Diego Ulissi and Rui Costa finish top 20 in Flèche Wallonne

UAE Team Emirates counted two strong men on one of cycling’s most iconic climbs, the Mur de Huy. Today, in the Flèche Wallonne’s gruelling finish, Diego Ulissi placed 14th and Rui Costa 19th after 198.5 kilometres and the steep wall in Huy ,Belgium.

The Emirates team could have even had more from the day. It controlled the middle part of the race for its men, but star rider Dan Martin was stuck behind a crash during the second run in to the Mur de Huy. The group broke up and our Irish captain couldn’t make it back to the leader’s group.

Italian Diego Ulissi finished 25 seconds behind winner Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors). He explained, “Today, I clearly felt better than I did last Sunday in the Amstel Gold Race. I was always riding well and in the right spots in the peloton on the first two climbs up the Mur. And the heat didn’t bother me, either.

“In the final climb to the finish, I was with a group of favourites midway up, but I wasn’t able to manage when they started their serious accelerations. But, I’m convinced that I can be more competitive Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.”

RACE RESULTS
1 Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) 4h53’37”
2 Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) 4″
3 Jelle Vanendert (Lotto Soudal) 6″
14 Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) 25″

19 Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) 32″