Share

Racing

La Flèche Wallonne 2014 – five observations

Valve released, why we're on first name terms with the Mur, and more


In praise of the Mur

It is the fate of icons to have their names shortened. The brief presence of Bruno Senna in one of Sir Frank Williams’ cars, for example, did not make it necessary to prefix subsequent discussions of the sport’s best driver with the word Ayrton.

It is a given that such conversation would concern the three-time world champion, and not his nephew. So it is with cycling’s hardest climbs.

Grand Tour climbers are no match for the Mur. Andy Schleck may have won on the Galibier, but suffered at La Fleche. pic: ©Sirotti

‘Huy’ is superfluous. Cycling fans know exactly which 1,300m strip of tarmac is under discussion when the Mur is mentioned. Belgium is not short of ‘walls’, whether in Flanders or Wallonia, but it is the Meuse town of Huy that has claimed the word ‘mur’ for itself. It is necessary to identify the climb in Geraardsbergen with the name of the town. Not so for the people of Huy.

And with good reason. Volcanoes can lie dormant for centuries, but bring a bike race to the Mur and eruptions are guaranteed. It also provides a further example of the specialisms of professional cycling. An uphill sprint demands a certain kind of rider, and not even a long-range climber is suited to the task. It says as much for the Mur that the likes of Froome and Contador find other ways to occupy themselves when La Flèche comes around. Trek’s Andy Schleck may have wished he’d followed their example. For riders like Valverde and Martin, Gilbert and Rodriguez, it is manna.

Summer will find us on intimate terms with other climbs. The Passo dello Stelvio will be simply the Stelvio; we will not insult your intelligence by defining the Tourmalet as ‘col’. But we look too far ahead. In spring, the hearts of minds of those who follow professional cycling are in Belgium, and as football fans might have it, there is only one Mur.

You might also like: 

La Fleche Wallonne 2014 – report

La Fleche Wallonne 2014 – photo gallery

Share

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production