Evenepoel wins Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Pogacar ends up in hospital

Remco Evenepoel has repeated his victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and this time he has done it wearing the World Champion's rainbow. The 23-year-old won his second monument on a day marked by Pogacar's crash and abandonment with 174 km to go.

Evenepoel repeats victory in Liège while Pogacar fractures his wrist

With almost 260 km to go and a wet course due to rain, the Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2023, the last race of the Ardennes trilogy this season, seemed to be decided in the last 170 km. But the race ended early for the big favorite for victory. Tadej Pogacar crashed with 174 km to go, unlucky enough to fracture his wrist in the fall.

With Pogacar out of the race, the exhibition by Evenepoel and his Quick-Step team was total. The world champion's team first worked to neutralize the breakaway while INEOS Grenadiers tried to set up the race to give Thomas Pidcock a chance.

Everything became much clearer when on the most mythical summit of the race, La Redoute, Evenepoel launched his attack. Pidcock was able to follow him on the wheel during the descent and both achieved a lead of about 20 seconds with the rest of the race, but it soon became clear that Pidcock could not hold the pace and the World Champion went solo with 30 km to go and Forges and Roche-aux-Faucons ahead. He was not intimidated by any of the climbs.

Only from behind came the attacks to decide the second and third place, but Evenepoel was unreachable until the finish line. Finally Pidcock and Buitrago were second and third at the sprint.

While the race was going on, the scaphoid and lunate break in Pogacar's left wrist was confirmed at the hospital in Ghent and everything was being prepared for surgery today. It seems that this injury should not put him out of the Tour de France, but there is no doubt that it has stopped the Slovenian's good run of form in its tracks.