This was an edition where one rider dispatched his rivals at will and they were well ahead of the rest. Tadej Pogačar went solo for the win on the last time up the Oude Kwaremont climb but by then he’d already demonstrated he was the strongest in the race, he just had to convert this into a sufficient lead so he could hold off any chase on the long flat road to the finish.
Ronde Van Vlaanderen Preview
Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar clash again and it’s hard to see beyond their duel. Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert have real hopes too but even they have their work cut out to find a way past the lead two.
Knowing this it means 20 teams face the challenge to get ahead of events so it’ll be fun to watch how it all happens.
Tuesday Shorts
The UCI agreed to the demand of race organisers. About time given there’s less then 40 days until the Giro where Q36.5, Tudor, VF-Bardiani-Faizanè and Polti-Malta will start. Some teams were assuming the news but were still unsure until yesterday lunchtime.
Pogačar To Race Roubaix
“Cyclist enters race” isn’t normally news but Tadej Pogačar’s decision to ride Paris-Roubaix this year is of interest on several levels.
The Moment Milan-Sanremo Was Won
For the first time since 1996 the winning move was launched on the Cipressa. This set up a frantic thirty minutes of action where Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu Van der Poel traded attacks and Filippo Ganna chased them all the way to the line.
Milan-Sanremo Preview
Tadej Pogačar starts a race and for once he’s not the outright favourite. This illustrates the elusive charm of Milan-Sanremo, a race where strongest rider does not necessarily win, it takes craft and luck too.
How To Win Milan-Sanremo?
Tadej Pogačar is getting close to winning Milan-Sanremo but as many riders know and plenty have experienced – just ask Michael Matthews – close is one thing, victory quite another.
UCI World Tour Promotion-Relegation
A closer look at the UCI World Tour promotion and relegation contest for the men.
If you’re in a hurry, or to save you a click, XDS-Astana have jumped up the rankings and halved the gap to Cofidis in their quest to remain in World Tour but Dutch team Picnic-PostNL ought to be as worried as the French team.
Plus while Lotto look set to qualify for the World Tour on points we have to ask if they have the budget next year to sustain this because if not then they’re in a predicament.
The Moment Paris-Nice Was Won
A lively week. Matteo Jorgenson was active from start to finish, winning bonus seconds on the opening Sunday, winning the team time trial mid-week and then dropping everyone on the Col d’Eze a week later. This was an accumulation of winning moments but riding away while in yellow was a definitive display.
Paris-Nice Stage 8 Preview
The final day in Nice, often a lively stage. The yellow jersey looks wedged on Matteo Jorgenson’s broad shoulders so we’ll see who can win the stage.
The finish is later than usual.