00:01Welcome to the 90th edition of La Flèche Wallonne, the Belgian classic that finishes on the famous Mieux de Ruy.
00:09Tadej Pigaccia isn't here to defend his title, but there are three former winners on the start line.
00:14Dylan Ternes, Marc Hirschi and three-time champion Julian Alaphilippe.
00:19The Frenchman isn't on top form though, so he'll be riding in support of his teammate Hirschi.
00:26Marc's feeling really good ahead of the Giro, although he unfortunately crashed at Amstel Gold.
00:31But this is a race we know very well, so we'll try to give it our all. I think it's
00:36a good day to be up at the front.
00:40Runner-up at the last two editions, Kevin Vaucelin is a man to watch despite a crash of his own
00:45at Amstel Gold,
00:46an incident which ruled Matteo Jorgensen out of the Ardennes Classics. Vaucelin believes in his chances.
00:55It's a bit more open this year with some of the top, top riders not taking part, so we'll have
01:00to try everything we can.
01:02On such steep gradients, with such a narrow road, positioning is crucial, and you have to manage your efforts.
01:08If you go too early, you can lose everything.
01:12Vaucelin is one of a host of French contenders, including Romain Gregoire, Lenny Martinez, Benoit Cosnefoy,
01:18and the name on everybody's lips, Paul Sexass.
01:21The 19-year-old wonder kid is looking to make more headlines after his superb GC win in the Basque
01:27Country.
01:28Obviously, when I start a race, I want to win it, but I'm also realistic.
01:32It's my first time at Fleche Wallonne, and I've got a lot to learn today.
01:35The goal is to get the best possible results.
01:39This is the second of the Ardennes Classics, between Amstel Gold last Sunday, and Liège-Baston-Liège this Sunday.
01:45At 200km, it's the shortest of the trio, concluding with three laps of the familiar finishing circuit,
01:51Côte d'Ereff, Côte de Cherave, and Mieux de Huy, 1.3km at 9.6%.
01:57This one is less about the tactics, and more about the legs.
02:02Well, it took about 10km for a breakaway to form, with six men going up the road.
02:07It's been 23 years since a rider won this race from the break,
02:10but that didn't stop this plucky sextet from attacking early.
02:14Andreas Lechnesund of Unu-X Mobility,
02:16Jakob Otrouba of Caille Rural, one of the wildcard teams at this year's Tour de France,
02:21Aran Jousseum of Total Energies,
02:24Jari Vandele of EF Education Easy Post,
02:27Vincent van Heemelen of Flanders Balwaza,
02:29and shirred backs of Pinarello Q36.5.
02:33Well, they soon had a gap of more than three minutes,
02:35with Tudor and Ineos pacing the peloton for Hirschi and Vokalan.
02:40Well, much better weather conditions than last year,
02:42blue skies and sunshine,
02:44and there wasn't much to report as the riders approached the finishing circuit.
02:48The favourites just jostling for position,
02:51as they're prepared to tackle Ereff, Cherave, and the Mieux de Huy for the first time.
02:56Other teams joining Tudor and Ineos at the front of the peloton,
03:00including Decathlon CMA CGM on behalf of Sexas, the youngest rider in the race.
03:05The gap between the brake and the peloton coming down to two minutes.
03:11Onto the final circuit then of 37 kilometres,
03:15slightly shorter, 25k the first time around.
03:17The climbs were set to come thick and fast from this point onwards.
03:22The six leaders still working well together,
03:25with van Heemelen making the effort to crest the climbs in first place,
03:28perhaps tempted by the 250 euro prize on offer at each summit.
03:33The Mieux de Huy soon looming into view for the first time.
03:38A wall of pain, and it's just so difficult, so steep.
03:42It's such an extraordinary climb.
03:50Well, van Heemelen was the first man to drop from the breakaway,
03:53so they were down to five as they reached the top of the muir for the first time.
03:57The peloton's starting to stretch out, with more and more riders struggling,
04:02notably Alaphilippe, who's been battling illness in recent weeks.
04:06Up at the front of the peloton, meanwhile, several riders tried to attack,
04:10including Raul Garcia-Pierna of Movistar.
04:12His team-mate, Ivan Romeo, and former Liege-Baston-Liege winner Bob Jungels
04:16also tried their luck, but UAE team Emirates XRG
04:20moved to shut things down for Benoit Cosnefoix.
04:23The gap now hovering at about a minute and a half,
04:26with just over 60 kilometres to ride.
04:30Well, the race really came to life in these final two laps.
04:33The peloton gradually reeling in the escapees,
04:36with Lechneson looking strong.
04:40A few minutes later, though, on the descent of the Cote de Cherave,
04:43there was a bad moment for his team,
04:46as their leader, Tobias Johannesson, was caught up in a crash.
04:51Johannesson of UNUX Mobility,
04:53and he's one of the big favourites for the race.
04:57The Norwegian, who was sixth here a couple of years ago,
04:59getting a bike from his team-mate, Frederik de Varshanes.
05:02Finn Fisher-Black of Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe,
05:04are also going to ground there.
05:07The breakaway riders reaching Hui for the second hike up the Muir,
05:11and this time it was every man for himself,
05:13because the peloton was closing fast.
05:16Lechneson trying to go solo,
05:17and only one man could follow him.
05:19Van der Leij of EF Education, easy post.
05:23Into the final lap, the bunch now within a minute of the front men,
05:26as Johannesson, held by his twin brother Anders, caught up again.
05:31Otrouba and Bax fighting their way back to Lechnesund and Van der Leij at the front,
05:35so those four men leading once again on the final lap of Flechwell-On.
05:40The peloton really putting the hammer down now
05:43to try and bring this breakaway back,
05:45and when the pace is this high, accidents are never far away.
05:48So it proved, with several riders going down,
05:51including the former winner, Mark Hirschi,
05:53Warren Bargill, also going to ground.
05:57And one of the race favourites, Kevin Vorkalan, was held up,
06:01so he had to stop and get a spare bike from his team-mate, Axel Lerense.
06:05Bit of cyclocross here from Lerense.
06:08Hardly ideal for Vorkalan, who was second behind Pogaccia last year.
06:12He did eventually get a proper bike change.
06:17And Lechnesund proved to be the strongest of the breakaway riders.
06:21The Norwegian champion solo,
06:23and still around 30 seconds clear with two climbs to go.
06:27A very impressive ride, but he was always going to be caught.
06:30And they made the catch on the penultimate climb of the day,
06:33the Cote de Cherave.
06:34Average gradients of nearly 8%
06:36and definitely stinging a few legs.
06:38But the main contenders were all there
06:40as they prepared for the final showdown.
06:43The leaders ready to take over from their domestiques,
06:46but who would prove the strongest on the famous Muir?
06:50Their job is done for the day as Ben Tullet dances on the pedals
06:54in the yellow jersey for Visma Lisa bike.
06:56Martinez is up towards the front
06:58as they take on the Virage Claude Curriculion.
07:01Gradients at 19%.
07:04Tullet going shoulder-to-shoulder now with Paul Sexas.
07:08Behind him is Mauro Schmidt, Benoit Cosnefoix also up there.
07:13Four and a half hours of bike racing.
07:16Sexas doesn't have the experience on the Muir de Wies
07:19that the likes of Tullet and Cosnefoix have.
07:21So here goes Sexas now
07:23as he really ramps up the tempo.
07:26But Tullet is easily on the wheel for Visma Lisa bike.
07:30Cosnefoix starting to suffer a little bit
07:32as Sexas now starts to accelerate a little bit more
07:36and make life hard.
07:37Tullet now accelerates as well.
07:39A big acceleration but Sexas with a stinging acceleration.
07:44He rides Ben Shulet off the wheel.
07:46Cosnefoix can't respond.
07:48Schmidt hasn't left it too late.
07:49Here comes the 19-year-old Frenchman.
07:52100 metres to go.
07:54100 metres to go for Paul Sexas.
07:57He is going to crown an amazing day in Flesch-Mallon.
08:01The Frenchman, there is no bike race
08:04that he can't win right now.
08:05Well, Sexas becomes the youngest ever winner
08:08in 90 editions of Flesch-Mallon.
08:11France have taken the victory on the Muir de Wies.
08:16Believe the hype.
08:18Paul Sexas is one special bike rider.
08:21After becoming the first Frenchman
08:22in 19 years to win a World Tour stage race,
08:25he now becomes the youngest ever winner of La Flesch-Mallon.
08:28At just 19 years of age,
08:30he's already one of the most talented riders in the peloton
08:32and clearly a fast learner.
08:34It'll be fascinating to see what the future holds
08:37for this remarkable young man.
08:42Yeah, it's incredible.
08:44It's a huge victory.
08:47Last year, I was still watching this on television
08:49and to come here this year and win on my debut
08:52is really incredible.
08:54But as I said, this is a victory for the whole team.
08:59Sexas winning solo ahead of Mauro Schmidt,
09:01Ben-Tulitt and another Frenchman,
09:03Benoit Kosnofoy,
09:04with Matthias Skjelmoser rounding out the top five.
09:07A total of five Frenchmen in the top ten.
09:11And France clearly have themselves a star in the making
09:14in Sexas.
09:15He'll test himself against Tadej Pogacar
09:17and Remco Evanapol at Liège-Baston-Liège this Sunday.
09:20Don't miss it.
09:22Do join us then.
09:22And thanks for watching.
