2023-04-23 19:00:35
Tadej Pogacar has to give up his dream of the Ardennes triple after a fall. The Radstar suffers a scaphoid fracture. As in the previous year, World Champion Remco Evenepoel took the win.
For superstar Tadej Pogacar, the dream of a treble ended in hospital, instead world champion Remco Evenepoel put on an impressive show in the rainy Ardennes.
As in the previous year, the Belgian young star triumphed alone after 258.1 kilometers and eleven toxic climbs in the classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday ahead of Briton Thomas Pidcock and Colombian Santiago Buitrago. His Slovenian rival and top favorite Pogacar was already in Genk hospital, where he was being operated on for a broken scaphoid in his left hand after falling after 84 kilometers.
This is how the eagerly awaited duel between the two century talents Pogacar and Evenepoel turned out. The two-time Tour de France winner would have been only the third driver after former Gerolsteiner pro Davide Rebellin (2004) and Philippe Gilbert (2011) to complete the triple of Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège. Now it is up to Pogacar to get fit again quickly in order to start preparing for the Tour de France, which begins on July 1st.
German professional cyclists don’t play a role
But his rival Evenepoel delivered – and how! On the up to 22 percent steep Côte de la Redoute, the 23-year-old launched his first attack, which only Pidcock could follow. Three kilometers later, the mountain bike Olympic champion was also left behind. “C’est le TGV,” the Belgian commentator yelled into the microphone. The Evenepoel high-speed train rolled inexorably towards Liège. The lead quickly grew to over a minute. This is how Evenepoel’s dream came true: he drove to Liège in the world champion’s rainbow jersey.
Lennard Kämna, among others, will soon have to deal with the Belgian superstar at the Giro d’Italia if Evenepoel wants to win his second Grand Tour after the 2022 Vuelta. Kämna wants to tackle the overall standings for the first time in a three-week tour in Italy.
The small German faction of five German riders played no role in the Liege final, but they were present throughout the ride through the Ardennes. For example, career changers Jason Osborne, who was once world rowing champion, and Georg Zimmermann belonged to a breakaway group for a long time, which broke up a good 50 kilometers from the finish line.
However, a key scene of the race took place after 84 kilometers before the cameras were even on the air. Pogacar fell on a descent. Apparently the Dane Mikkel Honoré caused the fall after a puncture. The entire UAE team was still waiting for their superstar and wanted to bring him back into the field, but there was no further progress for the 24-year-old, who is in a league of his own so far this season and has already picked up twelve wins this season.
Demi Vollering triumphs in women
What Pogacar missed, Demi Vollering did for women. After her victories in the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne, the Dutchwoman also triumphed in Liège. After 142.8 kilometers, Vollering relegated the Italian Elisa Longo Borghini to second place. Fourth in the World Championships Liane Lippert from Friedrichshafen took eighth place. (dpa)
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