By Jena MONTOIS

CHARLEROI (Belgium), April 20, 2010 (AFP) – Spaniard Alberto Contador will join the ranks of riders to take on the Ardennes classic to be fought on Wednesday at the wall of Huy, the final climb to the finish of the Fleche Wallonne.

Three days after the Amstel Gold Race, the Belgian event is for punchers who can put up with the rugged slope of the road (7) chapels, the official name of the Wall of Huy, which is a very steep climb with a chicane that hits 25% on the inside of one turn.

The route of 198 kilometers, with the inversion of two loops around the Huy, it brings the second climb of the famous wall at the arrival of the finish, only 30 km away. The consequence will likely be the cause of the selection and be the cause that avoids a bunch sprint.

“This could well change the situation,” says Gilbert, who proved the stronger on Sunday in Valkenburg (Netherlands). The Belgian admits to being in top form but also stressed that the Fleche Wallonne, he thought mostly … Liège-Bastogne-Liège four days later: “The legs are there but the head is somewhere else!”

The Schleck brothers share the same situation. With this exception a success in the “Arrow”, the only three Ardennes Classic that does not spoil the family is always good to take and the youngest, Andy, showed last year (2nd) that it could very well be the front wall.

Contador himself just rediscovered the Ardennes races after several years of absence. Because of traffic problems, the double winner of the Tour de France, has sacrificed a long car trip 1900 km, along with teammate Benjamin Noval, to rally to his hotel Liege Monday afternoon.

“A hard day but we made a trip fairly easy and quick,” said Contador, who took the road immediately after winning the Tour of Castille and Leon in St. Jacques de Compostela (north-west
Spain) and preferred to abandon the original plan providing for a trip by train from Pau to Paris.

Like him, Alejandro Valverde completed the journey by car. Absent from the Amstel Gold Race, the Murcian-suspended for doping in Italy but allowed to run until the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in a proceeding, a race he returns has already won (in 2006).

His compatriot Joaquim Rodriguez, very comfortable on the high percentages, completes the trio of Spanish favorites, who know their other opponents priority (Cunego Gesink or Kolobnev, Kroon, Horner Fédrigo) and are wary of former specialists .. . ATV, used to work short and explosive.

In the wall of Huy, 1300 meters long and 9% average slope, the world champion Australian Cadel Evans (2nd in 2008, 5th in 2009) has already proven its strength in past years. He showed the way to Canadian Ryder Hesjedal second summit of the Cauberg Sunday, and the French Jean-Christophe Peraud, French revelation of the season.