Sherbrooke’s Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) was part of a breakaway with Jeanne Korevaar (Liv Racing Xstra), Quinty Ton (Liv Racing Xstra) and Flora Perkins (Le Col-Wahoo) which set sail with just over 105 km to go in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, on Sunday, in Belgium.
Posted at 3:16 p.m.
The quartet was finally joined about forty kilometers later, but that did not prevent the 20-year-old Quebecer from fully savoring this moment.
“It was the first time that I was part of a breakaway in Europe, so it was quite special, especially in Liège-Bastogne-Liège! With everyone on the climbs and on the sides, it was really cool! The girls from Liv Racing Xstra were working well, but being few girls, there was not much chance that we would go very far, but it was a risk worth taking, ”said Vallières-Mill, 63and (+12 min 57 s) in the standings.
I learned a lot today [dimanche]both strategically and to see how it goes in a race like this.
Magdeleine Vallieres-Mill
The other Quebecer registered, Olivia Baril (Valcar – Travel & Service, + 4 minutes 49 seconds), was the second best Canadian of the day in 36and place behind Leah Kirchmann (DSM), 31andwho finished in the same peloton as her.
“I didn’t have good legs today and I wasn’t able to follow in the Côte de la redoubt [située à 20 kilomètres de l’arrivée] “, indicated the cyclist from Rouyn-Noranda, who knew before the start of the event that she was not in her best shape, even if she had finished 16and at the Flèche Wallonne earlier this week.
“I did what I could and I suffered a lot, so I have no regrets. It’s just disappointment that my legs weren’t there, but it happens and we move on. »
Karol-Ann Canuel retired from competition last season and the next generation from Quebec is beginning to take its place. Like Vallières-Mill, Baril had also been part of a breakaway in the Tour of Flanders.
“Karol-Ann has really had a great career and we are trying to see if we can do as well as her. We still have time, ”concluded Vallières-Mill.
Dutchwoman and 2019 world champion Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar) was finally able to claim a victory as she won solo, 43 seconds ahead of Australian Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope). Winner of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad at the end of February, Van Vleuten then chained second places to Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders and the Flèche Wallonne.
The two Quebecers will return to competition at the Elsy Jacobs Festival, a three-stage race that will take place in Luxembourg from April 29 to 1er may.
Evenepoel wins, Houle does the job
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team had drawn a blank in the Classics season and Remco Evenepoel put an end to this shortage in the men’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège event, ignoring his bib number 13, to win the solo first monument of his career. A victory which will also bring balm to the terrible fall of his teammate, world champion Julian Alaphilippe, who found himself in a ditch and whose health report had not been published at the time of writing these lines.
The Spaniard Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) was the main driver of the first serious attacks to come back to the breakaway of the day. With 43 kilometers to go, in the climb of the Côte de Desnier, he cleaned up the group of main favorites by multiplying the attacks and the changes of pace.
It was then that Quebecer Hugo Houle (Israel – Premier Tech) did his job to support his teammates Michael Woods and Jakob Fuglsang in the group of favorites who would later battle for second place.
“I had to do my part to keep the race together, because the Bahrain – Victorious formation was very dangerous with several good runners and also Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl and Movistar, who were also aggressive at that time”, analyzed the runner of Sainte-Perpétue, 53and (+7 minutes 35 seconds) of the day.
“Subsequently, I placed Jakob and Mike in the key climb [l’avant-dernière], the Redoubt. I missed a little bit to be able to keep in touch with the group and I was left behind as I had put in so much effort. I did the work that was asked of me, so I’m happy. And also happy to have avoided the fall. »
The crash in the peloton occurred on a straight descent from the Col du Rosier with just under 60 kilometers to go. Twenty runners found themselves on the ground, including two teammates from Quebec who “are fine” according to Houle, without going into details.
The lead of the last survivor of the breakaway of the day, Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), fell below the one-minute mark in La Redoute when Remco Evenepoel made his decisive attack before the top of the climb, 29 kilometers from the end.
The Belgian quickly got into time trial mode and he caught up with the Frenchman 8 kilometers further. Once in the Côte de la Roche aux Faucons, a little less than 15 kilometers from the line, Evenepoel took down Armirail. The future winner kept his cushion oscillating between 30 and 40 seconds over the chasing group which never really organized the chase, which allowed Jakob Fulglsang and Wout Van Aert to come back after being unhooked.
Alexandr Vlasov (BORA – hansgrohe) started well solo with 8 kilometers to go, but he was caught 2 kilometers from the line. Fuglsang brought in Woods who was slotted on the right side in the finish and finished tenth.
Moments later, Houle crossed the finish line in the same group as former world champion Philippe Gilbert (Lotto – Soudal), the last Belgian to have won Liège-Bastogne-Liège before Evenepoel, and who was celebrated throughout along the way because he was taking part in the last Dean of his career.
“In La Roche aux Faucons, everyone chanted his name and thanked him. Hats off to him for having taken part 17 times in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and it’s still a hell of a career he’s had with all his successes. I still know Philippe quite well, so it was fun to be there, ”added Houle, admiringly, who will take a little rest before a preparatory camp in the Canary Islands.
He will return to competition in the Tour de Suisse from June 12.