The 2024 Flèche Wallonne will go down in history as one of the toughest and most heroic editions. In a race that normally proceeds smoothly and finishes with an uphill sprint on the Mur de Huy, it was warfare on Wednesday due to the harsh weather conditions. Almost all the top favorites had to abandon the race, suffering from hypothermia after being dropped before the final.
Tom Pidcock, Marc Hirschi, Mattias Skjelmose, Dylan Teuns, David Gaudu... just some names who could have won the Flèche Wallonne, but were dropped during the penultimate climb of the Mur de Huy. Their legs simply gave out in a race that was blindsided by snow and freezing rain halfway through. The conditions were so harsh that even the rain jackets proved inadequate, and certainly no match for the exposed skin. Skjelmose had to be physically carried off his bike due to severe hypothermia.
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Frozen and shivering riders at the Flèche Wallonne, contrasted with Van der Poel basking in the sun
The race produced unforgettable scenes: Mathieu Burgaudeau visibly struggling and hypothermic as he tried to don a jacket, awkward fumbles with a jacket at Q36.5, and slow-motion shots of riders who looked like they'd rather be cozy under blankets in sweatpants. Only 44 riders managed to reach the finish line. For many, it was far from the ideal lead-up to Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday. Meanwhile, cycling stars Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar were seen enjoying warmer climes, smiling under the sun on a mountain earlier this week.
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