
There are conflicting thoughts running through Remco Evenepoel's mind at the end of an Amstel Gold Race he tackled as a protagonist: on one side, satisfaction with his performance and further confirmation of his recovered form, on the other, a missed opportunity and a third place that doesn't fully satisfy the Belgian.
"Certainly the result is promising for upcoming events, especially because I can only improve, but there's a bit of a bitter taste because maybe today I was the strongest in the race. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of energy trying to get back into the group after the crash. What happened? Narváez fell right in front of me, and I had almost managed to stay upright, but his bike bounced against mine and I ended up on the ground. If that hadn't happened, who knows, maybe I could have reached the finish line alone, but we'll never know for sure."
In the end, the Belgian did make it to the podium, but only on the third step: "I took the sprint at the front because they forced me to hold that position. So I tried to start a bit long: unfortunately we had a headwind and I couldn't do much more. Also because chasing Pogačar cost me a lot: I felt really strong uphill, but a sprint is something different, especially with so few competitors. Anyway, congratulations to Skjelmose, and now let's think about the Flèche."