This Wednesday was the 64th edition of the Grand Prix of Wallonia (1.Pro), taking place in the East of Belgium between Blegny and Namur with the magnificent and traditional finish at the Citadel of Namur, a cobbled climb of 2.9 km at 4.1%. Despite a very lively race, with echelons then a beautiful breakaway in the final led by Mads Würtz Schmidt (Israel – Premier Tech) and Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché – Wanty), the latter being caught in the last kilometer, it was as often a sprint in a small committee and between strong guys which concluded this day. Coming out in the lead of the last bend, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) launched the sprint from a long way back and led throughout the final straight… before being overtaken on the line by his compatriot Roger Adria (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) ! The 26-year-old Iberian takes his second career victory after a stage on the Occitanie Road 2022.
Video – Clément Champoussin is in good shape at the end of the 2024 season
Podium for Champoussin, Girmay and De Lie disappoint
The Citadel of Namur has come under the Spanish flag. While it had never seen one of its nationals win the Belgian event in over 60 years, Spain has thus achieved a double and a second consecutive success since Roger Adria succeeds to Gonzalo Serrano. Behind this Iberian duo, the podium is completed by the French Clement Champoussin (Arkéa – B&B Hotels), which confirms its good momentum of the moment after its victory on the Tour of Tuscany a week ago. A podium of outsiders, the favorites of the day having rather disappointed. Badly placed in the final, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) fails in 4th place, Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) had to settle for 6th position, whileArnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny) does not even enter the top 10. We find in the latter a second French rider in the person ofAxel Zingle (Cofidis), 9th on the line.
