April 18, 2018 (Wallonia, Belgium) – Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors scored the biggest triumph of his career at one of the hardest ever editions of Flèche Wallonne, 198.5km, after jumping clear from a stretched out peloton with 150 meters to go and leaving everyone else trailing on the double-digit gradients of the Mur de Huy, the iconic climb of the Belgian Classic which this year ran its 82nd edition.

Eight men broke clear at the start of the day, but the race was properly ignited with 40 kilometers to go, when a numerous group which included a strong Quick-Step Floors delegation slipped away and caught the escapees, while at the same time putting 20 seconds between them and the bunch. From that group, six riders attacked and went on to build a 50-second gap over the pack; among them was also Volta a Catalunya stage winner Maximilian Schachmann, who responded to several attacks, including the one of Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) over the top of Côte de Cherave, with six kilometers left.

On the brutal Mur de Huy, a climb which features on the course since 1983, Schachmann dropped Haig and rode alone into the famous S-bend, while behind the big favourites began to show their intentions. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Soudal) was the first to attack, only for Alaphilippe to respond with remarkable ease. The duo passed Schachmann inside the final 150 meters before Julian kicked again on the tough ramps of the climb and gapped defending champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Vanendert, who were left fighting for the minor places on the podium.

The biggest victory of Alaphilippe’s career was also the first of a French rider at Flèche Wallonne since 1997 and marked Quick-Step Floors’ 26th UCI success of the season, one that cements our grip on the World Tour team standings after 17 events. This unforgettable day was rounded out by Max Schachmann’s maiden top 10 in a classic, after the young German still had enough left in the tank to finish in eighth place.

“I have been on the podium of this race twice, and if the first time three years ago I was surprised, the second time I was frustrated, but I also took that result as a confirmation. I have always kept believing and worked hard to land a victory in a classic. The team was extraordinary, protected and kept me in a good position, so I want to thank them for their help! Everything was perfect today and now I want to celebrate this fantastic performance”, Julian said after scoring his fourth win of the season.

Results

Men
1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors 4:53:37
2. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team 00:04
3. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:06
4. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Mitchelton-Scott
5. Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb
6. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
7. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
8. Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Quick-Step Floors
9. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
10. Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:12
11. Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky 00:15
12. Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data 00:19
13. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 00:21
14. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 00:25
15. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 00:28
16. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
17. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data
18. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 00:30
19. Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 00:32
20. Robert Gesink (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:34
21. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:36
22. Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 00:39
23. Jesus Herrada (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
24. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 00:42
25. Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 00:44
26. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:47
27. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 00:49
28. Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 00:54
29. Steff Cras (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 01:05
30. Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team 01:08
31. Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb 01:13
32. Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team 01:18
33. Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 01:22
34. Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
35. Mathias Frank (Sui) AG2R La Mondiale 01:25
36. Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 01:27
37. Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 01:29
38. IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka 01:34
39. Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Trek-Segafredo 01:43
40. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 01:46
41. Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors 01:55
42. Mikel Landa (Esp) Movistar Team 01:59
43. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 02:13
44. Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 02:23
45. Warren Barguil (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
46. Floris De Tier (Bel) LottoNL-Jumbo 02:51
47. Omar Fraile (Esp) Astana Pro Team 03:01
48. Pierre Rolland (Fra) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 03:06
49. Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team Sunweb 03:07
50. Michael Valgren (Den) Astana Pro Team
51. Rob Power (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 03:27
52. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 03:56
53. Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Dimension Data 04:03
54. Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 04:12
55. Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida 05:37
56. Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 07:32
57. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 07:37
58. Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 09:23
59. Andrey Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 09:29
60. Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb 09:37
61. Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates
62. Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
63. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
64. Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky
65. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
66. Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
67. Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
68. Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb
69. Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Katusha-Alpecin
70. Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 09:45
71. Bjorg Lambrecht (Bel) Lotto Soudal
72. Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
73. Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo
74. Willie Smit (RSA) Katusha-Alpecin
75. Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 09:52
76. Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
77. Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
78. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal
79. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Gbr) Team Sky 09:56
80. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) BMC Racing Team 10:02
81. Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
82. Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott
83. Kevin Reza (Fra) Vital Concept Club
84. Paul Martens (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo
85. Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
86. Simon Gerrans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
87. José Joaquin Rojas (Esp) Movistar Team
88. Alex Howes (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
89. Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale 10:17
90. Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 10:21
91. Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal
92. Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) UAE Team Emirates
93. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
94. Chad Haga (USA) Team Sunweb
95. Stef Clement (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
96. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 10:27
97. Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
98. Jose Herrada (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 10:31
99. Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
100. Amael Moinard (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
101. Ion Izagirre (Esp) Bahrain-Merida 10:44
102. Romain Hardy (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 11:15
103. Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin 11:18
104. Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo 11:52
105. Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 12:54
106. Julien Mortier (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
107. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) Dimension Data 13:06
DNF Quentin Pacher (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Thomas Deruette (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Dion Smith (Nzl) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Enric Mas (Esp) Quick-Step Floors
DNF James Knox (Gbr) Quick-Step Floors
DNF Rúben Guerreiro (Por) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Gregory Daniel (USA) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Justin Jules (Fra) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Lucas De Rossi (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
DNF Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
DNF Tanguy Turgis (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Patrick Müller (Sui) Vital Concept Club
DNF Justin Mottier (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Johan Le Bon (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
DNF Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Christophe Masson (Fra) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF John Anderson Rodriguez Salazar (Col) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
DNF Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Esp) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
DNF Julien El Fares (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
DNF Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
DNF Antoine Warnier (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Yoann Bagot (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Loïc Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
DNF Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Michael Albasini (Sui) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
DNF Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky
DNF Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
DNF Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team
DNF Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Rory Sutherland (Aus) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Matteo Bono (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Imanol Erviti (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
DNF Kilian Frankiny (Sui) BMC Racing Team
DNF Lars Boom (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF Scott Davies (Gbr) Dimension Data
DNF Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Ian Boswell (USA) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team
DNF Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Benjamin King (USA) Dimension Data
DNF Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Kim Magnusson (Swe) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
DNF Léo Vincent (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNS Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise