In addition to the highest levels of competition that we have come to expect in the discipline, the pretenders for victory must tackle the legendary slopes of the Mur de Huy (the Wall of Huy), which, indiscriminately of gender, mistreats even the most solid pair of legs for more than a kilometre.
This athletic challenge leads to a severe cull in the pack.
At the summit, the title of “Miss Huy” has been won in the last three editions by a veritable “monster” of women’s cycling, several times world and Olympic champion in the track, road and cyclo-cross disciplines, Marianne Vos. Each time she has won the Flèche Wallonne, Marianne Vos has also dominated the world rankings at the season’s end. The air of the Belgian Ardennes evidently gives her wings!
Christian PRUDHOMME
Director of the Tour de France