While last year’s race kicked off in Charleroi, west of Huy, this year’s edition sets off from Blegny, on the opposite side. It will not effect how the race unfolds whatsoever. The action boils down to a 31.1 kilometres circuit, which has been identical for years.
Just like in 2019 the riders tackle the Côte de Tancrémont and Côte des Forges in the run-up to the circuit, which they enter after approximately 120 kilometres.
The local lap features three climbs, Côte d’Ereffe, Côte de Cherave and the Wall of Huy. These are situated in the last 18.5 kilometres of the lap. So before the first passage on the line the riders have had a first taste of what’s it going to be like in the finale.
The Côte d’Ereffe is a 2.1 kilometres climb at 5%. The riders then descend into the valley of the Hoyoux river. Shortly, the 1.3 kilometers long Côte de Cherave appears. The first kilometre goes up at 8.5% before it continues as a false flat.
Following a downhill towards the Meusse river the route zigzags through Huy to the local Wall. The 1.3 kilometres climb at 9.6% opens relatively easy, only to kick in hard after the first 400 metres. The gradient never drops below 10% for 800 metres before the home straight levels out to 6%.
Alejandro Valverde is record holder with five victories. The Spaniard won La Flèche Wallonne in 2006 and in the period 2014-2017 before Julian Alaphilippe took over the baton in 2018, 2019, and 2021. The World Champion skipped the 2020 edition and Marc Hirschi took the spoils ahead of Benoît Cosnefroy and Michael Woods.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX Flèche Wallonne 2022.
Other interesting reads: results and start list 2022 La Flèche Wallonne.
La Flèche Wallonne 2022: route, profiles, more
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