Hugo Houle: “We executed the plan well”

Third in 2020 and fourth in 2021, Michael Woods wanted to take another step at the Flèche wallonne on Wednesday.

Still well placed in the Mur de Huy, the Gatineau puncher could not improve his fate, finishing sixth in an event won for the first time by the Belgian Dylan Teuns (Bahrain).

Slowed down by illness in recent weeks, Woods was happy to get closer to his best at the famous Belgian classic, which he was tackling for the seventh consecutive year.

“I’m happy with my form,” he said in Israel-Premier Tech’s (IPT) post-race report. “I’m not thrilled with the result, but not disappointed either, especially considering where I come from. »

Hugo Houle was a key player in the collective deployment of IPT, taking the handle a dozen kilometers from the finish. Relayed by the Ineos of the former winner of the Tour de France Geraint Thomas, the cyclist from Sainte-Perpétue showed up again in the lead just before the third and last ascent of the Wall (1.3 km at 9.4%) .

“We ran well and executed the plan,” Houle agreed on the phone. For my part, I am very happy with the legs I had and the work I did for the guys today, whether it was Michael or Jacob [Fuglsang]. We had rallied around Mike. »

As usual for nearly two decades, the outcome of the classic was decided in the Mur de Huy and its passages at 23%. The Spaniard Enric Mas first set the table for his teammate Alejandro Valverde, who was aiming for a sixth and final title at La Flèche at almost 42 years old.

For a long time, the Movistar coup seemed to work. But the Wall is endless and Teuns was able to take advantage of exceptional legs to repel a final attempt from Valverde 50 meters from the line.

Winner of two stages in the Tour de France, the 30-year-old Belgian thus signs his most important success in a one-day race. Valverde finished second two seconds away, his ninth podium finish at La Flèche, which he was competing for the last time. Author of an attack just before that of Teuns, the Russian Aleksander Vlasov (Bora) completed the podium.

Fourth at five seconds, the world champion Julian Alaphilippe failed in his attempt to win a fourth consecutive time at the top of the Wall, another blow for the Quick-Step team, in search of victories on the classics this season.

Woods crossed the wire six seconds after Teuns, a rival he edged to his maiden Tour of Spain victory in 2017. He lost the wheel to Fuglsang and Houle just before the foot of the final climb.

“Our only small mistake came before the red flame, testified Houle, 54^and at 1 min 16 sec. We took the roundabout and Mike was a bit stuck. He couldn’t produce his effort to stay in Jakob’s wheel. It created a small delay and I had to make another effort to replace it. He was a little out of time. He was squeezed by Alaphilippe and that slowed us down a bit. »

Woods, who scored 140 WorldTour points eagerly awaited by his training, was encouraged by this performance on the eve of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, presented on Sunday.

“It’s a good start to the campaign for the classics [ardennaises]. It gives me a lot of confidence as we approach Liège. My legs are really good, I just need to execute better. »

A relapse for Boivin

Guillaume Boivin will not be there to accompany him to the Dean of the Classics. Three days after his performance at Paris-Roubaix, he is drained of his energy. The Canadian champion gave up after about fifty kilometers on Wednesday. The flu that struck him down for two weeks seems to have caught up with him.

“I had a decent day in Roubaix, but I hit it and it made me relapse, worried Boivin. I had no power, it was a bit catastrophic. I’ll see with the medical team, but maybe it’s time to stop and really take a good rest. »

Olivia Barrel 16^and

In her first participation in the Flèche wallonne, Olivia Baril distinguished herself by placing 16^and, 1 min 7 s from the winner, the Italian Marta Cavalli (FDJ). The Quebecer from the Italian team Valcar achieved the best result of her career in a WorldTour event.

The cyclist from Rouyn-Noranda, however, regretted a collective fall after about fifty kilometers, which forced her to hunt with her Australian teammate Elizabeth Stannard to close a gap of some three minutes.

“When you fall in a race like that, it’s always disheartening,” she admitted. Your state of mind is no longer the same. It’s hard to come back and stay motivated and positive. Nobody wanted to help us. I didn’t think we’d be able to come back, but I said to myself: I’m going to take over and train. »

When favorites like Annemiek Van Vleuten (2^and) accelerated at the foot of the Mur de Huy, Baril “no longer had the energy to follow”. ” It is kind of a shame. Yes, 16^and, it’s good, but I think I could have done better if I hadn’t had that fall. »

Like Woods, the Canadian cyclist wants to express herself more in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

“A few years ago, I said to myself that the girls who make WorldTour podiums, it’s another level that I will never reach. Today, I see that I am 24 years old, I am young and I am in the game. It looks good for this season, but also for the rest of my career. »

Sherbrooke’s Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF) concluded at the 42^and square (+ 2 min 6 s). Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis), the other Quebecer in the running, had to give up, tested by her fall in Paris-Roubaix on Saturday.