Beating a record that had been held by Eddy Merckx since the 36s adds a very special dimension to the victory: the fourth triumph in the Freccia Wallone, the third in a row, makes Aleajandro Valverde the new record-holder in the roll of honor of the Ardennes classic which precedes Liège-Bastogne-Liège by three days. At 17, the champion from Murcia has been experiencing a sort of competitive spring in the last two years, so much so that he is confirmed as the man to beat also for the next Doyenne, the classic-monument that closes the spring cycle of large line races and which already last year saw the resounding success of Valverde. Fresh from his victory in the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, the Spanish leader of Movistar was one of the super favorites on the eve with the Belgian Philippe Gilbert, the Irishman Daniel Martin and the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe. Repeating last year's tactic, Valverde masterfully took over the direction of the race once they arrived at the foot of the Mur d'Huy without others being able to hinder him also thanks to the skilful work of the Movistars who had thwarted any escape attempt after having caught up with XNUMX km from the finish the Englishman Stephen Cummings, the last survivor of the day's escape. The most dangerous rival, Gilbert, had surrendered on the penultimate difficulty, the Cote de Cherave.
Joaquim Rodriguez and Martin, despite being in Valverde's group, didn't give the impression of being in top form. The Swiss Michele Albasini and Alaphilippe remained, already second in last year's Freccia. Even Gasparotto, kept in sight after his one-two finish in the Amstel Gol Race, was always in the top places of the race. But in the face of the power unleashed by Valverde in the 1300 meters of the Mur d'Huy with an average gradient close to 10% there was little that could be done: the last to give way in the sprint was Alaphilippe to whom, immediately after the finish line, even the nerves from the disappointment of another missed victory. The Frenchman pounded his fists on the handlebars in anger cursing who knows who, a scene similar to that of another Frenchman, Nacer Bouhanni, who lost the Sanremo, when he was dominating the sprint, for a chain jump. Rounding out the podium was Martin third. Fourth Poels, fifth Gasparotto who confirms himself as the most suitable Italian for the Ardennes classics. For Valverde it is the fourth triumph exactly 10 years after the first, overtaking none other than Merckx, the cannibal who in the Ardennes now only holds the record in Liège-Bastogne-Liège with five victories. A haul that seemed by now out of the reach of every rider on the road today but with this Valverde who on Sunday, as the big favorite, is also looking for his fourth victory in the Doyenne, even the great Eddy might no longer feel so safe.
