At Liège, there's no contest: Pogačar claims sixth Classic victory
It was supposed to be the showdown, the duel until the last meter. But no.
La Doyenne, the oldest and most prestigious classic in the entire world cycling ecosystem, has only one master: Tadej Pogačar's victory in the 110th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège is clear and undisputed.
But let's get to the race report. The race's reins are firmly in the hands of the UAE-Emirates team, which has controlled the race from the start, ruthlessly nullifying every breakaway attempt. The first shake-up comes from a mass crash that splits the group in half: those left behind, including Van der Poel and Pidcock, expend a lot of energy to catch up, but they don't yet know there will be no contest. The real breaking point comes at -35 kilometers, and as often happens, the magician chooses the most prestigious stage to perform his best act: on the Côte de la Redoute, 1,600 meters at an 8.8% average gradient, the world number one decides it's time to go solo. Only Carapaz remains on Pogačar's wheel, but the Ecuadorian lasts only a few meters. The ship has sailed, and everyone else is left behind.
What remains is the long solo ride of an alien, capable of showing his more human side as well: at the finish, there are no wild celebrations, just two fingers pointed towards the sky, dedicating the triumph to the mother of his beloved Urska, who passed away just a year ago. Romain Bardet and Mathieu van Der Poel close out the podium.
The Northern Classics end here: pack your bags, we'll see you at the Giro.
