After second places in Paris–Roubaix and Amstel Gold Race, the Fleche Wallonne finished with another exceptional performance and victory for Tadej. This popular one-day World Tour race, which has always ended on the famous climb of the Mur de Huy since 1985, was particularly challenging this time. Rain and low temperatures battered the riders for almost all of the 205 kilometers.
However, Tadej excelled in these conditions, as did his team UAE Team Emirates – XRG. His teammates consistently protected the world champion, caught all the escapees before the finish, and then Brandon McNulty and Jan Christen excellently set up Tadej’s winning move.
As usual, the Mur du Huy, a 1.3-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 9.6 percent and a maximum gradient of a hellish 19 percent, was decisive. However, the way Tadej claimed his second victory on it was unusual. In 2023, he stepped on the pedals about 200 meters before the finish and crushed his rivals; this time, he did it seated and already about 500 meters before the end.
No one could follow his powerful acceleration, so he gained a substantial lead. Although he was already celebrating in the last meters, he finished 10 seconds ahead of second-placed Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and 12 seconds ahead of third-placed Tom Pidcock (Q36.5).
»It is a really great feeling to win again here on this tough final. It is a beautiful climb, but as a cyclist you don’t like it so much. Also today the weather was not the best, so it was a really tough race and to pull it off with the win means a lot,« Tadej said after his sixth victory of the season and the 94th of his career, after which he did not forget to thank his teammates.
»I had a really good leadout to the final few hundred metres with Brandon and Jan. When Healy came to my left, I sped up a little bit, looked under my shoulder and saw that nobody was sticking to the wheel. I tried to make a first acceleration and when I saw that nobody was following, I committed to the top,« added Tadej. He still has the fourth monument of the season, Liege–Bastogne–Liege, ahead of him this Sunday before the end of the spring part of the season.
After an exceptional victory on the climb of the Mur de Huy, on which he flew like an arrow, he undoubtedly goes full of confidence to the 252-kilometer race, where he has already won in 2021 and last year. »Of course, we raced really well together as a team today. We stuck to the plan, but it was a hard race and the guys had super good legs. More or less, we have the same team for Sunday and I think we can do a great race again on Sunday and try to win there as well,« concluded Tadej.