Pogacar and Evenepoel reunite

April 18 ^th 2025 - 11:30

Remco Evenepoel returns to the Mur de Huy three years after his first appearance. He will face Tadej Pogacar, who triumphed there in 2023.

The list of riders enlisted for the 89th edition of La Flèche Wallonne includes three other former winners: Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Hirschi and Dylan Teuns.

From Thibau Nys to Lenny Martinez, young debutants dream of conquering the Mur, 40 years after the first finish on these legendary slopes.

Distinguished guests are gathering for a major event of the 2025 spring: on Wednesday, April 23, the 89th edition of La Flèche Wallonne celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first arrival at the Mur de Huy, conquered in 1985 by local hero Claude Criquielion. Since then, the Chemin des Chapelles and its grueling slopes, with gradients of around 20%, have become an annual pilgrimage site for champions determined to follow in the footsteps of “ Le Crique”, who even gave his name to the steepest bend of the Mur, renamed the “virage Claudy Criquielion” after his death in 2015. Ten years later, who will best embody his legacy?

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) may be Flemish, but he was born in Aalst, the town where Criquielion passed away, and his love for the Ardennes peaks is evident. After a serious accident in training in December, the Belgian star is making his return to competition in the hilly classics, with another victory in Liège in his sights, but also with the ambition of conquering the Mur de Huy, which he has only tackled once so far (43rd in 2022).

Since then, Evenepoel has won Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice and worn the rainbow jersey of world champion, just like Criquielion did when he first triumphed in Huy (he also won in 1989). On the Mur, most eyes naturally turn to the rainbow jersey, who also reigned supreme in 2010 (Cadel Evans) and in 2021, when Julian Alaphilippe claimed his third Flèche (after 2018 and 2019). For his first Ardennes campaign with Tudor Pro Cycling Team, the Frenchman will be paired with another former winner of the race, Marc Hirschi (2020).

The Franco-Swiss duo will have to battle it out with the current world champion, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), winner in Huy in 2023 and now embarked on historic classics campaign. After his battles with Mathieu Van der Poel, the Slovenian reunites with rivals looking to contain him when the road rises, starting with Evenepoel, who joined him on the podium of the last Tour de France. With their knack for long solo raids, it's not inconceivable that they could launch the hostilities from afar and make their way up the final climb alone, as Criquielion did in 1985.

The list of entrants includes another former winner of La Flèche Wallonne, Dylan Teuns (Cofidis), who in 2022 justified the long-standing comparisons with Criquielion. Many other contenders dream of joining the Huy legend, starting with a handful of young riders who have stood on the podium of La Flèche Wallonne in recent years: Kevin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl - Trek).

The latter will be accompanied by a rapidly rising Belgian talent, Thibau Nys, who is eagerly awaited for his debut in Huy. With Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), the young guard is advancing ambitiously towards Huy. Barely older at 25 years old, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) also has the means to shine on the Mur.

25 teams, the main participants

Australia

Jacy AlUla: O’Connor (Aus), Schmid (Sui)

Bahrain

Bahrain Victorious: L. Martinez (Fra), Buitrago (Col), Bilbao (Esp)

Belgium

Alpecin - Deceuninck: Hermans (Bel), Vergallito (Ita)

Flanders - Baloise: Van Hemelen (Bel)

Intermarché-Wanty: Barré (Fra), Rota (Ita)

Lotto: Van Eetvelt (Bel), Livyns (Bel)

Soudal Quick-Step: Evenepoel (Bel), Schachmann (Ger), Van Wilder (Bel)

Wagner Bazin WB: De Tier (Bel), Meens (Bel)

France

Arkéa - B&B Hotels: Vauquelin (Fra), Garcia Pierna (Esp)

Cofidis: Teuns (Bel), Aranburu (Esp)

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale: Godon (Fra), Lafay (Fra)

Groupama - FDJ: Grégoire (Fra), Madouas (Fra), Martin-Guyonnet (Fra)

Germany

Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe: Van Gils (Bel), Fisher-Black (NHL), D. Martinez (Col)  

Great Britain

Ineos Grenadiers: Sheffield (Usa), Laurance (Fra)

Israel

Israel-Premier Tech: Blackmore (Gbr), Lutsenko (Kaz)

Kazakhstan

XDS Astana: Champoussin (Fra), Scaroni (Ita), Ulissi (Ita)

Netherlands

Picnic PostNL: Barguil (Fra), Onley (Gbr)

Visma-Lease a Bike: Benoot (Bel), Tulett (Gbr), Valter (Hun)

Norway

Uno-X Mobility: T.H. Johannessen (Nor), Cort (Den)

Spain

Movistar: Mas (Esp), P. Sanchez (Esp)

Switzerland

Q36.5: Pidcock (Gbr), Donovan (Gbr)

Tudor: Alaphilippe (Fra), Hirschi (Sui), Brenner (Ger)  

United Arab Emirates

UAE Team Emirates - XRG: Pogacar (Slo), Narvaez (Ecu), Sivakov (Fra)

United States

EF Education-Easypost: Powless (Usa), Healy (Irl)

Lidl - Trek: Skjelmose (Den), Nys (Bel), Bagioli (Ita)