Julian Alaphilippe has the ability to end Valverde's Flech Wallone dominance

Eurosport 1, 10am Wednesday

For the last four years betting on La Fleche Wallonne has been a simple task: back Alejandro Valverde.

The Spaniard has won the Walloon Arrow a record five times including every edition since 2014.

Valverde is understandably a short price to make that five in a row today given his early season form which has seen him win the overall classification at the Tours of Valencia, Abu Dhabi and Catalonia and the one-day race Gran Premio Miguel Indurain.

If the Movistar rider is in contention on the race-ending Mur de Huy he will be extremely hard to beat but in Julian Alaphilippe he at least has a credible threat to his dominance.

Alaphilippe, second in 2015 and 2016, has also had a profitable start to the season with three stage victories to his name. A member of the all-conquering classics squad of Quick-Step Floors, he looks the safest each-way alternative to take on Valverde with.

Recommendation
J Alaphilippe
2pts each-way 9-2 Betway