Home > News

Woods sixth in La Flèche Wallonne as Dylan Teuns scores biggest win of career

Bahrain-Victorious' second 2022 WorldTour triumph

April 20, 2022
Share on SMS

Dylan Teuns (Belgium/Bahrain-Victorious) was the strongest on the mighty Mur de Huy at Wednesday’s La Flèche Wallonne, taking the biggest one-day race win of his career. It was Bahrain-Victorious’ second WorldTour triumph of the season after Matej Mohoric’s Milan-San Remo triumph. Michael Woods was sixth place, his best result since Gran Camiño in February.

The Course

Two hundred and two kilometres and 3200 meters of climbing awaited the peloton. The 120 km mark was the beginning of the first of three 27.5 km circuits, each containing narrow climbs Côte d’Ereffe (2 km at 5.8 percent), Côte de Cherave (1.5 km at 6.9 percent and gradients in the double digits) and the mighty Mur, 1.2 km of 10.2 percent that grew steeper at the top. The last Cherave peaking was 6 km from the finish atop the Mur de Huy.

Michael Woods, third place in 2020, was Israel-Premier Tech’s protected rider, and he had compatriots Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin looking out for him.

A ten-man breakaway bounced away early and made it to the first of the three circuits with a 2:00 gap on the peloton.

Boivin didn’t have a good Flèche Wallonne, immediately needing a bike change after the start, dropping from the peloton after 17 km and then abandoning after 58 km.

First Circuit

Côte d’Ereffe shaved 30 seconds from the escapees’ lead. Tom Pidcock was having trouble hanging on to the field. Côte de Cherave streamlined the breakaway. By the top of Mur de Huy I the gap was down to a minute.

Second Circuit

There was Bahrain-Victorious-powered action right at the beginning of the second lap. Pidcock climbed off the bike. There was a further decanting on Côte d’Ereffe II. Tadej Pogačar experienced an unfortunately timed flat on the way to Cherave, where Jonas Vingegaard was distanced by the peloton.

The remnants of the breakaway still led by 50 seconds by the second passage of the Mur. Woods was rather far down the pack.

Last Lap

Côte d’Ereffe III held the gap steady but Bahrain-Victorious split the peloton. Ineos and UAE took their turns at the front. Woods was better positioned. The last of the fugitives were corralled just before Cherave III. Jumbo-Visma grabbed the reins before Cherave kicked up. Three Cofidis riders and one Quick Step chap tried to skip away. A trio containing one each from Cofidis, Quick Step and DSM tipped over with a slight lead.

Israel-Premier Tech and then Ineos powered the chase heading toward the showdown on the Mur.

Final Showdown on the Mur

Carlos Verona led out for Enric Mas. All the heads of state were there. Mas had teammate Valverde on his wheel. Dylan Teuns made a big dig. Valverde and Alexandr Vlasov followed. It looked like five-time champion Valverde was going to come around Teuns, but he could not.

Sunday is the last of the Ardennes Classics and fourth Monument of the season, Leige-Bastogne-Liege.

2022 La Flèche Wallonne
1) Dylan Teuns (Belgium/Bahrain-Victorious) 4:42;12
2) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +0:02
3) Alexandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.
6) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +0:07
54) Hugo Houle (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +1:16