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La Flèche Wallonne, Belgium

19 April, 202K

Valverde Wins Battle of Titans

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2005 Results

Alejandro Valverde gunned-down all the favorites on the Mur de Huy and took a very honorable win in the 70th Flèche Wallonne. The Spaniard was part of a group of all-stars who started the famed climb together: surviving attacks by Koldo Gil and Igor Astarloa before holding off compatriot Samuel Sánchez and Dutchman Karsten Kroon at the line.

The peloton rolled out of Charleroi at 11:05 with one thought on their mind: the famed and feared Mur de Huy. The steep climb has an average gradient of 10%, with sections of 19%, and had to be covered three times, the final being the finish.

Italian tifosi were disappointed by the early abandons of Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and Luca Paolini (Liquigas). Tin-Tin Rebellin was a winner in 2004 but had been suffering from rib pains since his crash in the Vuelta al País Vasco. But the action went on without the two Italians, and more specifically with the Spanish-Swiss duo of Freire-Moos. Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and Alexandre Moos (Phonak) went free at 63K to go, forming a tandem that would last for 51K.

The 3X World Champion was probably playing the team card, softening up the competition's legs for a late move by his Rabobank companions on the Huy. Whatever the case, their move was only allowed a maximum of near 1'30" before it was brought under control by the work of Liquigas, who helped the peloton catch the duo with -12K.

It was a day for the favorites to play their cards, even before the Spanish-Swiss duo were reeled in. On the Côte de Bohissau (at -31K) affairs were becoming hot. CSC was firing missiles off the front, which sparked Il Grillo, Paolo Bettini (Quick-Step), and Igor Astarloa (Barloworld) into action. Their moves were immediately recognized as dangerous and joined by the other favorites, helping form an all-star movement after the Côte de Bohissau.

Bettini, Astarloa, Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas), Koldo Gil (Saunier Duval-Prodir) and Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears) were amongst the mix at the base of the Côte de Ahin at -12.5. The Spanish-muscle came to the front, with Valverde and Astarloa, and nailed the accelerator until only the best of the best were standing (err.. riding).

Over the top of the Ahin there was a 3K descent before the Mur de Huy kicked in for the last kilometer. The gruppo had been formed to fight for victory: Bettini, Astarloa, Di Luca, Gil, Valverde, Schleck, Basso, Kroon (all 3 Team CSC), Patrik Sinkewitz, Matthias Kessler (T-Mobile), Joaquím Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears), David Etxebarria (Liberty Seguros-Würth), Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Ruggero Marzoli (Lampre-Fondital), Leonardo Bertagnolli (Cofidis), Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), Björn Leukemans (Davitamon-Lotto).

A group of such all-stars in the finale of Flèche had not been seen like this in many editions. The tifosi were left with the great treat of picking their winner and then watching if he could handle the slow-motion battle up the wall of Huy or explode trying.

In the last kilometer the games started... Gil, who had been continuously attacking in the finale, gunned it one last time. His move, as with the case in with many moves that go on Huy, faded on the steep gradient. Sánchez took the ropes and edged past, before Astarloa fired what looked to be the winning move. The 2003 winner seemed to have the gap and muscle but was knocked-out and overtaken by the final wave.

Valverde, Sánchez and Kroon muscled their way to the fore. The 25 year-old Caisse d'Epargne rider slowly kept in front of Kroon and Sánchez until he was able to cross the line victorious. Valverde raised his arms before surrendering to the exhaustion of a sweet, and perhaps his finest, win.

Results: 4:42'45", 42.865 K/h
1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
2 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
3 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
4 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
5 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) T-Mobile 0.03
6 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 0.05
7 David Etxebarria (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 0.07
8 Koldo Gil (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.10
9 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) T-Mobile 0.12
10 Matthias Kessler (Ger) T-Mobile 0.14
11 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.16
12 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step
13 Benoît Salmon (Fra) Agritubel0.23
14 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) T-Mobile 0.24
15 Juan José Cobo (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.26
16 Igor Astarloa (Spa) Barloworld
17 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Milram 0.29
18 Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
19 Chris Horner (USA) Davitamon-Lotto
20 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Discovery Channel 0.31
21 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française Des Jeux 0.32
22 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.34
23 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Ag2R Prévoyance
24 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
25 Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.36
26 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
27 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis 0.42
28 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.44
29 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Rabobank 0.48
30 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Liquigas 0.51
31 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.52
32 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.53
33 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Milram 0.57
34 Joaquím Rodríguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.00
35 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 1.07
36 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 1.15
37 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 1.42
38 Mario Aerts (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 1.44
39 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 1.45
40 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
41 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.48
42 Josep Jufré (Spa) Davitamon-Lotto
43 Christophe Laurent (Fra) Agritubel 1.50
44 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
45 Alberto Contador (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 1.51
46 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) Quick-Step 1.53
47 José Azevedo (Por) Discovery Channel 1.55
48 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 1.56
49 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
50 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Cofidis 1.59
51 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis
52 Joseba Albizu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
53 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Lampre-Fondital
54 Iñaki Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
55 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Unibet.com 2.04
56 Manuel Calvente (Spa) Agritubel
57 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
58 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Crédit Agricole
59 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance 2.08
60 Hugo Sabido (Por) Barloworld 2.10
61 Luis Pasamontes (Spa) Unibet.com
62 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
63 Uros Murn (Slo) Phonak 2.12
64 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
65 Ryan Cox (RSA) Barloworld
66 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux
67 Walter Bénéteau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
68 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
69 Steven Kleynen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
70 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Liberty Seguros-Würth
71 Iker Camaño (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2.17
72 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
73 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 2.20
74 Aitor Pérez Arrieta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
75 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 2.23
76 Axel Merckx (Bel) Phonak 2.25
77 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 2.27
78 Carlos García Quesada (Spa) Unibet.com
79 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
80 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Liberty Seguros-Würth
81 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Milram
82 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 2.30
83 Steffen Wesemann (Swi) T-Mobile
84 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak
85 Serge Baguet (Bel) Quick-Step
86 Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile
87 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros-Würth
88 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Lampre-Fondital
89 Stef Clement (Ned) Bouygues Telecom
90 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 2.35
91 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld 2.46
92 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak 4.59
93 Steve Zampieri (Swi) Phonak
94 Patrick McCarty (USA) Phonak 5.18
95 Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Team CSC 7.54
96 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Liquigas 8.55
97 Beat Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner8.57
98 Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner 8.58
99 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas
100 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Crédit Agricole
101 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
102 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Crédit Agricole
103 Benoît Joachim (Lux) Discovery Channel 9.00
104 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen 9.01
105 Steve Morabito (Swi) Phonak
106 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Discovery Channel 9.04
107 Björn Schröder (Ger) Milram 9.11
108 Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Crédit Agricole 9.12
109 Johan Coenen (Bel) Unibet.com
110 Guennadi Mikhailov (Rus) Discovery Channel 9.15
111 Frederik Willems (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
112 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
113 Philip Deignan (Irl) Ag2R Prévoyance
114 Benny De Schrooder (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
115 Aitor Hernández (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
116 Arkaitz Durán (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
117 Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
118 Kurt Van de Wouwer (Bel) Unibet.com
119 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Milram
120 Sven Renders (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
121 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole
122 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
123 Ivan Parra (Col) Cofidis
124 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick-Step 9.21
125 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Française Des Jeux
126 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Française Des Jeux
127 Moisés Dueñas (Spa) Agritubel
128 Angel Castresana Del Val (Spa) Unibet.com 9.23
129 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Liquigas
130 Olivier Bonnaire (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
131 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Barloworld
132 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Quick-Step 9.26
133 Addy Engels (Ned) Quick-Step
134 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
135 Mauro Facci (Ita) Barloworld
136 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Cofidis
137 Rubén Lobato (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
138 Scott Davis (Aus) T-Mobile 9.30
139 Bradley McGee (Aus) Française Des Jeux 9.35
140 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC 9.36
141 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Crédit Agricole
142 José Alberto Benítez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 9.43
143 Marcos Serrano (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 9.45
144 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Crédit Agricole
145 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Unibet.com 9.50
146 José Luis Arrieta (Spa) Ag2R Prévoyance
147 Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld
148 Jean-Claude Lebeau (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
149 Wesley Van der Linden (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-Topsport 11.43
150 Pierre Drancourt (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
151 Unai Etxebarria (Ven) Euskaltel-Euskadi
152 Christophe Detilloux (Bel) Française Des Jeux
153 Matthias Russ (Ger) Gerolsteiner 11.49
154 José Antonio Redondo (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 11.53
155 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner 12.03