
80 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Quick-Step 5.52
81 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team CSC
82 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears
83 Serge Baguet (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
84 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Quick-Step
85 Beat Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
86 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 5.57
87 Uros Murn (Slo) Phonak 6.05
88 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance 6.08
89 Hubert Dupont (Fra) R.A.G.T. Semences 8.20
90 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis
91 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
92 Ruslan Ivanov (Mda) Domina Vacanze
93 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim 10.41
94 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Crédit Agricole
95 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Liquigas-Bianchi 10.46
96 Koen De Kort (Ned) Liberty Seguros-Würth
97 Renaud Dion (Fra) R.A.G.T. Semences 11.07
98 Cyril Dessel (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
99 Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Lampre-Caffita 11.09
100 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
101 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Davitamon-Lotto
102 Steffen Wesemann (Ger) T-Mobile
103 Sergio Paulinho (Por) Liberty Seguros-Würth
104 Addy Engels (Ned) Quick-Step
105 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears
106 Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Française Des Jeux 11.12
107 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 11.14
108 Freddy Bichot (Fra) Française Des Jeux 11.22
109 Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank 11.23
110 Sylvain Calzati (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance 11.30
111 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Française Des Jeux 11.32
112 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
113 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Crédit Agricole 13.10
114 Camille Bouquet (Fra) MrBookmaker-Sports Tech 14.54
115 Mauro Facci (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 14.59
116 Steven Kleynen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim 15.06
117 Jef Peeters (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim
118 Marcos Antonio Serrano (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 15.12
119 Isidro Nozal (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 15.13
120 Philip Deignan (Irl) Ag2R Prévoyance 20.26
121 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Crédit Agricole 20.32
122 Markel Irizar (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
123 Unai Etxebarria (Ven) Euskaltel-Euskadi
124 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Ag2R Prévoyance 20.34
125 Inigo Chaurreau (Spa) Ag2R Prévoyance 20.45
126 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) R.A.G.T. Semences 21.18