2016 La Flèche Wallonne
The 2016 La Flèche Wallonne (English: The Walloon Arrow) was a one-day cycling classic that took place on 20 April 2016. It was the 80th edition of La Flèche Wallonne and the twelfth race of the 2016 UCI World Tour. It was the second of the three Ardennes classics, coming after the Amstel Gold Race and before the Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
| 2016 UCI World Tour, race 12 of 28 | |||||||||||||
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| Race details | |||||||||||||
| Dates | 20 April 2016 | ||||||||||||
| Stages | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Distance | 196 km (121.8 mi) | ||||||||||||
| Winning time | 4h 43' 57" | ||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
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The race took place on a hilly 196-kilometre (122 mi) route that started in Marche-en-Famenne and ended in Huy. The key aspect of La Flèche Wallonne is the climb of the Mur de Huy, which was crossed three times during the race; the finishing line was at the top of the final climb of the Mur. The race typically suits both puncheurs and climbers. The defending champion was Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
The race was decided in a group sprint on the Mur de Huy. The sprint was won by Valverde, who beat Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx–Quick-Step) into second place for the second consecutive year, with Alaphilippe's teammate Dan Martin third. It was Valverde's third consecutive win and his fourth overall, giving him the record for the most victories in the race.