In the first kilometres, the pace of the bunch was very high. Under the many attacks tried in the beginning of the race, the bunch stretched forward. Yet, no one managed to increase the gap. Later, at kilometre 36, the Fassa Bortolo team provocked the explosion of the pack. As the leading group boasted an advance up to 48'', the bunch was reforming. At the top , Wegmann (Ger) leaded Bartoli (CSC) and Di Luca (Sae).

Once they climbed the Wall, Mazzoleni (Sae), Sinkewitz (QSD), Isasi (Eus) and Vicioso (LST) got out of the bunch quickly leading by 20'', in spite of the high speed of the chasers. However, at kilometre 71, they lost the lead, like Petito (Fas) and Bertolini (Als) a little later. The bunch passed the top of the Côte d'Amay packed, following Bertolini, Petito, and Mason (Cal). When going down the Côte d'Amay , nine riders attacked : Nuyens (QSD), Flecha (Fas), Rastelli (Als), Extebarria (Eus), Baranowski (Lst), Casar (Fdj), Pereiro (Pho), Duma (Lan) and Ardila (Cho) kept increasing their lead and reached the foot of the Mur de Huy, for the second time, with an advantage of 28'' over the bunch. At the top, Peirrero took the lead ahead of Extebarria and Ardila.

But when climbing, the bunch got closer to the leaders and overtook them just before the feeding area at kilometre 103.2. However, for a change, the speed did not decrease. Nonetheless, Duma managed to get out of the bunch. He was joined by Scotto d'Abusco (La) and Sanchez (Eus). The three riders got their advantage up to 20'' over the bunch despite the numerous attacks. One kilometre away from the Côte de France (Km 115,7), the main pack rode closer to the leaders and overtook them at the top. Landaluze took the lead, just before Scotto d'Abusco and Sanchez. The speed, still very selective, caused the first reknown victims. Paolo Bettini retired just after the Côte de France.

Landaluze and Scotto d'Abusco kept speeding up. They launched another attack at kilometre 116. They soon got their advantage to 22''. But after having led over only a few kilometres, the bunch reacted and overtook the leaders at kilometre 121. Immediately after, Poilvet (CA) and Arvesen (CSC) tried and attacked, followed by Nuyens, Thijs (Pal), Mc Gee (Fdj) and Leukemans (Pal). But the pack was more and more threatening and reached them at the top of the Côte de Pailhe (Km 134,1). Gentili (Dom) took the lead ahead of Arvesen and Poilvet.

When entering the county of Namur (Km 136), Pineau (BlB) attacked. His advantage increased up to 30''. But the bunch soon reacted, coming back quickly. Pineau was eventually joined at kilometre 150 by Van den Broecke and Bertolini. Behind, four riders tried to make up for their delay. They got closer up to 10'', while the bunch was still 25'' late. At the top of the Côte de Coutise, Bertolini took the lead before Van den Broecke and Pineau. At 13'', Vicioso was leading Elmiger (Ph), Kolobnev (Dom) and de Weert (Rab) whereas the bunch was at 40''.

At the top of the Côte de Bellaire, Bertolini was leading again Van den Broecke and Pineau while Vicioso had overtaken them. At kilometre 162, 7 riders gathered at the lead: Van de Broecke, Bertolini Elmiger and Kolobnev, Vicioso, Pineau and de Weert. The bunch was at 40''. As he was leading the race, Bertolini decided to take the control so as to resist to the come back of the bunch which was getting closer to 20'' in the climb of the Côte de Bouhisseau (Km 169,5). At the top, Bertolini kept speeding up ahead of Pineau et Kolobnev. But that was the end of the adventure, as the leaders were overtaken.

hen, Dekkers got out of the bunch. He was 20'' ahead at 25 kilometres of the finish line. But the bunch came back at a high speed and overtook Dekkers. A very tight ending was upcoming, with an increasing number of attacks. However, no one managed to significantly reduce the gap. As a consequence, the bunch started packed and at a high speed, although they had already rode for nearly 200 kilometres. In the very last hundreds of metres, the strong riders of the season took the lead. Di Luca, Rebellin, Kessler, Vinokourov as well as Flecha tried to make the difference in a last effort. Rebellin proved to be the best fitted and defeated Di Luca and Kessler. As for Bertolini, he won the best climber trophy.

The start was given by Mrs Micheline Toussaint, mayor of Huy. Right from the beginning, the bunch progressed at a high speed. At the bottom of the côte de France, the first difficulty of the day, the race got harder and the selection initiated from the back. After passing the top, the Japanese Oki (FAR) tried and attacked for the first time, followed by the German Teutenberg (GER). Longhin (MIC) and Jaunatre (FRA) chased the two leaders.

At the top of the côte de Pailhe, the two chasers were overtaken by the bunch while the gap with the two leaders was over one minute. Holt (NZL) tried to leave the bunch by herself while the main pack was increasing their speed. The junction was made when the bunch was over one minute away. Oki, Holt and Teutenberg had an advantage of only 56 seconds when passing the côte de Coutisse. This gap remained steady at the top of Bellaire.

At the bottom of the côte de Bohissau, the first riders of the bunch were getting closer to 30 seconds of the leaders. After 67 kilometres, the lead ended. Luperini (LGF) and Bessette (CAN) managed to get out of the group and take control of the operations. At the top, Bessette was winning over Luperini while Brändli (MIC) was leading the main pack. Jeanson (RON) came back over the Italian and the Canadian riders. Behind, the selection kept on.

They still boasted a fifteen second-lead over the chasing group (which was made of around 20 cyclers) 15 kilometres away from the finish. However, they joined at the bottom of the côte d’Ahin but Luperini tried and attacked once again, followed by Bessette. The strong riders packed together eight kilometres away from the finish line. That was exactly when, between the two climbs of the day, Sonia Huguet (FRA) decided to get out of the leading group. The only reaction came from Kupfernagel (VLL). The German led in the last climb towards the mur de Huy. The French rider attacked in the hardest part of the wall and won with an advance of about 20 metres over Kupfernagel. The Latvian Pucinskaite (MIC) ranked third. The Austrlian Wood keeps the lead in the UCI World Cup.