KIRCHEN STORMS THE MUR FOR VICTORY IN FLECHE WALLONE

Publiceret af: danny 2008-04-24

High Road’s Kim Kirchen outclassed his rivals for a strong win in the Fleche Wallone Classic on Wednesday - despite fears that he had been using the wrong gear at the finish!
“I thought it was too big a gear, I went up the last 300 metres in 53x21.” Kirchen said afterwards. “but I was stronger than three years ago - when I also waited until almost the last possible moment to attack. That time, in 2005, I finished second, but on this occasion I’ve taken the most beautiful victory of my career. Often I’ve left it too late to win, and after attacking I kept on thinking I would get caught, but it didn’t happen.”
Kirchen said blasting off in the middle of the final climb, the daunting Mur De Huy, came after “following Davide Rebellin [2007 winner of the same race] for as long as possible. He’s always good at calculating how to win a race like Fleche.”
“On a wet day like today knowing the final climb, where to position yourself on it and where to attack was crucial. It’s important when it’s dry, but on a wet day like Wednesday, past experience of a race like Fleche was vital.”
”I’d been feeling I was on a good day since the third last climb, which seemed to be far easier than usual, and I was determined to go all out at the finale.”
Morale has been good in High Road since January, Kirchen reported, when Andre Greipel began the year with victory and four stage wins in the Tour Down Under.
“It was a great way to kick off the season, just what we needed to get started well. Then at the Tour of the Basque Country, winning two stages meant I was even keener to do well in the Ardennes Classics.”
Kirchen is the first rider from Luxemburg to win Fleche Wallone, a race which has been running since 1936.
“I didn’t know that, I’m not somebody who looks at the record books a lot, but being the first rider from Luxemburg to win Fleche does make me feel proud.”
High Road also made the podium in the women's edition of Fleche Wallone which doubled as the fifth round of the Women's World Cup Series with Judith Ardnt taking third place behind Marianne Vos and current World Champion Marta Bastianelli.