Once again La Flèche Wallonne delivered the expected drama for its 89th edition, as heavy rain turned the iconic Ardennes Classic into a true test of strength, resilience, and teamwork.
After the day’s early break went clear and opened up what seemed to be a significant gap to the peloton, Robert Stannard managed to bridge across to the leaders in the pouring rain. In the end though, that group of seven were caught within last 10km, and the race came down to the final ascent of the legendary Mur de Huy, a 1.3 km test with an average gradient of 9.8%, peaking at a brutal 26%. The favourites waited patiently for their moment, all eyes on the steep finale. Among them, Bahrain Victorious were right in the mix, thanks to a superb team effort throughout the day.
Lenny Martinez and Santiago Buitrago were part of the elite group of 20 riders who reached the base of the climb together. When the decisive moment arrived, Tadej Pogačar (UAE) attacked early, riding away from Remco Evenepoel (SOQ) and soloing to take a second ‘Flèche’ win. Behind, it was a ferocious fight for the podium. Martinez, who won on a similar uphill finish at Paris–Nice earlier this season, showed once again why he’s a specialist on the steepest slopes. He dug deep, ultimately finishing 4th, just behind Kevin Vauquelin (ARK)(runner-up for the second straight year) and Tom Pidcock (Q36). Ben Healy split the Bahrain duo, finishing 5th, with Buitrago taking a strong 6th place, 16 seconds behind the winner.
Out of breath at the finish, Martinez said: “It was a hard race with the rain for half of the day, and the last climb is always brutal. We were close to the podium – it’s okay. The guys did a great job controlling things and setting us up. It’s a good result with both Santi and me in the top six.”
Buitrago echoed the sentiment, satisfied with his ride and the team’s performance:
“After a day like this, this is a super result. I’m really happy for Lenny, 4th on the Mur is something to be proud of. And for me, it’s a good sign of form heading into Liège–Bastogne–Liège. We’re building something strong here.”
Sports Director Roman Kreuziger added: “Our goal was a podium, and while we just missed it, finishing 4th and 6th with Lenny and Santi is a very solid performance. In tough conditions like today, the team really pulled together. There are still a few tactical aspects we can improve, especially in how we ride collectively, but overall, I’m proud. Stannard’s move was excellent; we hoped he could stay away longer, but his effort played a big role. Today also showed Santi is regaining form, and we’re in a good place heading into Sunday. Hats off to Pogačar, his attack on the Mur was world-class. The victory was out of reach today, but we leave satisfied, grounded, and motivated to close out the cobbled and Ardennes campaign on a high.”
Next Sunday Bahrain will be back for the final ‘monument’ of the Spring: Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Meanwhile, the Tour of the Alps passed its halfway point, and Finlay Pickering once again made the breakaway on stage 3. The 22 year old picked up 10 ‘King of the Mountains’ points on the 145.5km route from Sterzing to Innichen, extending his lead in the classification to eight points over Marco Frigo (IPT). The British rider had a horrific crash at the race last year, and went down again today. Fortunately, after being assessed by the medical staff, he suffered no serious injuries and will take to the start tomorrow in the blue jersey for the ‘Queen Stage’ between Sillian and Obertilliach. Damiano Caruso crossed the line in 7th place on the day, holding on to his top ten position overall.
