
Yesterday was another masterpiece by Tadej Pogacar, who won the Flèche Wallonne with a 10-second advantage over his rivals. The UAE Emirates champion was extraordinary, and after the finish line, joking a bit with journalists, he said he felt fresh and ready to race Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "I'm glad there wasn't a photo finish this time. At the steepest point of the climb, I saw someone, I think Ben Healy, so I decided to accelerate too. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw no one on my wheel and I accelerated again to the finish line".
The Slovenian was once again unbeatable and in the final of the Flèche Wallonne, he proved to be the strongest rider of all. Pogacar continued: "The last kilometer was the toughest of the season and, due to rain and cold, it was even more difficult than usual. I was shocked when I saw the 200-meter sign and thought: 'Wow. It's still long'. But fortunately, no one was on my wheel anymore".
After second place at the Amstel Gold Race, Pogacar needed to win again, and yesterday he did so in the race that precedes Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "It's always nice when they tell you that you look tired" - Pogacar said, referring to his dirty face due to bad weather - "I didn't know my advantage was so large. I was already happy not to see anyone behind me at the finish line, so there wouldn't be a photo finish like last Sunday at the Amstel".
Beyond the advantage, Pogacar impressed with how he dropped the rest of the group and tackled the Mur de Huy, because while his rivals climbed with extreme difficulty, he reached the top without ever getting out of the saddle. "I know from experience that when you stand up on the pedals, you can lose tire grip, so I prefer to stay seated because it's also more efficient. In training, I often do these efforts on steep climbs. It comes naturally to me".
The world champion is very satisfied with his teammates, especially Jan Christen, who maintained a very high pace on the Côte de Cherave and also in the first part of the final climb. "I often train with Jan and I know he's a good rider. For me, he's one of the greatest talents in our group, but I still had some doubts when I saw the team had selected him for these races. Jan broke his collarbone a few weeks ago. If he falls again, he could be out for the rest of the season. When I heard on the radio, just before the finale, that Jan had fallen, I also feared the worst, but shortly after he was already in front of me again. Our team made this race difficult, and I'm proud to have managed to complete it".
Pogacar has already won three Classics this spring: Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, and Flèche Wallonne, and everyone knows that his next goal will be Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he will try for his third victory. "I understand that some wonder if I'm not getting tired, considering the number of races I'm doing in spring, but we've structured my season this way and canceled semi-classics like Through Flanders and E3 Saxo Classic. This way I can be a bit fresher. In fact, in recent weeks I've had to push hard, but I can say I still feel good and I'm ready to do one last race on Sunday before taking a break".