# La Flèche Wallonne

La Flèche Wallonne (pronounced, French for "The Walloon Arrow") is a men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Wallonia, Belgium.
The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. At one time, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège were run on successive days as "Le Weekend Ardennais" (both races are organised by Amaury Sport Organisation). Only seven riders have achieved the "Ardennes double" by winning both races in the same year: Alejandro Valverde three times (in 2006, 2015 and 2017), Ferdi Kübler twice (in 1951 and 1952), Stan Ockers (1955), Eddy Merckx (1972), Moreno Argentin (1991) Davide Rebellin (2004) and Philippe Gilbert (2011).

## History

La Flèche Wallonne was created to boost the sales of a newspaper Les Sports during the 1930s and was first run in 1936. While perhaps not as revered as one of the five Classic 'Monuments', the race is widely regarded as among the most significant spring Classics, alongside the Amstel Gold and Strade Bianche, and featured on the UCI Road World Cup and UCI ProTour. It became part of the UCI World Ranking calendar in 2009.
Like many cycle race events, the course has altered considerably over the years, both in route and length. The event was first run on roads from Tournai to Liège (growing from 236 km to 300 km — its longest ever distance — in 1938), after which Mons became the starting point. From 1948, the race started at Charleroi; from 1960 the event ran in the opposite direction, starting at Liège and finishing at Charleroi (or, from 1965, Marcinelle). Some years have seen the event start and finish in the same place: Verviers (1974–1978) or Huy (1983–1985). From 1986, the race started in Spa and finished in Huy. Since 1990, the race distance has not exceeded 210 km.
Since its inception, it has been held every year except 1940, due to World War II. In 2020, it was rescheduled to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the event starts in Charleroi and heads east to Huy, where the riders do three laps of a tough circuit including the steep Mur de Huy (the Wall of Huy) climb, with several sections steeper than 15% and up to 26% on one section. The finish is at the top of the Mur after the third ascent, and ascent of 'the Mur' is considered the iconic and emblematic feature of the race.
Alejandro Valverde has won the race a record five times. Five riders have won the race three times, two of them Belgians, two Italians, and one Frenchman. Five riders have won the race in back to back years. Indeed, Belgian riders dominated the early years of the event, winning the first 11 editions of the race, and slightly less than half of the editions in total (38 victories up to and including 2011). Italians have won the event 18 times.

## Winners

| Year | Country | Rider | Team |
| 1936 | Belgium | Philemon De Meersman | La Française |
| 1937 | Belgium | Adolph Braeckeveldt | Helyett |
| 1938 | Belgium | Émile Masson Jr. | |
| 1939 | Belgium | Edmond Delathouwer | Leducq-Mercier |
| 1940 | No race | No race | No race |
| 1941 | Belgium | Sylvain Grysolle | |
| 1942 | Belgium | Karel Thijs | |
| 1943 | Belgium | Marcel Kint | |
| 1944 | Belgium | Marcel Kint | |
| 1945 | Belgium | Marcel Kint | |
| 1946 | Belgium | Désiré Keteleer | Groene Leeuw |
| 1947 | Belgium | Ernest Sterckx | Alcyon–Dunlop |
| 1948 | Italy | Fermo Camellini | Métropole |
| 1949 | Belgium | Rik Van Steenbergen | Mercier–Hutchinson |
| 1950 | Italy | Fausto Coppi | Bianchi–Ursus |
| 1951 | Switzerland | Ferdi Kübler | Tebag |
| 1952 | Switzerland | Ferdi Kübler | Tebag |
| 1953 | Belgium | Stan Ockers | Peugeot–Dunlop |
| 1954 | Belgium | Germain Derycke | Alcyon–Dunlop |
| 1955 | Belgium | Stan Ockers | Elvé–Peugeot |
| 1956 | Belgium | Richard Van Genechten | Elvé–Peugeot |
| 1957 | Belgium | Raymond Impanis | Peugeot-BP |
| 1958 | Belgium | Rik Van Steenbergen | Elvé–Peugeot–Marvan |
| 1959 | Belgium | Jos Hoevenaers | Faema |
| 1960 | Belgium | Pino Cerami | Peugeot–BP–Dunlop |
| 1961 | Belgium | Willy Vannitsen | Gitane–Geminiani–Leroux–Dunlop |
| 1962 | Belgium | Henri De Wolf | Baratti–Milano |
| 1963 | France | Raymond Poulidor | Mercier–BP–Hutchinson |
| 1964 | Belgium | Gilbert Desmet | Wiel's–Groene Leeuw |
| 1965 | Italy | Roberto Poggiali | Ignis |
| 1966 | Italy | Michele Dancelli | Molteni |
| 1967 | Belgium | Eddy Merckx | Peugeot–BP–Michelin |
| 1968 | Belgium | Rik Van Looy | Willem II–Gazelle |
| 1969 | Belgium | Jos Huysmans | Dr.Mann–Grundig |
| 1970 | Belgium | Eddy Merckx | Faemino |
| 1971 | Belgium | Roger De Vlaeminck | Mars–Flandria |
| 1972 | Belgium | Eddy Merckx | Molteni |
| 1973 | Belgium | André Dierickx | Flandria–Shimano–Carpenter |
| 1974 | Belgium | Frans Verbeeck | Watney–Maes |
| 1975 | Belgium | André Dierickx | Rokado |
| 1976 | Netherlands | Joop Zoetemelk | Gan–Mercier–Hutchinson |
| 1977 | Italy | Francesco Moser | Sanson |
| 1978 | France | Michel Laurent | Peugeot–Esso–Michelin |
| 1979 | France | Bernard Hinault | Renault–Gitane–Campagnolo |
| 1980 | Italy | Giuseppe Saronni | Gis Gelati–Colnago |
| 1981 | Belgium | Daniel Willems | Capri Sonne–Koga Miyata |
| 1982 | Italy | Mario Beccia | Hoonved–Bottechia |
| 1983 | France | Bernard Hinault | Renault–Elf–Gitane |
| 1984 | Denmark | Kim Andersen | Coop–Hoonved |
| 1985 | Belgium | Claude Criquielion | Hitachi–Splendor–Sunair |
| 1986 | France | Laurent Fignon | Système U |
| 1987 | France | Jean-Claude Leclercq | Toshiba–Look |
| 1988 | West Germany | Rolf Gölz | Superconfex–Yoko |
| 1989 | Belgium | Claude Criquielion | Hitachi–Merckx–Mavic |
| 1990 | Italy | Moreno Argentin | Ariostea |
| 1991 | Italy | Moreno Argentin | Ariostea |
| 1992 | Italy | Giorgio Furlan | Ariostea |
| 1993 | Italy | Maurizio Fondriest | Lampre |
| 1994 | Italy | Moreno Argentin | Gewiss–Ballan |
| 1995 | France | Laurent Jalabert | ONCE |
| 1996 | United States | Lance Armstrong | Motorola |
| 1997 | France | Laurent Jalabert | ONCE |
| 1998 | Denmark | Bo Hamburger | Casino–Ag2r |
| 1999 | Italy | Michele Bartoli | Mapei–Quick-Step |
| 2000 | Italy | Francesco Casagrande | Vini Caldirola–Sidermec |
| 2001 | Belgium | Rik Verbrugghe | Lotto–Adecco |
| 2002 | Belgium | Mario Aerts | Lotto–Adecco |
| 2003 | Spain | Igor Astarloa | Saeco |
| 2004 | Italy | Davide Rebellin | Gerolsteiner |
| 2005 | Italy | Danilo Di Luca | Liquigas–Bianchi |
| 2006 | Spain | Alejandro Valverde | Caisse d'Epargne–Illes Balears |
| 2007 | Italy | Davide Rebellin | Gerolsteiner |
| 2008 | Luxembourg | Kim Kirchen | Team High Road |
| 2009 | Italy | Davide Rebellin | Diquigiovanni–Androni |
| 2010 | Australia | Cadel Evans | BMC Racing Team |
| 2011 | Belgium | Philippe Gilbert | Omega Pharma–Lotto |
| 2012 | Spain | Joaquim Rodríguez | Team Katusha |
| 2013 | Spain | Daniel Moreno | Team Katusha |
| 2014 | Spain | Alejandro Valverde | Movistar Team |
| 2015 | Spain | Alejandro Valverde | Movistar Team |
| 2016 | Spain | Alejandro Valverde | Movistar Team |
| 2017 | Spain | Alejandro Valverde | Movistar Team |
| 2018 | France | Julian Alaphilippe | Quick-Step Floors |
| 2019 | France | Julian Alaphilippe | Deceuninck–Quick-Step |
| 2020 | Switzerland | Marc Hirschi | Team Sunweb |
| 2021 | France | Julian Alaphilippe | Deceuninck–Quick-Step |
| 2022 | Belgium | Dylan Teuns | Team Bahrain Victorious |
| 2023 | Slovenia | Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates |
| 2024 | Great Britain | Stephen Williams | Israel–Premier Tech |

### Multiple winners

Riders in italics are still active
| Wins | Rider | Editions |
| 5 | Alejandro Valverde (ESP) | 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| 3 | Marcel Kint (BEL) | 1943, 1944, 1945 |
| 3 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | 1967, 1970, 1972 |
| 3 | Moreno Argentin (ITA) | 1990, 1991, 1994 |
| 3 | Davide Rebellin (ITA) | 2004, 2007, 2009 |
| 3 | Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) | 2018, 2019, 2021 |
| 2 | Ferdinand Kübler (SUI) | 1951, 1952 |
| 2 | Stan Ockers (BEL) | 1953, 1955 |
| 2 | Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) | 1949, 1958 |
| 2 | André Dierickx (BEL) | 1973, 1975 |
| 2 | Bernard Hinault (FRA) | 1979, 1983 |
| 2 | Claude Criquielion (BEL) | 1985, 1989 |
| 2 | Laurent Jalabert (FRA) | 1995, 1997 |

### Wins per country

| Wins | Country |
| 39 | Belgium |
| 18 | Italy |
| 11 | France |
| 8 | Spain |
| 3 | Switzerland |
| 2 | Denmark |
| 1 | Australia Germany Great Britain Luxembourg Netherlands Slovenia United States |