The Grand Prix de Wallonie is a race as we like them: we go from point A to point B without unnecessary detours or boring loops, and we arrive in a setting that combines the beauty of the site and sporting difficulty. This is what the TWO team (which also organizes the Tour de Wallonie) offers us every year with a hilly course in the Ardennes, a finale conducive to attacks, and its emblematic finish at the Citadel of Namur. Nothing will change this year apart from the very first part of the race, but the last 153 kilometers will be the same as last year; on the other hand, a strong 3/4 headwind forecast in the Meuse Valley could be important.
What has changed, however, is the context of the calendar: by moving back a week, the Walloon event finds itself facing the Tour du Luxembourg which has attracted two of the main favourites of the World Championship, Matthew van der Poel and Marc Hirschi. The Grand Prix will still bring together a quality field where many will enjoy a nice block of Belgian races with the Flanders Championship on Thursday, the Super 8 Classic on Saturday, and even the Flèche de Gooik on Sunday. The viewers will not have to choose, as the schedules have been harmonized so that both races can be followed.
Within a very attractive starting list that includes ten World Tour teams, it is the punchers category that dominates: from Joseph Blackmore on the momentum of his victorious Tour de l’Avenir, to Tim Wellens, the list is long of those who can win a prestigious victory in Namur. Søren Wærenskjold, Biniam Girmay, Romain Zingle, Arnaud De Lie, Paul Lapeira are among those among others, as the race knows how to offer itself to the most opportunistic or to those who know how to bide their time. The little guy to watch: Aaron Dockx of Dévo Alpecin who has just won the mountain stage of the Tour of Friuli – Venezia Giulia.
The last three podiums:
2021: 1. Christophe Laporte – 2. Warren Barguil – 3. Tosh Vandersande
2022: 1. Matthieu van der Poel – 2. Biniam Girmay – 3. Gonzalo Serrano
2023: 1. Gonzalo Serrano – 2. Dylan Teuns – 3. Jasper De Buyst
THE RACE
The fictitious start will be given as in 2022 from Blégny, a town east of Liège. After a zero kilometer set in Soumagne, the first part of the race will visit the Ardennes by linking the hills: at km 14.3 Trasenster (3.9 km at 4.9%) which will continue to the hill of Desnié (La Vecquée in the other direction) at km 31.3.
In Stoumont, the race will turn west and, shortly after the Werbomont hill at km 53.5
(4.5 km at 4.2%), will cross the morning road from Liège-Bastogne-Liège before continuing towards Hamoir, Havelange and Condroz where the terrain is much calmer. It will still be necessary to climb the hill of Haie aux Faux (km 131.2, 2.4 km at 5.5%) before diving down to Yvoir where we will cross the Meuse.
A short tour in the hills to the west of the Meuse marked by the Ermeton hill at km 160.5 (1.6 km at 4.6%) and we will return to the banks of the Meuse for the finale which will not be content to stupidly follow the river: we will in fact make several detours to climb in turn the Bois de Marly (1.7 km at 5.2%) 30 km from the finish, the Côte du Tienne-aux-Pierres (3 km at 5.3%) 15 km from the finish, and the Rue des Forts (1.9 km at 2.6%) 8.7 km from the finish.
A few kilometres along the Meuse, and you will quickly arrive at the foot of the Citadel of Namur; the Route Merveilleuse, all in bends and winding its way between the fortifications, is 3 km long at 4.1% and the final straight after a big left turn is 200 m long at 4%.
Distance (excluding fictitious start 6 km): 202.4 km – elevation gain + estimated at 2,650 m – Openrunner: 19914455
Actual departure at 12:53; expected arrival around 17:28/17:56.
MAP
(click for better definition)
PROFILE
THE LAST MILES
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WEATHER REPORT
Sunny – temperature 22° – strong north-east wind 50 km/h; evolution of forecasts on meteobelgique.be
THE FORCES IN THE PRESENCE
THE 21 TEAMS AND THEIR MAIN STARTERS
World Teams
– Movistar Team (Aranburu, Canal, Serrano)
– Alpecin – Deceuninck (Groves, Quinten Hermans, Meurisse)
– Arkéa – B&B Hotels (Albanese, Venturini, Champoussin)
– Astana Qazaqstan Team (Lutsenko, Fedorov, Scaroni)
– Cofidis (Zingle, Martin, Coquard)
– Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team (Lapeira, Gautherat, Naesen)
– Intermarché – Wanty (Girmay, Teunissen, Zimermann)
– Red Bull – Bora – hansgrohe (Adrià, Welsford, Haller)
– UAE Team Emirates (Wellens, Morgado, Molano)
Pro Teams
– Bingoal WB (De Tier, Tizza, Meens)
– Caja Rural – Seguros RGA (Eduard Prades, Davis González, Soarrarain)
– Euskaltel – Euskadi (Aberasturi, Berasategi, Gotzon Martín)
– Israel – Premier Tech (Blackmore, Sheehan, Nick Schultz)
– Lotto Dstny (De Lie, Berckmoes, Slock)
– Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Fabio Christen, Krijnsen, Steimle)
– Team Flanders – Baloise (Vanhoof, Vandenstorme, Colman)
– TotalEnergies (Jeannière, Burgaudeau, Dujardin)
– Tudor Pro Cycling Team (Trentin, Pluimers, Jakob Eriksson)
– Uno-X Mobility (Wærenskjold, Abrahamsen, Dalby)
Continental Teams
– Philippe Wagner/Bazin (Bezza)
– Van Rysel – Roubaix (Capron, Jarnet, Leveau)
FOLLOW THE RACE
USEFUL LINKS
Event website: www.tworg.be
Facebook: tourdewallonie
Twitter: @tourdewallonie ; hashtag: #grandprixdewallonie
Live written: PCS – twitter
LOOK
In Belgium, live at 4 p.m. on HBO Max and Discovery +, 4:30 p.m. on RTL Club
In France: live at 3:45 p.m. on Eurosport apps, 4:00 p.m. on Eurosport 360#1, 4:45 p.m. on Eurosport 2.
Presentation of the Grand Prix de Wallonie by Zach
