Julian Alaphilippe pounces to take Fleche Wallonne classic ahead of Primoz Roglic

Wednesday April 21 — Charleroi to Mur de Huy, 193.6km

Rainbows were on show above the small town of Huy in the Walloon region of Belgium on Wednesday and it was world champions Julian Alaphilippe and Anna van der Breggen who struck gold by winning the men's and women's editions of the hilly Flèche Wallonne classic.

Alaphilippe added another Flèche Wallonne to the back-to-back titles he won in 2018 and 2019 when the Frenchman, dressed in the rainbow bands of world champion, timed his late surge to perfection to overhaul Primoz Roglic on the final climb of the Mur de Huy — the wall of Huy. Though short at 1.3km in length, the climb pitches up to gradients of around 20% and is almost always where the race is won, and lost.

Despite starting the season well and having won a stage at last month's Tirreno-Adriatico, some had suggested the Deceuninck-Quick Step rider may have lost some ground to the next wave of puncheurs that have emerged over that last year or so. Alaphilippe, however, showed the form and timing that has made him one of the best riders in recent years on the tough hilly terrain typical to the Ardennes, particularly at Flèche Wallonne and Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège monument.

"I wanted to show people I was strong in the head," said Alaphilippe who appeared emotional as he thumped his chest crossing the line. "I haven’t won a lot since the beginning of the season, it was important to me to raise my arms again. I wanted so much to win again on such a hard race."

After going into the final climb in a tightly-packed group containing most of the pre-race favourites, Alaphilippe watched and waited before making his move. Roglic was the first to show his hand, the Jumbo-Visma rider attacking towards the end of the steepest section around 400 metres from the line gaining around four bike lengths on the Alaphilippe. Having surveyed his rivals, the Deceuninck-Quick Step rider responded only Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), a five-time winner, able to hold his wheel.

In the end, though, the 40-year-old Valverde could not sustain the pace set by Alaphilippe in the pursuit of Roglic before, in the final few metres where the hill flattens out, the Frenchman darted beyond the Slovenian towards the line where he gave an emotional victory salute.

"I knew it wasn’t gonna be easy with Roglic, Valverde and everyone in my wheel," he added. "This one really feels good, with the [rainbow] jersey."

Tom Pidcock was the highest placed Briton finishing sixth, 11 seconds behind Alaphilippe, after the Ineos Grenadiers rider was involved in a crash around 28km from the end of the race.

Van der Breggen's magnificent seventh

Earlier in the day, Van der Breggen (SD Worx) continued her domination on the Mur de Huy when the Dutchwoman, also dressed in the world champion's jersey, added a seventh successive title to her palmarès.

Van der Breggen's win came after a fiercely fought battle with Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram) on the final drag race up the Mur de Huy, though the experience and strength of the defending champion showed in the end. While Polish rider Niewiadoma was stood up for much of the climb, Van der Breggen was able to remain seated until the key moment around 100m from the finish. Rising out of her saddle, Van der Breggen applied the pressure on her pedals before inching away from Niewiadoma and towards the line. Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) took third.

"This was the most difficult win out of seven," said Van der Breggen who will retire from racing this year. "It was a good battle with Kasia. It’s a strange thought that this is my last time to race the Flèche Wallonne. Next time I won’t bother the girls anymore. It’s up to somebody else.

"I’m really happy to end up like this. Seven straight wins. It’s incredible."

Van der Breggen later played down her chances of winning a third Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "I think this race suits me a bit less, as the finish is pretty flat," she said. "We will see and try our best again. First enjoy today."

Amstel Gold Race: Pidcock pipped to line by Van Aert

Sunday April 18 — Valkenburg to Berg en Terblijt, 216.7km

Tom Pidcock missed out on winning his second successive race by the narrowest of margins after the Ineos Grenadiers rider was adjudged to have finished second to Wout van Aert in a photo-finish at the end of the Amstel Gold Race in the Dutch province of Limburg on Sunday.

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Just four days after landing the first win of his career, Pidcock was again able to challenge for honours after his team-mates Richard Carapaz, Dylan van Baarle and Michal Kwiatkowski all played key roles with some aggressive racing on the lumpy and circuitous course.

Following over four hours of relatively sedate racing, Amstel Gold exploded into life in the final 30km with numerous short attacks going off the front. However, Van Aert, Pidcock and Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) finally escaped clear before riding to the line where there was, once again, yet another dramatic conclusion to the day's racing.

With the chasing group nearing the trio, Van Aert opened up his sprint around 200 metres from the line with Pidcock jumping straight onto his wheel. Around 75m to go the Ineos Grenadiers rider came around Van Aert, but the Belgian countered with another surge only for Pidcock to launch a late lunge for the line. Although inconclusive to the naked eye, the race was awarded to Van Aert who sealed a Jumbo-Visma double after Marianne Vos had won the women's edition earlier in the day.

"I gave Wout a small gap for the sprint, but we were too close to the finish. I was too far behind him and should have stayed in his wheel," a sanguine Pidcock told Dutch broadcaster NOS afterwards.

"I did ride a good race. I think I was the strongest in the race and I am happy with that feeling. But it’s frustrating that the difference is so small."

Brabantse Pijl: Pidcock lands maiden win in Flanders

Wednesday April 14 — Leuven to Overijse, 201.7km

Tom Pidcock prepared for his first assault on the Ardennes Classics in the best way imaginable when the young Briton landed the maiden win of his career, the hilly Brabantse Pijl, just four days before Amstel Gold Race.

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Pidcock, a first-year neo-pro with Ineos Grenadiers, has impressed having taken the step up from the under-23s finishing third at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and fifth at Strade Bianche before completing a packed cobbled classics campaign. It is the triumvirate of Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, collectively known as the Ardennes Classics – despite Amstel Gold taking place in the nearby Limburg region over the Dutch border – where Pidcock, though, is expected to come into his own. Weighing in at just 58kg and having the ability to produce short intense bursts of power, the short vertiginous slopes that characterise the trio of Dutch and Belgian races, typically favour those in the mould of the 21-year-old, riders known as puncheurs.

Pidcock who in a recent interview with Telegraph Sport said he expected to win 'one or two' races in his first year, delivered on that promise by beating Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in a two-up sprint in Flanders at Brabantse Pijl, while Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) was third having lost contact in the final few hundred metres.

In taking his first victory on only his 11th day of racing as a professional, Pidcock also became the first Briton to win Brabantse Pijl. Having overhauled the powerful Van Aert in the finale of the 202-kilometre race, the Yorkshireman said he had been confident of taking the win.

“I always go into sprints like this with confidence,” he said. “Wout was pulling super hard every time when we got away, maybe too hard in the end. I waited and when Wout went I got a little boxed in but I could rush to Wout and came past him.

“I knew I was going well into this race because I finally had a good week of training with no interruptions. It was nice to actually be good in the race.”