Cadel Evans will not defend his title at Flèche Wallonne as the teams prepare for the second Ardennes classic.

Evans is still recovering from a quadricep injury suffered in a training accident three weeks ago.

"Without Cadel, we will have a more offensive strategy throughout the whole race," said BMC directeur sportif John Lelangue.

HTC-Highroad are another team who are not planning on waiting for the final climb of the Mur de Huy to make their mark.

"We've got a strong squad of all-rounders, but we haven't really got a rider to make the all-out, uphill acceleration on the Mur that so often makes a difference in this race," explained HTC-Highroad sports director Valerio Piva,

"So we'll adapt our strategy and we'll be looking for breaks from much further out.

"Each of the climbs earlier on offers a great opportunity for moves to form, and we'll want our riders to make the most of them."

Most wins – Riders

3 Marcel Kint (BEL) 1943,1944,1945

3 Eddy Merckx (BEL) 1967,1970,1972

3 Moreno Argentin (ITA) 1990,1991,1994

3 Davide Rebellin (ITA) 2004,2007,2009

2 Ferdi Kübler (SUI) 1951,1952

2 Stan Ockers (BEL) 1953,1955

2 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) 1949,1958

2 André Dierickx (BEL) 1973,1975

2 Bernard Hinault (FRA) 1979,1983

2 Claude Criquielion (BEL) 1985,1989

2 Laurent Jalabert (FRA) 1995,1997

Most wins – Countries

37 Belgium

18 Italy

8 France

2 Switzerland

2 Denmark

2 Spain

1 Netherlands

1 West Germany

1 United States

1 Luxembourg

1 Australia

Back-to-back wins

3 Marcel Kint (BEL) 1943-1945

2 Ferdi Kübler (SUI) 1951-1952

2 Moreno Argentin (ITA) 1990-1991

Most podium finishes

5 Eddy Merckx (BEL)

5 Frans Verbeeck (BEL)

5 Claude Criquielion (BEL)

5 Moreno Argentin (ITA)

4 Marcel Kint (BEL)

4 Ferdi Kübler (SUI)

4 Davide Rebellin (ITA)

3 Stan Ockers (BEL)

3 Raymond Impanis (BEL)

3 Peter Post (NED)

3 Jan Janssen (NED)

3 Giuseppe Saronni (ITA)

3 Bernard Hinault (FRA)

3 Jean-Claude Leclercq (FRA)

3 Maurizio Fondriest (ITA)

3 Laurent Jalabert (FRA)

3 Danilo Di Luca (ITA)

Most finishes

16 Joop Zoetemelk (NED)

14 Herman Van Springel (BEL)

14 Udo Bölts (GER)

14 Davide Rebellin (ITA)

13 Pino Cerami (BEL)

13 Hennie Kuiper (NED)

13 Axel Merckx (BEL)

12 Raymond Impanis (BEL)

12 Claude Criquielion (BEL)

12 Mauro Gianetti (SUI)

12 Geert Verheyen (BEL)

12 Christophe Moreau (FRA)

Oldest winners

38-042 Pino Cerami (BEL) 1960

37-256 Davide Rebellin (ITA) 2009

35-259 Davide Rebellin (ITA) 2007

35-086 Stan Ockers (BEL) 1955

34-123 Rik Van Looy (BEL) 1968

33-229 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) 1958

33-124 Moreno Argentin (ITA) 1994

33-091 Gilbert Desmet 1 (BEL) 1964

33-088 Stan Ockers (BEL) 1953

33-066 Cadel Evans (AUS) 2010

Youngest winners

21-150 Philemon Demeersman (BEL) 1936

21-315 Eddy Merckx (BEL) 1967

22-208 Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) 1980

22-242 Emile Masson Jr. (BEL) 1938

23-023 Edmond Delathouwer (BEL) 1939

23-241 Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) 1971

23-356 Michele Dancelli (ITA) 1966

24-013 Roberto Poggiali (ITA) 1965

24-075 Karel Thys (BEL) 1942

24-147 Bernard Hinault (FRA) 1979

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