63th - Wednesday, April 14 1999
Created in 1936 by two journalists on the Brussels paper "Sports", Albert Van Laethem and Paul Beving, the "Flèche Wallonne" is the first half of the Ardennes Week-end, just before Liège-Bastogne-Liège. It was won the first time by Demeersman running between Tournai and Liège, at the opposite ends of the Walloon region of Belgium. Later the itinerary moved toward Mons, Charleroi, Verviers and Spa, while retaining its specific character. This nerve-wracking event features highly concentrated difficulties, and favors strong road specialists and tempermental racers.
This "jewel of the classics", the Flèche Wallonne has a history of a rare density written in turn by Masson, Kint (with three consecutive victories), and Coppy, as well as Merckx and Argentin (also with three victories). The first French winner, Poulidor, in 1963, opened the way for Laurent, Hinault, Fignon, Leclercq and Jalabert.
In 1999, the "Elites" race has been promoted to the newly-created "Hors Classe" category. As for the Women's race, for its second edition, the International Cycling Union (U.C.I.) has decided to include it in the World Cup programme.
Past Winners
|
Year |
Winner |
km |
km/h |
|
|
Tournai-Liège |
|
|
|
1936 |
DEMEERSMAN |
236 |
33.376 |
|
1937 |
BRAECKEVELDT |
291 |
31.285 |
|
1938 |
MASSON |
300 |
35.785 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mons-Liège |
|
|
|
1939 |
DELATHOUWER |
285 |
35.668 |
|
1941 |
GRYSOLLE |
205 |
38.198 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mons - Marcinelle |
|
|
|
1942 |
THIJS |
208 |
35.657 |
|
1943 |
KINT |
208 |
36.705 |
|
1944 |
KINT |
208 |
33.638 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mons-Charleroi |
|
|
|
1945 |
KINT |
213 |
34.344 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mons - Liège |
|
|
|
1946 |
KETELEER |
253 |
36.246 |
|
1947 |
STERCKX |
276 |
31.663 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charleroi - Liège |
|
|
|
1948 |
CAMELLINI (Ita) |
234 |
34.400 |
|
1949 |
VAN STEENBERGEN |
231 |
36.410 |
|
1950 |
F. COPPI (Ita) |
235 |
36.654 |
|
1951 |
KUBLER (Sui) |
220 |
34.556 |
|
1952 |
KUBLER (Sui) |
220 |
36.668 |
|
1953 |
OCKERS |
220 |
34.337 |
|
1954 |
DERYCKE |
220 |
33.350 |
|
1955 |
OCKERS |
220 |
35.453 |
|
1956 |
VAN GENECHTEN |
221 |
36.520 |
|
1957 |
IMPANIS |
226 |
37.477 |
|
1958 |
VAN STEENBERGEN |
235 |
36.061 |
|
1959 |
HOEVENAARS |
218 |
36.524 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liège - Charleroi |
|
|
|
1960 |
CERAMI |
208 |
36.535 |
|
1961 |
VANNITSEN |
193 |
39.569 |
|
1962 |
DEWOLF |
201 |
35.321 |
|
1963 |
POULIDOR (Fra) |
213 |
34.667 |
|
1964 |
DESMET |
215 |
34.246 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liège - Marcinelle |
|
|
|
1965 |
POGGIALI (Ita) |
214 |
33.630 |
|
1966 |
DANCELLI (Ita) |
233 |
38.614 |
|
1967 |
MERCKX |
223 |
37.373 |
|
1968 |
VAN LOOY |
222 |
36.575 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1969 |
HUYSMANS |
222 |
38.034 |
|
1970 |
MERCKX |
225 |
38.682 |
|
1971 |
R. DE VLAEMINCK |
225 |
38.028 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Verviers - Marcinelle |
|
|
|
1972 |
MERCKX |
249 |
38.880 |
|
1973 |
DIERICKX |
249 |
36.479 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Verviers - Verviers |
|
|
|
1974 |
VERBEECK |
225 |
38.028 |
|
1975 |
DIERICKX |
225 |
38.711 |
|
1976 |
ZOETEMELK (Ned) |
227 |
39.569 |
|
1977 |
MOSER (Ita) |
223 |
37.630 |
|
1978 |
LAURENT (Fra) |
223 |
37.545 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Esneux - Marcinelle |
|
|
|
1979 |
HINAULT (Fra) |
248 |
39.586 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mons - Spa |
|
|
|
1980 |
SARONNI (Ita) |
248 |
38.313 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spa - Mons |
|
|
|
1981 |
WILLEMS |
240 |
41.260 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charleroi - Spa |
|
|
|
1982 |
BECCIA (Ita) |
251 |
37.450 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Huy - Huy |
|
|
|
1983 |
HINAULT (Fra) |
248 |
36.650 |
|
1984 |
ANDERSEN (Den) |
247 |
39.538 |
|
1985 |
CRIQUIELION |
219 |
38.071 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spa - Huy |
|
|
|
1986 |
FIGNON (Fra) |
248 |
38.685 |
|
1987 |
LECLERCQ (Fra) |
245 |
38.747 |
|
1988 |
GOLZ (Ger) |
243 |
37.194 |
|
1989 |
CRIQUIELION |
253 |
38.960 |
|
1990 |
ARGENTIN (Ita) |
208 |
38.878 |
|
1991 |
ARGENTIN (Ita) |
203 |
39.571 |
|
1992 |
FURLAN (Ita) |
204 |
37.162 |
|
1993 |
FONDRIEST (Ita) |
206 |
38.870 |
|
1994 |
ARGENTIN (Ita) |
205 |
41.550 |
|
1995 |
JALABERT (Fra) |
203 |
41.960 |
|
1996 |
ARMSTRONG (USA) |
201 |
42.960 |
|
1997 |
JALABERT (Fra) |
200 |
39.190 |
|
1998 |
HAMBURGER (Den) |
201 |
39.300 |
only the non-belgium nationality is mentionned.
Record three victories The Belgiums on top
3 victories
Marcel Kint (Bel) : 1943-44-45
Eddy Merckx (Bel) : 1967-70-72
Moreno Argentin (Ita) : 1990-91-94
2 victories
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) : 1949, 58
Ferdi Kubler (Sui) : 1951, 52
Stan Ockers (Bel) : 1953, 55
André Dierickx (Bel) : 1973, 75
Bernard Hinault (Fra) : 1979, 83
Claude Criquiélion (Bel) : 1985, 89
Laurent alabert (Fra) : 1995, 97
35 victoires belges
12 victoires italiennes
8 victoires françaises
2 victoires suisses
1 victoire allemande, 1 danoise, 1 hollandaise et 1 américaine.
The Mail Order Company La Redoute has been a fond
supporter of cycling events for years. The company whishes to expand throughout
Europe and in order to increase people's awareness of it, La Redoute has
chosen to participate in two classic Belgian cycling events : the " Liège
- Bastogne - Liège " and the " Flèche Wallonne ".
FIAT
Auto Belgio is a new partner in the two classic cycling races through
the Ardennes region. This partnership is in perfect attunement with the
association of the name FIAT in the world of sport.
Our
intention these past two years is to help promote high level sporting
events featuring top athletes, but bringing in indirectly a large public
of enthusiasts from every level of the social scale. The sport is a particularly
important vector of communication since it permits the establishment of
an emotional link which is greatly appreciated by fans and participants.
FIAT has been a fully committed partner for years to the world of International
cycling, a constant partner through the most important world events including
the Tour de France, the Paris - Roubaix, the Giro d'Italia, the Amstel
Gold Race, and the World Championships organized by the International
Cycling Union. These are just a few examples of world class cycling events
which are masterfully supervised by the organizers at the wheel of a FIAT.
FIAT Belgium wishes to extend this European partnership to events organized in Belgium with a view to obtaining a consistent continuity of its image.
And also...
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The
Ardennes
The route of the Flèche
Wallonne crosses the northern Ardennes. This old plateau located in southern
Meuse has the same origins as the French Massif Central or the Vosges
("V" Hercynian). The Ardennes cover Eastern Belgium and the culminating
point is the Signal de Botrange at 694 m which is also the highest summit
of the country. Famous for its large forests, this region is a popular
tourist destination. The Amblève valley was the site of violent fights
after the last German counter-attack during the winter of 1944/1945 ;
one of them being the "battle of the Bulge".
Charleroi
The city of Charleroi is a part of the history of the Flèche Wallonne
race and was the starting point for the 1975 Tour de France. This major
economic centre is a hub for rail and road traffic and is the fifth most
populated (210 000 inhabitants) city in Belgium after Brussels, Antwerp,
Liège and Ghent. Stepped like an amphitheatre on either side of the Sambre
River, this capitol of "the black country" near a mining area is full
of lively streets and has a smilling happy atmosphere. Charleroi was founded
in 1666, with fortifications built by Vauban and was successively dominated
by the Spanish, French, Austrian and Dutch. Bloody battles took place
here during the First World War. The whole Sambre and Meuse region is
steeped in military history and is renown for its military marches. This
great Belgian city, symbol of the Industrial Revolution, still has a wide
variety of industries, especially glass. Sights of special interest include
the upper city, the belfry, the glass museum, and the archeological museum.
Huy
Chief town of the province of Liège on the river Meuse, Huy (18 000 inhabitants)
enjoys a favourable location between Liège and Namur. The city also occupies
a strategic site as Huy was besieged approximately thirty times in the
past. This attractive but discrete city was the birth place of local goldsmith
art in the XIIth century. It was in Huy that preacher Pierre The Ermit
started the first crusade in 1095. The remains of the Convent of Neufmoustier
house his mausoleum. Sights : the "four wonders" : the fortified castle
or naut, the gothic bridge, the fountain of the Grand' Place and the collegiate
church rose window.
men zoom
women
25 teams will participate
21 teams (first division)
MAPEI-QUICK STEP
ITA
CASINO FRA
RABOBANK NED
FESTINA Watches FRA
TEAM POLTI ITA
BANESTO ESP
RISO SCOTTI-VINAVIL ITA
O.N.C.E.-DEUTSCHE BANK ESP
TEAM DEUTSCHE TELEKOM GER
MERCATONE UNO-BIANCHI ITA
COFIDIS, LE CREDIT PAR TELEPHONE FRA
SAECO MACCHINE DA CAFFE-CANNONDALE ITA
LOTTO-MOBISTAR BEL
US POSTAL SERVICE USA
KELME-COSTA BLANCA ESP
LAMPRE-DAIKIN ITA
VITALICIO SEGUROS-GRUPO GENERALI ESP
CREDIT AGRICOLE FRA
FRANCAISE DES JEUX FRA
CANTINA TOLLO-ALEXIA ALLUMINIO ITA
VINI CALDIROLA-SIDERMEC ITA
4 teams (2nd division)
HOME MARKET-VILLE DE CHARLEROI
BEL
VLAANDEREN 2002-EDDY MERCKX BEL
BIG.MAT AUBER 93 FRA
COLLSTROP BEL
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