SOÑANDO HASTA EL ÚLTIMO METRO DE NUESTRAS VIDAS. @alejanvalverde, en su última #FlècheWallonne, 2º tras Dylan Teuns. Se retirará en la cima. #LaÚltimaBala = felicidad. 🤗💙🚀
Alejandro Valverde "can only feel happy" after surprising second place at Flèche Wallone
CyclingWednesday, 20 April 2022 at 22:00
Alejandro Valverde has won Flèche Wallone five times, however it was a surprise when he crossed the line in second place this afternoon in the Mur de Huy. Leading Movistar Team, he took advantage of a less good day from some of the pre-race favourites to be close to a very important win.
"I can only feel happy about my performance today, I’ve been so close to victory. I was pushing so hard that I felt more pain in my arms than in my legs," Valverde said in a post-race interview. The Belgian classic is every year a race where the big favourites all save their legs for the dash to the line up the final steep ascent of the Mur, and this year was no different, with Movistar delivering the veteran in perfect position for the ascent.
"I want to thank my team for the excellent work they’ve done for me the whole day. They’ve given me an excellent travel to the Mur de Huy. Then Enric Mas set a very strong pace on the final climb that enabled me to be in perfect position for the final accelerations," Valverde was quick to point out.
Enric Mas led the peloton into the final few hundred meters with Valverde in the wheel, and he was quick to respond to Dylan Teuns when the Belgian launched his bid for the line. Although for a brief moment it seemed as if Valverde was about to launch his own move for the win, he had to settle for second place - however this was not a disappointment.
"This second place is worth as much as a victory. I’m turning 42 in five days and this was my last Flèche Wallonne. Having performed at this level, with lots of sufferance but finishing on a good note, gives me hopes of a nice Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday."
"It must have been the fastest-ever climb to the Mur de Huy. Definitely one of the fastest. Some days you end up the race feeling you could have done more, but it’s not the case today... Teuns has been stronger than me," Valverde concluded. The day before he turns 42, he'll be racing Liège-Bastogne-Liège where, with his current form and experience, he will be one of the main favourites at the start of the fourth monument of the season.
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