“You don’t get tired of crossing the line first…”
Unfortunately for his opponents, Tadej Pogačar is not satisfied. The 24-year-old Slovenian continued his fantastic run of success by adding Flèche Wallonne to his list on Wednesday in Belgium.
Widely favorite after his distant attack at the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, Pogačar used his patience this time by taking off less than 200 meters from the finish line in the Mur de Huy to claim his 12th victory this season.
Before raising his arms, the imp of the UAE team had time to turn around to see young Dane Mattias Skjelmose (Trek) and Spanish veteran Mikel Landa (Bahrain), second and third respectively, die at his feet.
“This morning I said on Danish television that I would be more than grateful for a second place finish behind Tadej,” admitted Skjelmose, 18th last year. That’s what happened. Right now, if he’s in a race and he’s not having bad luck, [finishing second] is a win for everyone else. »
Landa shared exactly the same observation: “Someone has to finish second or third, the first of the mortals…”
Michael Woods, fourth at three seconds, found it very good. ” It’s the truth ! acknowledged the Ottawa cyclist. I finished third! »
Perfectly positioned by his teammate Simon Clarke at the foot of the third and final ascent of the Mur de Huy, Woods had the delicate task of maneuvering with Pogačar clinging to his wheel. When the Briton Magnus Sheffield (Ineos) stowed away, the representative of Israel-Premier Tech found himself first for a few hectometres.
In the most steep, Romain Bardet (9th) tried in vain to pass between the barricade and him. The Frenchman from DSM recovered 200m from the line, when Pogačar chose to take off.
Woods was unable to respond, nonetheless resisting the return of Giulio Ciccone, Skjelmose’s teammate who finished fifth.
“At 300 meters, I thought I could win, but when Pogačar attacked, it was impossible to follow,” admitted the most Francophile of Canadian athletes.
“I was not surprised to find myself in this position. Simon is one of the best runners in the world to place others. So he put me in an ideal position. I did the best I could with my form and the place where I was. I tried to win, but I was beaten by better riders. »
Woods therefore continues his happy streak at the Belgian classic. After his third place in 2020, he finished fourth in 2021, sixth last year and fourth again on Wednesday. “I’m definitely not disappointed with this result,” said the 36-year-old, tested Sunday at the Amstel Gold Race, which he did not finish.
Woods praised the “tremendous” work of his teammates during the 194.3 km race. In his final start at La Flèche, South African veteran Daryl Impey was part of the eight-rider breakaway. Behind, Guillaume Boivin contributed to the positioning of his friend.
“After a somewhat complicated Amstel for us, we had a great race,” noted Boivin, 131st at 11 minutes. We can be happy with our day. »
Protected by gloves for a rare time, the original Longueuillois did not suffer from his severe blisters suffered in Paris-Roubaix, 10 days earlier. “It’s healing well,” rejoiced the one who expects to be at the start on Sunday in Liège.
Sick, his teammate Hugo Houle for his part experienced a second consecutive abandonment, a rare occurrence for the native of Sainte-Perpétue. After a lull at the Flèche Brabançonne last week and the Amstel on Sunday, nasal congestion and clogged sinuses caught up with him like at the start of the Flandrian Classics campaign last month.
“I had absolutely nothing,” he said. The legs were still fine, but my face hurt from inflamed sinuses and I had pain behind my ears. It’s just a disastrous day. So I tried to place the guys when it got windy after 90 kilometers, approaching the [three-lap] circuit. That’s about all that was in my abilities today. »
Houle did not cross the Mur de Huy once, branching off to the bus before the first pass to follow the rest of the event on television “with the bosses”.
He was able to appreciate the demonstration of Pogačar and Woods. “With Pogačar, there is not much to do at the moment. He was there, he waited for his moment and placed his acceleration. It was clear and precise that no one was going to bother him today.
“Mike ran very, very well. Simon Clarke positioned it impeccably. At some point, it’s the legs that do the talking in this situation. It’s fun to see that Mike is at the top of his game just before Liège-Bastogne-Liège. It’s a beautiful day. It gives the team morale for the future. »
In an ideal world, Houle will not start the “dean of the classics” on Sunday, in order to rest “for the most important event of the season, the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France”. .
“I already have my eyes set on that. I extended my classic season to try to support Mike as much as possible. I was not supposed to do the Amstel Gold Race, but we had sick guys and that had an impact on my program. I may have reached my limit for this spring which I am disappointed in the end. I was not in good health, I did my best, but I want more than that and I am capable of doing better than that. It’s a spring to forget, definitely. »
Michael Woods wants “a hard race” in hopes “of being able to do something in the final” of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he has finished in the top ten in his last six starts, including a second place in 2018.
The return from altitude of world champion Remco Evenepoel, defending champion, risks making it the “most competitive race of the year” in the eyes of Pogačar, crowned in 2021.
“I also hope Pogačar and Evenepoel have a tough day because it will be hard to beat them,” Woods conceded.
Pogačar will try to become the third cyclist and the first since Philippe Gilbert, in 2011, to achieve the Ardennes triple.
Imperial, Demi Vollering dominated the women’s event disputed a few hours earlier by a head and shoulders. The Dutchwoman from SD Worx crossed the endless Wall in first place from start to finish, never getting out of her saddle. Vollering therefore continued his magical season after his victories at the Strade Bianche, across Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday. Guided by her sports director Anna van der Breggen, crowned seven times in a row at La Flèche, she was well ahead of the German champion Liane Lippert (Movistar) and the tiny Italian Gaia Realini (Trek).
Abitibienne Olivia Baril (UAE), 64th, supported her teammate Silvia Persico, 8th. With about twenty kilometers to go, Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF) made a visit without gravity in a gutter. The 21-year-old from Sherbrooke, however, was unable to come back to the accelerating peloton and had to settle for 80th place. Slowed down by allergies, Simone Boilard (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) finished 94th, while Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis) did not finish.
