PROFESSIONALS | 04/17/2024 | 6.58pm
by Francesca Monzone
Winning today the Walloon Arrow it was a truly difficult undertaking, because the climate made the race even harder and the images of the runners who stopped due to hypothermia gave an idea of the difficulties of the day. The victory went surprisingly to Stevie Williams, the Israel-Premier Tech rider blew away all predictions and won the Belgian Classic. Today Williams has also become the first British runner to win this race and it is also the first success on these roads for Israel – Premier Tech, which previously with Michael Woods had achieved fourth place in 2021 and 2023, while Dan Martin had finished fifth in 2020.
“What a day, what a day, I’m so happy right now – said Williams – I can’t believe I just won the Walloon Arrow. I have been following this race for years and have always wanted to come here with strong legs to try to win it. Today the weather was not good, but I enjoy racing in these conditions and I’m over the moon”.
The Welshman performed well throughout the race and attacked during the third of four climbs on the Mur de Huy, joining a group of chasers of the pacesetters at the time in command. The runners were covered with jackets and leggings, due to the rain and cold and more than a spring race it felt like the middle of winter, with the athletics struggling to get to the end of the race.
Williams, after obtaining first stage race win at the Tour Down Under in Januaryalso achieved the first victory in a one-day race surprising many opponents.
«The guys supported me all day and put me in the best position to try to achieve the best possible result. Everyone was waiting to move on the Mur de Huy with about 300 meters to go I figured if I could get an advantage, I might have a good chance of holding on. I looked around a bit because my legs were empty, but I managed to hold on and I’m happy I did it until the end. I’m exhausted, speechless and it’s all really emotional. Winning races is difficult, especially when you’re in the Classics.”
Israel – Premier Tech had done their calculations well and after careful analysis had decided that the Walloon Arrow would be the main objective of the Ardennes Triptych. On paper Dylan Teuns was the rider most likely to win, but surprisingly it was the twenty-eight year old Welshman who got the better of everyone.
Copyright © TBW
