Latest news with #Skjelmose
Japan Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
Magnificent Pogacar soars to Fleche Wallonne triumph
cycling Tadej Pogacar powered up the steepest part of the final Ardennes hill Wednesday to reclaim the Fleche Wallonne 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 plucky Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin emerged second and Briton Tom Pidcock third. The 23-year-old Vauquelin was also runner-up last year, proving he will often be a force in races culminating with a short, sharp hill. 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 was right in the thick of the race before fading to ninth over the last 200m as Pogacar switched into a gear nobody else could find. 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 on April 6, was clearly tired but delighted after his latest efforts. "It's a beautiful place, but as a cyclist you don't like it so much, such a tough finish," said the Team UAE Emirates leader. "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. Pogacar said he attacked when he saw Irishman Ben Healy, who finished fifth, draw level with him. "I said 'Okay he looks fast'. So I accelerated and when I looked over my shoulder, no one was there. But really that's the hardest kilometre in cycling," he added. 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. His Lidl teammate Thibau Nys had also been touted as a man who could beat Pogacar on the final climb but eventually came eighth, perhaps due to the fact Skjelmose had dropped out. 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 favorites. 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. © 2025 AFP
Business Insider
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
How to watch La Fleche Wallonne: Live stream the 2025 race free from anywhere
The second race of the Ardennes Classics has arrived, following the Amstel Gold Race over the weekend. We've compiled everything you need to know about how to watch La Fleche Wallonne, including a free streaming Skjelmose shocked the cycling world this past weekend when he defeated favorites Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel in a sprint finish at the Amstel Gold Race. Skjelmose, Pogacar, Evenepoel, and others are expected to compete at the 2025 men's La Fleche Wallonne in Belgium, which will take riders through a difficult course that ends on the steep Mur de Huy. Stevie Williams took home the men's title in 2024, and Pogacar won the year before. This race is a precursor to the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the grand finale of the Ardennes Classics, which is slated for you watch every year or want to get in on the action for the first time, we've got you covered. Below, you can find all the details on global live streaming options and how to use a VPN to watch the race from anywhere for Fleche Wallonne will live stream on Peacock in the US. Peacock is the American streaming home for tons of races this year, in addition to select other sporting events, shows, and movies from NBCUniversal. Subscriptions start at $8/month for Peacock Premium, but Peacock Premium Plus will unlock ad-free on-demand content and 24/7 NBC live streaming. Peacock is a convenient streaming source for hit NBC TV shows, Universal movies, and select sports like Sunday Night Football. The service also carries its own slate of original programming. In the UK, the race will be available through TNT Sports. Cycling fans can live stream La Fleche Wallonne and several other major races throughout the season with a Discovery Plus subscription. You'll need to sign up for the £31/month Premium tier to access cycling. This plan also unlocks events such as UFC fights, Champions League matches, and MotoGP Fleche Wallonne will air on SBS Viceland in Australia, which means that cycling fans can live stream the race through SBS on Demand. This is a free streaming option that just requires account creation to you're away from Australia right now and still hoping to access your free streaming option, you're in luck. You can access websites from anywhere with the help of a VPN, or virtual private network, which enables you to change your virtual location. VPNs are extra popular among those hoping to boost their cybersecurity and keep up with their usual apps and services while traveling abroad. ExpressVPN is our top recommendation, thanks to its beginner-friendliness, security features, and hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more about it in our ExpressVPN review. With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that make it exceptional. Better yet, you can save more than 60% right now and get up to four months free. Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
Independent Singapore
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Amstel Gold Race 2025: Mattias Skjelmose defeats top athletes Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel in a thrilling win
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) won the 2025 Amstel Gold Race with a perfectly timed sprint, beating top athletes Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the end of the race. After Pogacar went solo with 50km to go, Skjelmose went after him and was joined by Evenepoel. The 24-year-old Dane, who had never won a one-day World Tour race before, managed to stay beside the World and Olympic champions on the final climb. Skjelmose made the most of his position and waited until the final moment to break into the wind and surge past Pogacar to win the race. In a social media post, the athlete shared: 'This win means the world to me – and honestly, it still feels surreal. The journey to victory has been filled with setbacks and frustrations. Not just the three recent crashes that cost me big results, but ending last season early with herniated discs – right when I was at my strongest. It's tough knowing you're ready to deliver, yet held back again and again by bad luck. That's exactly what hit me yesterday – a wave of emotions I couldn't hold back. Because in that moment, it all made sense. Every hour of hard work. Every sacrifice. All those moments I chose to believe – even when it felt impossible. It was all for moments like this.' Netizens expressed their congratulations by commenting: 'Great job and unforgettable podium', 'What a legend! Congrats Mattias 🔥🔥', 'I share your happiness one hundred percent! 🔥❤️ 🎩', and 'Huge congratulations to you and your team. What an amazing achievement 👏🏻🤩👏🏻' Highlights of the race The 59th Men's Amstel Gold Race marked the transition of races from the cobbles to hilly climbs and featured athletes who are skilled in both types of races. The 256km race had 34 short but tough climbs, adding up to 4000m of climbing. The tough start made it hard for a breakaway to form, but eventually, eight riders got away, including Michel Hessmann (Movistar), Rémi Cavgna (Groupama-FDJ), Robert Stannard (Bahrain-Victorious), Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Cedric Beullens (Lotto), Jarrad Drizners (Lotto), Hartthijs De Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets), and Jelle Johannink (Unibet Tietema Rockets). Their lead grew to 4:30 before the peloton started to catch up. By the time they reached the Cauberg with 80km to go, the breakaway pack was breaking apart. Only Hessmann was left out front, but he was caught up with soon after. Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) then pushed the pace, getting ready for Pogacar to make a long move. The big move happened on the Gulpenberg, with Pogacar reacting to it rather than starting it. Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) looked strong, leading Pogacar away from the group. They quickly built a gap from others, but didn't stay together long. On the Kruisberg climb, Pogacar's power left Alaphilippe behind, and it looked like he might win solo once again. Pogacar's lead grew as the chasing group couldn't work together. Instead of helping each other to catch him, the riders were more focused on stopping each other's attacks. Skjelmose was the only rider to make a successful move and managed to break away from the peloton. He struggled to close the gap with Pogacar, whose lead had stretched past 30 seconds. Evenepoel eventually caught up with Skjelmose and the gap with Pogacar eventually started started shrinking. Skjelmose and Evenepoel worked together to catch up to Pogacar. With 10km to go, Pogacar knew that he would have to fight it out on the tough final climb of the Cauberg. Evenepoel led the group up the Cauberg and started the sprint and Pogacar followed. But Skjelmose surprised them, waiting until the last moment to get into the wind and used the slipstream to speed past Pogacar and win by half a wheel. A social media post shared by Lidl-Trek showed an emotional Skjelmose as he passed the finish line. The caption said: 'Skjelly…YOU WON!!!! A tense and emotional wait at the finish line of @amstelgoldrace before @skjelmose_ was crowned winner after a three-up sprint to the line ❤️🤩💪' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lidl-Trek (@lidltrek) Netizens commented on the post and said: 'I think this is the most wholesome video ever 😭 Mattias is such a nice guy, he deserves this win SO MUCH 🇩🇰❤️', 'So so happy to see this guy on top!', 'He made me cry! Yes, you won and we are so happy for you!❤️', and 'History is made 🔥👏'
SBS Australia
21-04-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
Unclipped with Grace Brown - 21.04.2025 Amstel Gold Race 2025: Skjelmose Shines, Women's Coverage Falls Short
Grace breaks down the Amstel Gold Races over the weekend, where Skjelmose claimed an unexpected win after a thrilling chase that saw him out-sprint Pogacar and Evenepoel. And while key moments were missed in the women's race, with just 38 kilometers of broadcast, Bredewold claimed a solo victory after a well-timed late attack.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Skjelmose beats Pogacar in thrilling photo finish
[Getty Images] Danish cyclist Mattias Skjelmose beat three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar to win the Amstel Gold Race via a thrilling photo finish. In a three-way sprint to the finish line, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel seemed to have secured the victory but 2023 champion Pogacar edged just ahead of him with metres to go, only for Skjelmose to attack from their left and win by less than half a wheel's length. Advertisement Great Britain's Tom Pidcock, who was defending his title in the Netherlands, finished ninth. It was the biggest win of 24-year-old Skjelmose's career but a second successive defeat for Slovenian Pogacar, who won the Tour of Flanders earlier this month before finishing second at the Paris-Roubaix last week. Pogacar made his move to the front with around 40km to go of the 256km race, but was unable to break free from Skjelmose and Evenepoel, as they caught up with him with 8km remaining to force the sprint finish. The third-placed finish marked another promising return for Evenepoel as he returns from a serious injury following a crash last year. The Belgian won the Brabantse Pijl in his first race back on Friday. Advertisement The women's race saw a Dutch trio complete the podium as Mischa Bredewold took the title with her compatriots Ellen van Dijk and Puck Pieterse in second and third. Bredewold finished the 157.3km course in just over four hours, with Van Dijk and Pieterse seven seconds behind.
