On Sunday, there have been no solutions for Tadej Pogačar on the Tour of Flanders, with the world champion racing to a 19km solo victory following his race-winning assault on the Oude Kwaremont.
Reigning champion Mathieu van der Poel, the Slovenian’s greatest rival for the title this yr, was typically the one man to match his accelerations on quite a few cobbled bergs. However he could not discover a solution on the penultimate climb of the 269km race.
Van der Poel was certainly one of a number of riders caught up in a crash with 127km to go however recovered to combat for the win. After finally ending third, 1:01 behind Pogačar, he mentioned that he was content material along with his third place, noting that he was “already on the restrict from fairly far” out from Oudenaarde.
“Probably not,” was Van der Poel’s response when requested if he felt near the win. “I used to be already on the restrict from fairly far.
“With the crash, after all, it was not superb, however I feel we put up a great combat with the crew, and I did all the pieces I might. I am pleased with the rostrum.
“It is by no means good to be in a crash, however I feel the injury was nonetheless fairly OK. For the crash, I used to be fortunate. However after all, it was not superb.”
Van der Poel’s podium has now seen him end among the many prime three in six out of seven begins on the race, his 2019 debut the one miss with a fourth place. Pogačar is 2 for 3, with each his podiums leading to victories, the pair of them coming through solo assaults on the Oude Kwaremont.
Van der Poel was the final man to hold on to Pogačar earlier than he too needed to let go. Earlier within the race, on the primary of three ascents of the climb with 55km to go, he was caught out of place as Pogačar launched for the primary time.
When requested about his positioning throughout the race, Van der Poel mentioned that he was caught out “possibly not the entire day, however I used to be typically positioned a bit too far.
“I feel I could be pleased with the race I did,” he added. “I fought fairly laborious, however I felt already from fairly far that I used to be on the restrict.”
Subsequent up for Pogačar, Van der Poel, and the opposite riders in that elite chase group behind the winner, Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, and Jasper Stuyven, is Paris-Roubaix. Subsequent Sunday’s cobbled Classics nearer marks Pogačar’s debut on the Queen of the Classics.
Van der Poel will likely be aiming for his third cobblestone trophy in Roubaix, however he gave little away about his probabilities within the post-Flanders flash interview.
“I feel it is much less of a tough race than Flanders,” he mentioned. “You want a bit extra luck as properly in Roubaix, however we’ll see.”
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