Cycling-Valverde claims third Fleche Wallonne title (Reuters)
Spain’s Alejandro Valverde won the Fleche Wallonne classic race for the third time, timing his effort to perfection in the final climb at the end of a 205.5km effort on Wednesday. The Movistar rider joins Belgians Eddy Merckx and Marcel Kint as well as Italians Davide Rebellin and Moreno Argentin as triple Fleche champions. “I can’t remember such a tense day for a long time.” Valverde powered away from the thinned-out pack with about 200 metres left in the Mur de Huy, a 1.3-km ascent at an average gradient of 9.6 percent to beat France’s Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step). Swiss Michael Albasini was third for Orica Green-EDGE in a crash-marred race that saw 2013 Tour de France champion Chris Froome hit the tarmac 12 kilometres from the finish.