71st Flèche Wallonne - PT

Belgium, April 25, 2007

Photography

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Images by AFP

• An exhausted Rebellin raises his arms in victory
• Rebellin prepares to salute the crowds
• Fans reach out to try and touch the winner of La Fleche Wallonne
• Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) timed his attack to perfection
• Serguei Ivanov (Astana) gets in a tight tuck on a descent while on the attack.
• Rebellin begins his move to come around Kessler
• Kessler's attack was quickly marked by Rebellin
• Alexander Vinokourov didn't have the legs on the Mur

Images by Gregor Brown/Cyclingnews

• The football stadium in Charleroi.
• Amstel Winner Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner).
• Discovery bikes.
• Riccardo Riccò's Scott (Saunier Duval-Prodir).
• SRAM cranks on Riccardo Riccò's Scott.
• Riccardo Riccò's Scott bike.
• Cannondales of Barloworld.
• Carlos Barredo (Quickstep-Innergetic)
• Jens Voigt (Team CSC) chills at the start.
• Former World Champion Igor Astarloa (Milram).
• Liquigas wait to sign in.
• Egoi Martínez (Discovery Channel)
• Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel)
• Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile) will travel to Romandie after the Flèche.
• Kim Kirchen (T-Mobile)
• The start in Charleroi.
• Axel Merckx (T-Mobile)
• Axel Merckx (T-Mobile) in his last season as a pro.
• Bobby Julich (Team CSC)
• ProTour leader Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner)
• Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) won the Flèche in 2005 in between winning Amstel and Liege.

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• Tour de France boss Christian Prudhomme from race organisers ASO was in Charleroi.
• Stefan Schumacher and Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) were the focus of attention after their 1-2 last Sunday at Amstel Gold.
• Rebellin wearing the white jersey of ProTour leader.
• Former world champion Igor Astarloa (Milram) won this race back in 2003.
• Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Prodir) looking serious at the sign on.
• Alexander Vinokourov chats with teammate Andreas Klöden.
• Jens Voigt (Team CSC) chews the fat with Klöden.
• Spaniards Igor Astarloa (Milram) and Oscar Freire (Rabobank).
• Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel).
• Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) looking pensive at the start.
• Ricardo Riccò does a last minute bike check.
• The peloton rolls out with Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) sitting at the back.
• Vinokourov was active in the breaks today.
• Christophe Moreau (Ag2r Prévoyance) on the attack.
• Christophe Le Mevel (Crédit Agricole) leads the escape on the Mur de Huy.
• The Mur de Huy has sections as steep as 25 percent.
• Le Mevel was marked by Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel-Euskadi) on the Mur.
• The peloton grinds its way up the Mur.
• It's a long way up to the front.
• Riccò climbs the Mur de Huy.
• Matthias Kessler (Astana) up the Mur.
• Contador climbing on the Mur.
• Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r Prévoyance).
• Thomas Dekker (Rabobank).
• World champion Paolo Bettini wasn't feeling well today.
• Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) will be a contender for Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday.
• Vino looking solid on the Mur.
• Picturesque scenery in the Belgian Ardennes.
• The peloton winds its way through Wallonian countryside.
• Davide Rebellin keeps out the wind.
• Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) didn't have good legs today.
• Local boy Philippe Gilbert (Française Des Jeux) tried a solo move with 34km remaining.
• The peloton thinning out on narrow roads.
• Serguei Ivanov (Astana) attacked 25km from the finish.
• Ivanov hammers along in the aero position.
• Kim Kirchen (T-Mobile) leads Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) and Joaquím Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne) in a promising late move.
• Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) finishes second.
• Matthias Kessler (Astana) beats Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Prodir) for fourth.
• Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r Prévoyance) had great ride for fifth.
• Ouch! The pain shows on the face of Gerolsteiner's Fabian Wegmann.
• Oscar Freire (Rabobank) finishes 12th.
• Manuele Mori (Saunier Duval-Prodir).
• An exhausted Kessler at the finish.
• There's nothing like a can of Coke to bring you back to life.
• Good ride mate! Valverde congratulates Rebellin on his second Flèche Wallonne win.

Images by Shane Stokes/Cyclingnews

• Former Italian champion Salvatore Commesso (Tinkoff Credit Systems) at the start in Charleroi.
• CSC veteran Bobby Julich feels his form has improved.
• Australian AG2R rider Simon Gerrans waits for the off.
• Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) was racing in Fleche. He will be aiming for a strong showing in Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday, a race he won two years ago.
• He's looking forward to a good Tour de France.
• CSC's Bobby Julich gets some more carbs on board.
• A great vantage point for some spectators.
• CSC team-mates Jens Voigt and Frank Schleck talk before the start.
• Schleck suffered badly bruised ribs in a crash during the Amstel Gold race.
• They roll out of Charleroi.
• 2005 Fleche Wallonne winner Danilo Di Luca gets his race underway.
• Davide Rebellin won the men's race.
• The Italian at the post-race press conference. The water is, of course, by Gerolsteiner.
• Luckily it was only the riders legs which blew up today. Huy is an attractive area of Belgium, but also features a rather large nuclear power station.

Images by Erik Van Breugel/www.cyclingmoments.com

• The leading quartet on their first ascent of the Mur.
• The peloton tackle the Mur for a second time.
• Valverde looking easy on his second ascent.
• Ricardo Riccò (Saunier Duval) grimaces on the Mur.
• Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) gives it everything to come round Valverde.
• Andy Schleck (Team CSC) wondering where the summit could be.
• Neo pro Jelle Vanendert (Chocolade Jacques) finished 13th, the first Belgian rider.
• Juan José Cobo (Saunier Duval) grinds up the Mur.
• Andreas Klöden (Astana) battles the Mur de Huy's steep slopes.
• Sergui Ivanov (Astana) tried a late escape but couldn't make it stick.
• Joaquím Rodríguez (Caisse d'Epargne).
• Axel Merckx (T-Mobile) after his last Flèche Wallonne.
• The podium (l-r): Alejandro Valverde (2nd), Davide Rebellin (1st) and Danilo Di Luca (3rd).
• Marianne Vos winner of the women's Flèche Wallonne joins the men's podium.

Images by Luc Claessen/www.ctm-images.com

• Tin-Tin Rebellin amongst the crowds.
• Dario Cioni (Predictor-Lotto) relaxes at the start.
• Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel)
• Andy Schleck (Team CSC) climbs.
• Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic) powers up a steep corner.
• Bram De Groot (Rabobank) climbs.
• Christophe Moreau (Ag2r Prévoyance) finishes.
• Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) looked smooth; he went on to finish on the podium.
• Frederik Veuchelen (Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen) works his way to the finish.
• José Vicente Garcia (Caisse d'Epargne)
• Jens Voigt (Team CSC) on the Mur de Huy.
• Philippe Gilbert (Française Des Jeux) arrives
• Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner)
• Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) will try again in Liège.
• Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) supported Rebellin for the win.
• Thomas Lövkvist (Française Des Jeux)
• Wim Van Huffel (Predictor-Lotto)
• Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) arrives.
• The race finishes.
• Rebellin arrives to win.
• Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) climbs up the Mur.
• Rebellin and Vos, winners of the Flèche.
• The podium Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas).