Emma Pooley wins women’s Flèche Wallonne, U.S.’s Evelyn Stevens is fifth

Cervelo TestTeam’s Emma Pooley won Wednesday’s women’s Flèche Wallonne, outkicking the field on the Mur de Huy finish hill. Pooley won by 8 seconds ahead of three-time winner Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) and Emma Johansson (Redsun Cycling Team).

Lotto’s Grace Verbeke was fourth and Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Columbia) was the top American, in fifth.

The win moves Pooley into fourth in the World Cup standings.

“I have to say I have never gotten to the end of a race having done so little work,” said Pooley. “I have the most awesome team behind me. I didn’t have to do anything at all. We had a really good team any of them could have won today. We have really good climbers they did absolutely everything. On the first climb at the Mur de Huy we had four girls in the front group. I wouldn’t have won on the Mur if the riders on the other teams hadn’t been so tired from taking down the other girls. Basically it was them who won the race. All I had to do was the last kilometer it was really easy.

“I attacked a little early on the really steep part, the ‘s’ bend. I was supposed to wait for the team but attacked a little earlier because I was really impatient and a bit nervous that I might fall off my bike in all the excitement! So I went a bit early, and I had a gap but you never know on the Mur whether someone comes back at the end. It’s only three hundred meters from there but it feels like miles.

“I had to take advantage of the steep section because my power is rubbish, it’s only my strength-to-weight that is ok,” she said.
Top Ten:

1. Emma Pooley Cervelo Test Team in 3:01:27
2. Nicole Cooke Grande-Bretagne in 3:01:35
3. Emma Johansson Redsun Cycling Team in 3:01:35 at 00:08
4. Grace Verbeke Lotto Ladies Team in 3:01:39 at 00:12
5. Evelyn Stevens HTC Columbia Women in 3:01:44 at 00:17
6. Marianne Vos Nederland Bloeit in 3:01:49 at 00:22
7. Tatiana Guderzo Team Valdarno in 3:01:49 at 00:22
8. Elena Berlato Top Girls Fassa Bortolo – Ghezzi in 3:01:54 at 00:27
9. Judith Arndt Htc Columbia Women in 3:02:07 at 00:40
10. Eleonora Patuzzo Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan in 3:02:09 at 00:42
Full results

FILED UNDER: News / Race Report TAGS: Flèche Wallonne / UCI road women's world cup