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The Walloon Arrow is the shortest race in the world.

It always skims or exceeds 200 kilometers, but in reality only the final 1,300 matter.

Even less, since attacks rarely begin before the final half kilometer.

You have to go back to 2003 to find a different script than usual, with

Igor Astaloa

beating

Aitor Osa

after both escaping from the tyrannical control of the peloton.

Only two things matter in this race: having strength (as in all) and knowing the exact piece of asphalt on which you have to accelerate the march so that no one can react.

Primoz Roglic

, who despite being 31 years old had never played the Walloon Arrow, senses that the right moment to attack is with 400 meters to go. And he takes the mallet out for a walk, with which he destroys almost all the cyclists who in agonistic effort still endure in the group of the best.

It seems that he is leaving without remedy, but behind him emerge two guys who know that the Slovenian has rushed, kings of Huy. One is

Julian Alaphilippe

, big favorite for the win, who in his four previous appearances had two wins and two second places. And the other is

Alejandro Valverde

, with his five unattainable wins in the Arrow, two of them ahead of the world champion. They were different times. Or not. With the 'Bala', although he is four days away from his 41st birthday, you never know.

Roglic

advances, but

Alaphilippe

nails the bike on the asphalt and devours those hellish sections that reach 26%, biding his time for the final blow. Valverde, who had entered the wrongly placed wall, who had climbed positions a few meters earlier, overtaking everyone on the tiny sidewalk that tops the road, follows the Frenchman, but is forced to give in with his last change of pace. The Murcian is extraordinary, enough to beat

Woods

,

Pidcock

,

Barguil

or

Gaudu

, but not so much as to hold the pulse of the world champion until the end, who passes

Roglic

with 50 meters to

go

, who then realizes his haste, hazing paid, and raises his arms again, unbeatable as he is at that latitude.

Alaphilippe

thus regains the throne that last year, when he did not compete due to the accumulated fatigue of the Tour and the World Cup, he yielded to

Hirschi

.

The Swiss was low at the last minute along with the entire UAE for two suspected cases of covid.

Yes, the entire UAE was vaccinated before the start of the season, but the virus is like that.

And above all the tests, since they defend the Pogacar team that several subsequent private tests discarded the positives.

But, it is already known, with the covid not even the slightest risk is assumed.

Another year will be for them.

This whole film is indifferent to

Valverde

, who feels young, feels full, eighth podium in the Flecha Walloon with almost 41 years, a place where no one expected him anymore. Illusions ... Another outrage for a record that will culminate at the end of the season. Or not? "I do not know if it is my last Arrow. I do not know if it will be my last year or I will continue one more year", surprises the Murcian, who opens the door to continue competing in 2022, to turn 42 on a bicycle, despite having announced that everything would end this course.

"I am in a great moment of form since the Volta and today I have shown it again, I have been very close to the winners, Roglic and Alaphilippe, I am happy", adds the Movistar rider, who in the last month of competition He has won the Miguel Indurain Grand Prix, he has finished fourth in the Volta, seventh in the Itzulia, fifth in the Amstel Gold Race and now third in the Flecha Walloon.

It seems incredible, but Valverde still does not exhaust himself and we have to start doubting if he will ever do it.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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