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The outlier label lasted for a sigh The Dean cycling, because as usual it turned out to be one of the most exciting races of the season. It seems incredible that after more than six hours on the bike everything was decided in one breath and, due to an incomprehensible miscalculation … Primoz Roglic got the first Monument of his career thanks to Julian Alaphilippe, who celebrated the victory in the Liège sprint before the count and saw how the Slovenian surpassed him in the last blow to the kidney. Seeing is believing. Marc Hirschi and Tadej Pogacar completed the podium after the sanction of the judges to the world champion as a result of an irregular maneuver in the sprint.
The race, with eleven explosive heights spread over 257 kilometers, It featured all the ingredients worthy of an epic day: gusts of 30 km / h wind, temperatures of up to six degrees, light rain and drama, especially drama. Only the strongest would survive in such a context, as it was. While the favorites saved energy until the decisive moments, nine brave men challenged them from the start: Gino Mäder, Kobe Goossens, Michael Schär, Kenny Molly, Mathijs Paasschens, Omer Goldstein, Valentin Ferron, Paul Ourselin and, as Spanish representative, Iñigo Elosegui.
Nervousness took hold of the runners in the last 100 kilometers, where the last nine climbs were practically chained, which resulted in falls. The worst part was for two serious hopefuls like Adam Yates and Greg van Avermaet, who were forced to leave. But with just over 70 to go, the worst was feared: Hirschi and Alaphilippe also went to the ground on a descent that was very wet. Luckily it was a scare and they returned to the group.
The final fireworks
Schär’s attack was the first to bear fruit among the escapees, and after a few kilometers in which his compatriot Mäder followed him, he was left alone to challenge the peloton. As we saw in the last Tour, the CCC rider feels comfortable on the run and away from the big group, although the work of teams like Trek and Deceuninck ended his hopes. In the decisive stretch, Alaphilippe still promised them very happy, oblivious to the suspense novel that was coming to him. The Frenchman spoke in full ascent to La Redoute, He led his companions and even changed a booty in motion minutes after his fall. There the favorites were limited to sharpening the knife to unleash hostilities in the final level: Roche aux Fauçons.
Louie He was the first to try it and after crowning the top he left the victory in a matter of four: next to him were Roglic, Pogacar and Hirschi. Van der Poel was missing to round off the cockfest, but it was left behind to the persecuting group. In the Liège sprint there was everything, and in so few seconds that it seemed like science fiction. Alaphilippe took off, Hirschi’s pedal cleat came off as he went to his wheel and the French was the winner. He raised his arms and Roglic got the win by inches before the incredulity of the current world champion. Prize for faith and sanction for the Frenchman, since the irregular maneuver that caused Hirschi’s mishap relegated him to fifth position, so Pogacar inherited the podium. Has the curse of the rainbow begun?
Results
1st Primoz Roglic (ESL, Jumbo-Visma), 6:32:02
2nd Marc Hirschi (SUI, Sunweb), mt
3rd Tadej Pogacar (ESL, UAE), mt
4th Matej Mohoric (ESL, Bahrain-McLaren), mt
5th Julian Alaphilippe (FRA, Deceuninck), mt
17th Gorka Izagirre (Astana), a 43 “
