Julian Alaphilippe won the prestigious Flèche Wallonne for the third time in his career on Wednesday.
The French world champion beat the Slovenian Primoz Roglic in the last meters to win at the wall of Huy.
Julian Alaphilippe was the strongest at the top of the Wall of Huy!
The French, world champion in cycling, won the Flèche Wallonne for the third time on Wednesday, one of the “classics” of the season.
Alaphilippe (Deceuninck) took the upper hand in the last hectometers over Slovenian Primoz Roglic after 193 kilometers.
Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who holds the record for five wins, placed third on the line.
Victory for Julian Alaphilippe at the Mur de Huy !!
The World champion made the difference in the last meters to win the third Flèche Wallonne of his career !!
# LesRPpic.twitter.com / x8h9vB0CyE
- Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) April 21, 2021
"This victory does me a lot of good"
"This victory has done me a lot of good," responded Alaphilippe, who had so far had only one success this season, a Tirreno-Adriatico stage.
"I was able to save myself throughout the day, I knew what I had to do in the final," added the Frenchman (28).
"I knew it wouldn't be easy with Roglic, and Valverde in the wheel."
The race ended as in previous years in the third and final ascent of the Mur de Huy, a brutal climb of 1300 meters at almost 10% gradient.
Roglic started almost 400 meters from the line and Alaphilippe was the only one to come back on him and pass him before the line, despite a start from the Slovenian who discovered the wall of Huy.