Flèche Wallonne: Stephen Williams winner, five French people in the top 10

Dressed all in black, he started irresistibly in the high percentages of the Huy wall, some 300 m from the banner and resisted all his pursuers, numbering 20. Winner of the Tour Down Under in Australia at the start of the year , the Briton Stephen Williams (Irsaël Premier Tech), 27, won this Wednesday at the end of a hyper-selective race, validating his 8th victory among the pros. Stephen Williams is the first British winner of the Flèche wallonne.

This Wednesday, the rain, and even a few snowflakes for a while, accompanied the runners wrapped up in their raincoats until the last 15 kilometers.

Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea) took a promising and frustrating 2nd place, while Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon-AG2R), cited among the favorites, finished 4th.

After Tom Pidcock in the Amstel Gold Race, another Briton won the #FlecheWallonne. The French were numerous in the leading group: there are 9 of them in the top 20. Kevin Vauquelin (22 years old) and Romain Grégoire (21 years old) are the youngest in the top 10. pic.twitter.com/9AtD5NGqhL

— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) April 17, 2024

This 88th edition, contested over 199 km from Charleroi, offered for the first time four ascents of the Mur de Huy, instead of the usual three, a way of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first arrival at the summit of this super steep climb (1, 3 km at 9.6% average), one of the most legendary and picturesque places on the cycling calendar.

The weather conditions cooled down many of the favorites early, who had disappeared even before the penultimate ascent of the Mur de Huy, 30 km from the goal: Gaudu, Skjelmose, Pidcock, Vlasov, Teuns, Hirschi…

In addition to the absence of Alaphilippe, Evenepoel, Roglic and Van Aert, all four injured, the super cracks Tadej Pogacar, outgoing winner, and Mathieu van der Poel, the emperor of Flandriennes, had remained warm in anticipation of Liège- Bastogne-Liège, the oldest of the classics (259 km) on Sunday.