The Ardennes welcome back the riders for Part 2 of the yearly trilogy, challenging the riders in three distinct hilly classics. The punchers are out in full force to try and write their names in the honour roll in one the most prestigious races of the calendar. Without wasting too much time, let's get this show on the road.
Favourites
MON
HIL
STA
RES
SPR
ACC
De Bie
71
84
77
76
72
75
Kinoshita
72
83
80
77
68
77
Lopez
79
82
76
74
66
78
Sagan
74
83
78
74
73
76
Hagen
69
84
80
73
72
78
Lutsenko
73
83
76
73
72
81
Skujins
70
83
80
77
68
76
Ponzi
72
83
76
71
75
79
Mohoric
71
83
78
72
67
77
Van Garderen
72
82
78
75
70
79
Bakelants
73
82
78
75
71
75
Bobridge
69
83
74
74
69
80
Kwiatkowski
78
81
74
76
67
75
Formolo
79
79
76
76
69
71
Koretzky
71
81
77
70
71
79
McCarthy
67
81
80
75
65
74
Schreurs
69
81
76
72
71
74
Gastauer
70
81
77
69
66
75
Boswell
71
80
77
73
65
76
Jensen
70
80
77
73
66
76
Vakoc
71
80
75
71
71
74
Two riders get away into the early break - Kolesnikov, Ford.
Two more riders join them a few kilometers later as it starts to rain. The new additions are Juarez and Geniets.
120 kilometers to go for the peloton who are on the summit of the first ascent of the Muur. All riders are here and they trail the break by 4'3".
75 kilometers to go now as the breakaway continue to work well together. However, their lead is down to 3'27".
40 km left. The first two riders are dropped from the peloton as the rain intensifies. The deficit stands at 2'43".
The peloton reach the top of the Muur for the second time. 35 kilometers remain. Not much has changed in the last kilometers.
There's a big group of 101 riders dropped with 28 kilometers remaining. Talansky, Teuns and Sepulveda are the biggest names dropped.
The break are on the Cote D'Amay 20 kilometers remain. They lead by 1'10".
Kolesnikov drops the others 2 kilometers later.
Ponzi attacks from the peloton. Gastauer takes up the chase.
All of the break except Kolesnikov is caught with 14 kilometers to go. Ponzi too, has been reeled back in. 78 riders remain in the peloton.
Ponzi attacks again a kilometers later. Lutsenko and Kinoshita follow.
The three attackers catch Kolesnikv and have a small gap to the peloton.
11 kilometers to go. Koretzky attacks and catches up to the lead group.
30 riders now remain in the peloton. The next group, visible in the picture, has Vakoc, Reichenbach, Gidich, Gerts and 19 more riders.
Van Zyl attacks out of the pack to try to catch the lead group. 6 kilometers to go.
The lead group of five holds strong and they have just 4 more kilometers to ride. Their lead is 19 seconds. Kolesnikov is still here! It's been a fantastic ride from him so far. Van Zyl couldn't bridge to the front group and is back in the now 26 rider peloton.
We are 2 kilometers away from the start of the Muur.
Let's see who is left in the peloton:
Bellis, McCarthy Kwiatkowski Bobridge Van Garderen, Gastauer De Bie Mohoric, Roglic, Calmejane Hagen, Van Zyl Bakelants Sagan, Schlegel Skuijns, Lopez, Becis Vogt, Chernetskiy Jensen Formolo, Konrad, Hofland Schreurs Boswell
We start the Muur. 2 km to go. The lead group is 14 seconds ahead of the pack. 26 riders remain in the peloton.
Eight riders make the jump to the front group with 1500 meters to go. The riders making the bridge are De Bie, Hagen, Skuijns, Mohoric, Sagan, Bobridge, Van Garderen and Kwiatkowski.
Lopez is in trouble, and off the back of the second group.
Formolo, Bellis, Schlegel, Roglic, Van Zyl and Becis are now dropped from the second group.
The second group now consists of the following riders:
Back with the lead group, Lutsenko has gone into the lead as they enter the final kilometer. Kinoshita, Ponzi, Hagen and De Bie are in the train. Kwiatkowski is being gapped at the back.
The chase group is back to 16 riders, but Lopez, Bellis and Van Zyl have not made it back.
Back with the leaders again with 700 meters to go. Kinoshita takes the lead with Ponzi on his wheel. A tiring Lutsenko, Skuijns, Koretzky, De Bie and Hagen form a row behind the leader. Mohoric is behind them. There's a gap now to the quartet of Sagan, Bobridge, Kwiatkowski and Van Garderen.
The next group has also split. E3 now consists of McCarthy, Boswell, Gastauer and Jensen. Bakelants and Schreurs are chasing them.
500 meters. Kinoshita now has a gap at the front. No one else seems to be able to accelerate and mount a challenge.
The next eight riders, four dropped from the lead group and the four riders in E3 mentioned above, are together now.
Koretzky makes the first move and goes up to 2nd in the process. The others are also attentive now, seemingly shaken out of their stupor by the first move being made. Only Ponzi is tiring.
Boswell is dropped from the next group. Gastauer and Jensen are also being gapped.
200 meters left. The situation remains the same at the front with Kinoshita leading. Koretzky is next with Lutsenko and Skuijns battling for 3rd.
No changes at the front over the next 100 meters. Mohoric looks to have closed in a bit.
Kinoshita celebrates with a bit still left to ride. Ponzi is caught by the chase group in the background.
Kinoshita wins Fleche Wallone in 2020!
Koretzky claims 2nd.
Skuijns comes past Lutsenko on the line to steal 3rd.
Hagen finishes ahead of De Bie and Mohoric for 5th, 6th and 7th respectively.
Kwiatkowski wins the battle for 8th, with Van Garderen and Sagan completing the Top 10.
Bobridge is 11th, while Ponzi has faded to 12th place. McCarthy finishes 13th.
Jensen followed by Gastauer rounds out the Top 15.
Bakelants won't be happy with 16th and neither will Schreurs with 17th.
Formolo is 18th and Boswell's disappointments continue with 19th place.
Konrad is 20th.
Today's winner - Tomohiro Kinoshita.
Kinoshita takes an important win for himself and his team. He never looked uncomfortable and took the win with a gap to Koretzky. Skuijns finished on the podium as well. Vesuvio is the only team with two riders in the Top 15. Gazelle have two in the Top 20. Lopez, Gerts, Vogt and Vakoc are among those riders who'll be disappointed with this race.
