Stevie Williams 1st, Kevin Vauquelin 2nd, Maxim Van Gils 3rd. Not quite the names we usually see on the podium of La Fleche Wallonne so I quite like this. 👍 Brutal edition in rain and cold. #FlecheWallonne
"I can't believe I just won Fleche" - Emotional and exhausted Stephen Williams 'over the moon' with La Fleche Wallonne victory
CyclingWednesday, 17 April 2024 at 16:34
Stephen Williams continues to impress in 2024. After his overall victory at the Tour Down Under earlier this year, the Welshman has powered to a fabulous victory at La Fleche Wallonne this Wednesday afternoon.
"What a day. I'm so happy right now and I can't believe I just won Fleche. I've been watching this race for years and I've always wanted to come here with decent legs to try and win," reflected the Israel - Premier Tech star post-race having battled not only his rivals throughout the day but also the simply disgusting weather conditions that plagued a number of the pre-race favourites.
Not that the weather was anything that bothered Williams himself. "I love racing in this kind of weather and to come away with the victory, I'm just over the moon," he continues. "The boys backed me all day and gave me the best chance to get a result today. To come away with the win here is special, really special."
With a group of around 30 still together at the start of the final ascent of the Mur de Huy, Williams stayed patient before launching with around 300m to go. "Everyone was kind of just waiting. When I saw the 300m to go sign I thought I could get a jump and 5 or 10 seconds on the group, then seeing the line it gave me a good chance to hold on," Williams explains. "I was looking around a bit because the legs were empty but yeah, really happy to hold on and win."
"I'm exhausted now. I'm lost for words and quite emotional really. To win bike races is hard, especially in these Classics," the Welshman concludes.
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