Velominati Super Prestige: La Fléche Wallone 2013

J-Rod launches his attack in 2012. Photo via Podium Café

We came tantalizingly close to adding a foray up the Mur de Huy during our excursion to Liege-Bastogne-Liege during this year’s Keepers Tour. But good sense and the Anti-V prevailed, as they are wont to do, and only two of us were left wanting a dig at the most notorious finishing climb in the Classics season.

I write this, then, woefully ignorant of the ferocity of the climb, particularly when combined with with a few hundred k’s of racing and scaling it several times in the process. Such is the nature of this event, and it doesn’t even have the dignity of holding a weekend spot on the calendar for its troubles.

But the Huy is a brute. Steep, long, and steep. Did I mention steep? We’re talking 26% steep. And long? We’re talking 1.3km. Even the best climbers in the world fade when the effort is dished out too soon. Keep the powder dry was ever thus.

Throw the formulas out the window; its best to resort to your eye of newt for this one. Whoever wins will have good finishing speed on an uphill finish and it also won’t be Andy Schleck. That’s about all the farther anyone can narrow this puppy down, the rest is guesswork. Enter your picks by the time the countdown clock goes to zero.

Good luck, regular rules apply.

I might have posted this last year as well, but this is my favorite finish of La Fléche to date, Pre-Cancerian Pharmy notwithstanding. He takes a flier in the only spot on this climb with some easing of the gradient. Its beautiful work, that.

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frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Deakus says:

Apr 16 2013 at 4:42 am

@gallilano

anyone else picking Richie?

VSP PICKS:

1. gerrans
2. gilbert
3. sagan
4. valverde
5. Porte

I would have thought he was under orders....Sky run a pretty strict regime of "following orders", think Froome sitting up in last years Tour and I am not sure he is there lead man, but I am guessing, I had picked JTL as having a punt but I have no info on who is the favoured person...Richie is more experienced so you may be right...
Deakus says:

Apr 16 2013 at 4:43 am

@Adrian

@Adrian

@Deakus

@Adrian

a bit of a punt

VSP PICKS:

1. Martin
2. slagter
3. gilbert
4. valverde
5. sagan

I was almost tempted to put Martin in pole, I had heard he is targetting this one and the Tour of Lombardy but Dirty Bertie invaded my mind and I thought he was even more random and therefore worth a punt....

If I had a clue I'd be dangerous, simply saw Martin placed well last year and he's showing some form at the moment.......

Only two points seperating us in the VSP, Martin could be the difference

I picked Bertie to win so my money is on you taking the lead after this race...!
il ciclista medio says:

Apr 16 2013 at 4:47 am

VSP PICKS:

1. PhilGil
2. J Rod
3. Dean Martin
4. Uran Uran
5. Vulvarde
Adrian says:

Apr 16 2013 at 4:52 am

@Deakus

@Adrian

@Adrian

@Deakus

@Adrian

a bit of a punt

VSP PICKS:

1. Martin
2. slagter
3. gilbert
4. valverde
5. sagan

I was almost tempted to put Martin in pole, I had heard he is targetting this one and the Tour of Lombardy but Dirty Bertie invaded my mind and I thought he was even more random and therefore worth a punt....

If I had a clue I'd be dangerous, simply saw Martin placed well last year and he's showing some form at the moment.......

Only two points seperating us in the VSP, Martin could be the difference

I picked Bertie to win so my money is on you taking the lead after this race...!

I doubt it, my only podium place was last weekend, were I was second until the actual results came out and I was pitched of the stage and out of the top ten. Other than that have never even been close!
stickyjumper says:

Apr 16 2013 at 5:09 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Gilbert
2. Henao
3. Valverde
4. Martin
5. Anton
anotherdownunder says:

Apr 16 2013 at 5:12 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. Gerrans
4. Valverde
5. Kwiatkowski
Two Ball Billy says:

Apr 16 2013 at 5:19 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Philip Gilbert
2. Peter Sagan
3. Alejandro Valverde
4. Michael Albasin
5. Ryder Hesjedal
HeinrichHausslersHairstyle says:

Apr 16 2013 at 5:47 am

No Heinrich, no interest.

VSP PICKS:

1. Gilbert
2. Gerrans
3. Martin
4. Sagan
5. Valverde
The Grande Fondue says:

Apr 16 2013 at 5:50 am

Ooo.. Porte is racing. No more JRod

VSP PICKS:

1. Sagan
2. Gilbert
3. GERRANS
4. Valverde
5. PORTE Richie
mouse says:

Apr 16 2013 at 5:58 am

VSP PICKS:

1. Gilbert
2. Gerrans
3. Porte
4. Valverde
5. Kwitkowski