He had just won the Tour of Flanders and Tadej Pogacar, despite still having high heart rate, told a great truth: "Even if I don't win the Tour, 2023 is already a great season for me." Some like the young Juan Ayuso have not yet been able to debut, others like the myth Sagan, who says goodbye, has not managed to premiere. And while the head of the UAE already swims in abundance.
Then, on April 2, the Golden Slovenian had won the Jaen classic, the Southern Route, Paris-Nice and De Ronde. Imagine what he will be able to say now if to those triumphs he has already added the Amstel Gold Race and the Fleche Wallonne. "You don't get bored of winning. I'm enjoying it a lot," he says.
Not even Huy's imposing wall could slow down Pogacar's magnificent pace. Nor did the most explosive ending in the world of classics escape the Slovenian's exhibitions. It was the most wanted wheel, and yet no one could follow it in the last 150 meters.
His rivals looked nervous. Healy spent a lot. Bardet sought to go where it did not fit. Woods was too visible. Lafay was impatient to attack. Ciccone looked to both sides, so as not to miss anything. Aranburu, superstitious, wore the number (13) upside down and was thirteenth. Pidcock was never well placed. Gaudu got off the bike when there were still 70 km to go. But he remained impassive. Well surrounded by his companions. The UAE had in its ranks the only winner of the Walloon Arrow that was in contention, the Swiss Hirschi, and did not have him as a candidate but as a gregarious. Bennett, Ulissi and Hirschi set the pace at each level and left him at the foot of the wall in the leading positions.
They all stood up to start climbing. Everyone except Pogacar, who kept going up and overcoming the ramps sitting down, waiting for his moment, looking for the distance from him, always one of the first, so as not to get locked up. And when he accelerated he was a seen and not seen. He took a couple of bikes from Skjelmose Jensen (Trek) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain), who has been crashing into some bigger star all year. "He was the second mortal," said the cyclist from Alava.
The victory would have been signed by Valverde or Alaphilippe as clean and superior as it was. Since Fignon in 1986, no Tour winner has won on the wall of Huy. And Pogacar won as he wanted. According to the plan.
A plan that will take him to Liège on Sunday, to try to complete the triptych of heights. A triplet that Rebellin (2004) and Gilbert (2011) have only completed in 8 days apart. The Slovenian in this 2023 only competes against history. Records are his toughest rivals. On the road he has competed 18 days and has garnered 12 victories. They have only been beaten by Van der Poel in Sanremo and Van Aert in Harelbeke. Nobody else. The wall could not break him either. In Liege he is waiting for you Evenepoel.
