Williams wins his first major Classic

Welshman Stevie Williams won a cold and wet Flèche Wallonne after putting in a lacerating attack with 250m to go on the Mur de Huy, to become the first male British winner of the Belgian Classic.

Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-b&b Hotels) and Maxim Van Gils (Lottodstny) were second and third, with Vauquelin almost catching Israelpremiertech rider Williams to finish in the same time, and Van Gils three seconds back.

The final climb was contested by a peloton that had been muchreduced by brutal weather conditions, including single-figure temperatures, northerly winds, driving rain and even snow.

All of them resorted to jackets, and many – including winner Williams, who rides for Israel-premiertech – also wore leg warmers.

So attritional was the race that just 44 riders were recorded as finishing, and not a single rider from the Ineos Grenadiers, UAE

Team Emirates, Jaycoalula or Intermarchéwanty teams completing the 198.6km event.

Certainly, it will go down as one of the hardest editions in memory – added to by the fact that riders tackled four ascents of the Mur de Huy for the first time.

It is all credit to Welshman Williams that on such a day he registered the best British men’s result since Tom Simpson was third in 1965.

“What a day, I’m so happy right now, I can’t believe I’ve just won Flèche,” the 32-year-old said afterwards, still looking slightly shell shocked and brutalised by the weather.

“I’ve been watching this race for years and I came here with decent legs to try and win. I do enjoy racing in this kind of weather, and to come away with the victory,

“I’m just over the moon. The boys backed me all day and gave me the best chance to come away with the result… It’s really special.”