Tadej Pogacar was unbeatable. © APA/afp / JASPER JACOBS

This Pogacar victory is a big exclamation mark

World champion Tadej Pogacar has overcome his short dry spell and won the classic Flèche Wallonne with ease.

23 April 2025

From: dpa/det

The Slovenian cycling star prevailed on the final climb, the Wall of Huy, which has a gradient of up to 19 percent, ahead of Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin and Briton Thomas Pidcock.

As usual, the races in both races were decided in Huy, but Pogacar didn't wait until shortly before the finish to launch his attack. The 1,3-year-old launched his attack at the steepest point, just halfway up the 26-kilometer hill – no competitor could match the intensity.

Pogacar also favorite in Liège

At the Amstel Gold Race, Pogacar had to admit defeat to surprise winner Mattias Skjelmose at the start of the Ardennes classics. This also ended the rare triple victory with further victories at the Flèche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. However, Skjelmose was unable to get in Pogacar's way again today. The Dane crashed on the rain-soaked road 40 kilometers from the finish and abandoned the race.

Pogacar is celebrating. © ANSA / OLIVIER MATTHYS

A week earlier at Paris-Roubaix, Pogacar had to settle for an unusual second place. In Liège, the Slovenian will take to the challenging course on Sunday as the favorite. Pogacar won the oldest of the five cycling monuments in 2021 and 2024.

In the women's race, Dutch cross-country specialist Puck Pieterse secured victory, celebrating her first major classic success in her first flèche competition. Second place went to her compatriot Demi Vollering, and third place went to Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini.