The Mur de Huy takes centre stage this week, with La Fleche Wallonne – the second of the three Ardennes Classics – taking place on Wednesday (April 22).

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was first up the famously short and steep climb – 1.3km at an average gradient of 9.6 per cent – last year, but the addition of another climb on the final circuit could throw the race wide open this time out.

The Cote de Cherave (1.3km at 8.1 per cent) comes exactly 200km into the race, with the longer finishing circuit meaning the course is now 205.5km long.

Nevertheless, last year’s world number one, Valverde, will roll out among the favourites and will line-up alongside Nairo Quintana in the Movistar line-up.

Valverde races with ambitions of a third career win but no man has won the race two years in succession since Moreno Argentin in 1990 and 1991.

Other former winners set for the provisional startline include Joaquim Rodriguez and Daniel Moreno (Katusha), and Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing), while Amstel Gold Race winner Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-QuickStep) will be fighting for a second win in four days.

Let’s take a closer look at the chief contenders for Wednesday’s race. Who can tame the Mur de Huy?