When the sun rose at sunrise Charleroi no one can imagine that 88th edition of Walloon Arrow will be the color of drama and brutality that ruled the Belgian classic, the second event of Ardennes Classics.
It rained unscripted and the temperature dropped drastically. The punishment with which the runners were subjected to bad weather conditions was such that there were 130 abandonments, only 44 cyclists crossed the finish line and there were full teams, such as Intermarché-Wanty, who completely turned his back on the race.
One of the most powerful pictures summarizing the demands and extreme brutality was the one that starred yesterday Danish runner Mattias Skjelmosewhen he had to leave the Walloon Arrow victims of hypothermia and shivering. He Member of Lidl-Trek He could not even get off the bike and needed help to do so, being carried in the arms of an assistant from the American team because of the tremors he suffered, he could not control the movements of his hands.
Fortunately, the Lidl-Trek team later reported that Skjelmose “suffered hypothermia, but felt better after a hot shower.”
Frenchman Cosnefroy in his words also sums up the drama experienced by the runners. “The rain is very cold, sometimes it’s even snowing. The last 80 kilometers I was frozen, I didn’t think I would reach the finish line. It’s been a long time before I experienced such a situation,” said the French. Benoit Cosnefroy4th at the finish line.
Source: La Verdad
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