The world champion and outgoing winner, Julian Alaphilippe, placed fourth in this 202 kilometer race comprising three climbs of the Mur de Huy.
The winner of the Tour de France, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, sat down in the last 300 meters without managing to integrate the first ten.
Valverde, five days from his 42nd birthday, climbed for the 9th time in his career on the podium of his favorite race, which he took five times.
The Spaniard has already announced that he is playing his last season.
Five days before his 42nd birthday, the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde finished 2nd in the Flèche wallonne, behind the Belgian Dylan Teuns, on April 20, 2022 at the top of the Mur de Huy BENOIT DOPPAGNE BELGA / AFP
"I knew when Valverde was going to step up," Teuns commented.
"I was in his wheel. Then I felt him come back to my level. Fortunately, I still had strength."
Teuns had placed third in 2017, on top of Huy.
"I have never felt so strong in the spring classics," added the Belgian, 30, winner of two Tour de France stages in his career.
Behind Teuns and Valverde, Russian Aleksandr Vlasov took third place, two seconds behind the winner.
Four French people rank in the top ten: in addition to Alaphilippe, Rudy Molard finished 8th, Warren Barguil 9th and Alexis Vuillermoz 10th.
© 2022 AFP