photo credits @ La Flèche Wallonne
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won today’s rain-soaked edition of La Flèche Wallonne, fiercely attacking around the steepest corner of the Mur de Huy and easily riding away to claim a solo victory.
Meanwhile, Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) had looked set to launch a long-range attack early on the climb, as Pogačar’s lead-out from Jan Christen was coming to an end, however, the rainbow jersey then took one look back, saw his rivals faltering, and attacked away with extreme power to leave everyone behind.
The remainder of the group of favorites were left to battle out the podium spots, with Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) the best of the rest in second and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) netting third.
Earlier Highlights
Five riders went clear as the flag dropped, with Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Artem Shmidt (Ineos Grenadiers), Ceriel Desal (Wagner Bazin WB), Tom Paquot (Intermarché-Wanty) and Siebe Deweirdt (Flanders-Baloise) quickly building up a sizable gap 2’30” after 12km of racing. Yet, the peloton kept a tight leash on the escapees, bringing the lead of the breakaway down to 40” at kilometer 58.
Four attackers join the day’s breakaway from the peloton
Ineos Grenadiers’ Tobias Foss jumped from the bunch, hoping to join his teammate Artem Shmidt and find the company of Bahrain Victorious’ Robert Stannard in his pursuit. The duo succeeded in their bid at kilometer 70, making it seven riders at the head of the race. Two Uno-X Mobility riders, Andreas Leknessund and Frederik Dversnes, also attacked from the peloton as it climbed the Côte de Petite Somme and made it to the front at kilometer 106.
Skjelmose crashes out of the race
The eight-strong group held a 1’35” lead on the peloton as the race entered the final circuit with 99,3 kilometers to go. Paquot got dropped in the first climb to the Mur de Huy (km 130,8), where the seven remaining riders at the front enjoyed a 52” advantage. The head of the race steadily lost both ground and members. Guglielmi was dropped in the Côte d’Ereffe, and likewise for Shmidt and Stannard in the Côte de Cherave, while Desal crashed out of contention in a right-hand turn with 41 kilometers to go. It was on that very spot that Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) went down, along with other key riders like Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike), Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates) or Ilan van Wilder (Soudal-Quick Step). As a consequence of this incident, the Danish cyclist had to pull out from the race shortly after.
UAE Team Emirates sets Pogacar up for impressive victory
Just three Norwegian riders (Foss, Leknessund and Dversnes) were left at the head of the race in the second-to-last climb to the Mur de Huy, with a lead of just 10” on the bunch. Despite several skirmishes behind, they managed to keep the peloton at bay all the way to the foot of the Côte de Cherave. It was there that UAE Team Emirates unleashed two accelerations with Felix Grossschartner and Jan Christen, followed by a fast descent from Pogačar himself to further stretch things out.
A mere 30 riders hit the Mur de Huy in contention for the win. Jan Christen marshaled them in the first ramps. An acceleration from Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) with 500 meters to go was the sign for Pogačar to take off and triumph while his rivals fought tooth and nail for the scraps.
