{"id":198445,"date":"2025-04-24T16:15:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T16:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=198445"},"modified":"2025-04-24T16:15:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T16:15:21","slug":"pogacar-triumphs-in-la-fleche-wallonne-with-devastating-400-metre-solo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/04\/24\/pogacar-triumphs-in-la-fleche-wallonne-with-devastating-400-metre-solo\/","title":{"rendered":"Poga\u010dar Triumphs in La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne With Devastating 400-Metre Solo"},"content":{"rendered":"

After suffering a surprise defeat in Sunday\u2019s Amstel Gold Race, Tadej Poga\u010dar (UAE Team Emirates\u2013XRG) got some of his mojo back by winning Wednesday\u2019s La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne with a dominant solo ride on the daunting climb to the finish line on the Mur de Huy (1.3 km @ 9.6%, with ramps of up to 19%).<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A race made to order<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In a way, this race was tailor-made for the world champion because no one in the world could have followed him when he made his move with about 400 metres left to climb \u2013 and no one did. The only rider thought capable of staying on his wheel on the last of three climbs of the Mur was Remco Evenepoel.<\/a> But, though his Soudal Quick-Step team worked hard to soften the legs of his rivals through much of the 205.1 km race from Ciney to Huy, the Belgian double Olympic champion faltered on the climb, ultimately finishing ninth, 16 seconds adrift.<\/p>\n

The impressive 23-year-old French rider K\u00e9vin Vauquelin (Ark\u00e9a\u2013B&B Hotels) was the best of the rest, crossing the line 10 seconds behind, his second runner-up finish in a row in the race. That 10-second margin may not sound like much, but it was the biggest winning gap in the race since 2003. Q36.5\u2019s Tom Pidcock made another impressive showing and came in third, at 12 seconds. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), who outsprinted both Poga\u010dar and Evenepoel in the Amstel Gold Race, crashed on a curve on a road surface made slick by almost constant rain and abandoned. Fortunately, the rain stopped for the final 35 km of the race.<\/p>\n

It was Ben Healey (EF Education\u2013EasyPost) who kicked off the decisive action by taking off from the lead group with about 500 metres left to ride. Poga\u010dar rode with him for a while and then hit the pedals hard and was gone, with no one able to come within shouting distance. Though the victory appeared easy, it was a tired-looking Poga\u010dar who crossed the finish line without his usual triumphant smile. No wonder, for that was his sixth Classics race since March 8 and his fourth in 17 days.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Fle\u0300che et LBL (@classiquesardennes)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n