Flèche Wallonne 2026: Schedule, Favorites, and How to Watch for Free

The Flèche Wallonne returns this Wednesday, April 22, with one of the most open editions in recent years. The absence of Tadej Pogačar, the winner in 2025, and Remco Evenepoel, the victor in the Amstel just a few days ago, completely changes the landscape of a classic that this year has the young prodigy Paul Seixas as its main attraction.

Schedule and how to watch the Flèche Wallonne 2026 for free

The Flèche Wallonne 2026 will once again concentrate all attention on the European afternoon of April 22. The start is scheduled for 11:50 from Herstal, while the finish is expected around 16:30, although this timing may be adjusted slightly depending on the race pace.

In Spain, the event can be followed live through RTVE Play, which will start its broadcast at 13:40. For those who want to watch it earlier, Eurosport will offer the complete signal from 12:45 on the HBO Max platform. Additionally, the television broadcast on Eurosport 2 will begin at 14:30, already in the decisive phase of the race.

Flèche Wallonne 2026, preview of a race that will once again be decided on the Mur de Huy

The pattern of the race, however, does not change. Everything still leads to the same point. The Mur de Huy will once again decide the victory in a short, explosive, and extremely precise effort, where positioning and timing weigh as much as the legs.

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The route starts in Herstal and exceeds 200 kilometers with a progressive wear that barely allows for a breather. After an initial stretch with climbs that select the breakaway, the race enters the final circuit, which is completed three times. It is there that the Flèche truly begins. The Côte d’Ereffe accumulates fatigue, the Côte de Cherave hardens the pace and leaves many without options, and the descent towards Huy tightens the peloton before the final ascent.

The Mur de Huy marks everything once again. It is a short but brutal climb, with average gradients close to ten percent and ramps that far exceed twenty. The central part is what decides the race. Those who rush sink before the finish. Those who hesitate arrive late. And those who hit the exact moment usually raise their arms.

Paul Seixas among the favorites

Without Pogačar or Evenepoel, we will see if anyone is capable of imposing total control from afar, which opens the door to a more uncertain race. Even so, it is most likely that everything will be resolved in the last kilometer. The difference is that this time there are many more names with real options.

Mattias Skjelmose appears as one of the clearest references. His performance in the Amstel and his second place here in 2023 fit perfectly with what this race demands. Kévin Vauquelin is another of the top candidates. He has two consecutive second places in the Flèche and knows the finish better than anyone, although it remains to be seen how he has recovered from his recent fall.

The big unknown is Paul Seixas. His level this season places him among the best, but the Mur de Huy usually does not forgive a lack of experience. Still, he arrives with enough arguments to be in the fight.

The French team, in general, arrives very strong. Romain Grégoire continues to make strides forward and seems closer to a great result in this classic. Lenny Martinez was already fourth here in his debut and has the ideal profile for this finish. Benoît Cosnefroy is going through a great moment, and his speed in uphill finishes makes him a very dangerous rival.

We will also have to look at riders like Giulio Ciccone, Tobias Halland Johannessen, or Mauro Schmid if the race moves early, although all of them need the outcome not to be completely clean on the Mur.

The Flèche Wallonne 2026 maintains its essence intact, but arrives without a clear dominator. That does not change the place where the race is decided, but it does multiply the chances of seeing a different winner. In Huy, there is no room to hide. Only the exact moment remains to be hit.