Pogacar quarreled with Evenepoel and won Skjelmose

“The long spring season is behind me, I didn’t race much, but it was intense. We will see how my feet will be overwhelmed, ”is Tadej Pogacar (UAE) At the start of 59. Amstel Gold race gave rivals some hope that he could be set on the edge in the largest Dutch one -day race. This has encouraged Remca Evenepoel (Soududal Quick Step), who has eliminated an independent attack by a Slovenian star, but the victory was looking forward to the third after the quarrel of two biggest celebrities – Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl Trek).

Pogchar in duels with Mathieu Van der Poelo (Alpecin Decununck) In the first three monuments of the season (Slovenian star won the Flanders race and the Netherlands by Milan -Sanema and Paris -Roubaix), it was not all due mainly because of the plane routes that did not suit him. The Arden, however, is another song for him, even though they are not alps with endless slopes, the 34 AMSTLA race is enough to feel at home on it. He got it with a stand -alone ride in the last 28.5 km after being shaken as last Tom Pidcock and Bena Healy.

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This time his most dangerous paper rivals were two -time Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soududal Quick Step) and one of the biggest classic races specialists Wout van aert (Visma Lease A Bike), so it was a bit more tactical racing.

But he did not have this in mind, just under 48 km ahead of the finish line followed the jump Juliana Alaphilipp (Tudor). The Frenchman was reminiscent of the time of the climax of his fame for a few minutes, when he cycled the sequential World Championship title (2020 and 2021), but 43 km before the finish line could not follow Pogacar’s sedentary acceleration on the ascent of Kruisberg.

The crucial was Evenepoel’s jump

At that time, the fight against everything, much like September last year at the SP in Zurich, began for the current holder of the rainbow T -shirt. He cycled a good half -minute advantage over the pursuers, when he hunted for him. He did not approach him especially, so the race was turned upside down by Evenepoel, who jumped 27 km ahead of the finish line when he was 40 seconds behind. He quickly captured the Skjelmose and also halved the backlog behind Pogacar. The great battle of the first celebrities began and the clock was increasingly spoken in Evenepoel’s favor.

Eight km before the finish line, the Belgian, who did a hard work on hunting, captured a Slovenian and the fight for victory began again. This was for the Pogačar, who is accustomed to getting to the finish line after independent attacks, a new position. He decided to wait for the sprint, which had already brought him many high -profile victory.

Again, he was stronger than Evenepoel, but not from Skjelmose, who was able to hide in the wind of star rivals until the last and look forward to the biggest victory of his career. He thus prevented Pogacar from winning for all three Are’s classics in the same season. He has already received all three in the past.

“It was a nice race, good for our team. In the end, the finish line was unfortunately five meters too far. When we drove with Alaphilipp, I hoped he would stay with me for a long time so we would persist. We may have been too enthusiastic at the first attack. I tried to go alone until the end, but when Remco caught the skylmose, I was chased by two. In the last 15 km, we had a strong opposite wind in which I failed to increase the advantage, so I decided to wait for them and try to beat them in the sprint. I took the risk and eventually occupied the 2nd place, « said Pogacar, who was not surprised by Evenepoel’s power in the second race of the season, which he only began last Friday due to the December fall.

« I expected Remco to be so strong, he showed everyone again that he was perfectly prepared, but in the end he was the strongest skylmose, » added Pogi, who is waiting for the Wallow Arrow after 2, and next Sunday, the fourth monument of the Liege -Bastogne -Liega season. Two big spectacles with him and Evenepoel are expected in the lead roles.