Magnificent Pogacar soars to Fleche Wallonne triumph
HUY, Belgium: Tadej Pogacar powered up the steepest part of the final Ardennes hill Wednesday to reclaim the Fleche Wallonne Ardennes classic title after a cold and rainy 205km slog over 11 climbs.
With a mud-splattered face, the three-time Tour de France champion could barely raise a smile at the finish line, as Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin came second and Briton Tom Pidcock third.
The 23-year-old Vauquelin was also runner-up last year.
Pidcock, having quit Ineos in the close season for the second-tier Q36.5 team, can also be proud of a fine finish in a strong field.
Winner of the Brabantse Pijl last Friday on his comeback from injury, Belgian hope Remco Evenepoel faded to ninth over the last 200m as Pogacar skipped away.
More than just a warm-up race for Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege raced in the same region, but 50km longer, this race runs through the Ardennes forest but over 11 of the region's steepest climbs.
Pogacar, who last won at the Tour of Flanders, was clearly tired but delighted after his efforts.
"It's a really great feeling, the weather wasn't so good but winning again is all that counts. We worked well as a team today and we'll have a similar one for Sunday at Liege," said the 26-year-old, who won at Liege last year in the absence of the injured Evenepoel.
Wednesday's race culminated with the fearsome Mur de Huy, just 1.3km in length but with gradients hitting 19 percent with an average of 9.6.
This was a return to winning ways for Slovenian Pogacar after his second-placed finish to Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix, and another second place in the Amstel Gold race behind Mattias Skjelmose on Sunday.
Skjelmose had been highly fancied again here but the 24-year-old was one of several riders who slid out of the race on a slick corner around 40km from home on a day of unrelenting rain.
A stubborn escape group clung on until the final ascent, in a sign of how little appetite there was for a long-range bid for glory from one of the race favourites.
Many of Wednesday's competitors will be back in action Sunday in the same corner of the Ardennes for the Liege-Bastogne-Liege 'Monument' over 252km where an escape is more likely.--AFP
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