In history, seven runners managed to win the Flèche wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in a few days: the Swiss Ferdi Kübler (1951, 1952), the Belgians Stan Ockers (1955), Eddy Merckx (1972), Philippe Gilbert (2011), Italians Moreno Argentin (1991), Davide Rebellin (2004) and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (2006, 2015, 2017).
Winner Wednesday of the Flèche for the third time in his career, Julian Alaphilippe will try Sunday to be the eighth to enter this closed circle.
This Friday afternoon, 48 hours after his triumph at the top of the wall of Huy, the world champion gave by videoconference to some media his feeling before trying to succeed in Liège to Bernard Hinault, the last French winner of the Ardennes classic. . It was in 1980. Selected Songs
His level of confidence after the Flèche wallonne.
“The victory on Wednesday really did me good at this level, it's true. It's a good indicator and it confirms to me that the job has been well done. Suddenly, I approach Liège-Bastogne in good conditions. But in absolute terms, this victory doesn't change much because I know why I came to these Ardennes classics: to win them. This is done on the Flèche but this is only the first part of the contract. I have already moved on to concentrate on Sunday. The two races are so different that you shouldn't get carried away, stay calm and focused. "
The sequence between Wednesday and Sunday.
“You can't change anything in four days.
The work was done long before, upstream.
All we can do between the two races is to recover well with fairly light training, a reconnaissance of the course to fully understand the last kilometers.
The most important thing since Wednesday is to stay calm to have a big day on Sunday with a long race that requires a lot of concentration.
"
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The difference between the two races.
“The riders who can win these races are similar but the two events are really different.
It is not the same
mileage
(
193.6 km for the Flèche, 259 km for Liège
), not the same race format either.
Liège can open far from the final unlike the Flèche which remains a hill climb at the finish even if it is difficult.
These are not really two events that can be compared.
"
World Champion @ alafpolak1 will lead Deceuninck - Quick-Step at @LiegeBastogneL, the final Monument of the spring: https://t.co/HtQja5Zk9r pic.twitter.com/f4xpJLiXSf
- Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) April 23, 2021
The last French winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
“Yes, I know who is the last French to have won Liège-Bastogne-Liège: it is Bernard Hinault (in 1980).
If I remember correctly, it was so cold that year that he had lost feeling at his fingertips.
I should be safe from this kind of mishap on Sunday.
Good weather is announced.
"
Win with the world champion jersey.
“I already did it on Wednesday.
It really is a special feeling that does a lot of good.
If I am able to win the race with this jersey on Sunday, it will be great, a great satisfaction because it is an event that is close to my heart, that I dream of winning.
But other runners will want to do it for me.
"
His first assessment of the season.
“In my eyes, the first part of the season ends on Sunday after Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
This is the big goal of my start to the season.
I have been saying this since the beginning of the year and I have worked a lot for it.
I'm happy with the Arrow, but now it's something else.
After Sunday, I will be able to make a first assessment and cut a little to recover well before thinking about the next step.
"
His goals after the Ardennes.
“For me after the classics, the Tour de France will be the most important goal.
I'll see how it goes, but I won't forget the end of the season with the world championship and the Tour of Lombardy.
For the moment, I take the races as they come, thinking only of Sunday and Liège.
"
The homage of Alejandro Valverde on Wednesday on arrival.
“I was very touched that he came to me to congratulate me.
He will celebrate his 41th birthday on Sunday.
We have always had a lot of respect for each other.
He is an example.
At his age to be still so efficient at the top of world cycling, that inspires respect.
"
His opinion on Primoz Roglic.
“
He's our number 1 opponent on Sunday.
He did a big trick on the Arrow from a long way off.
I knew he was very strong for having followed him on the Tour of the Basque Country.
He will be very hard to beat but obviously he will not be my only opponent.
"
