Pogacar destroys the script of the Amstel Gold Race

No goal can resist the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar who, as he set out to do, brought his dominance to the Amstel Gold Race, one of the great classics that was still missing in a list of victories that is on its way to becoming legendary. A selection with more than 80 km to go and an attack with 35 km to go, the UAE Team Emirates rider didn't need any more to dictate the verdict in the Netherlands.

Tadej Pogacar extends his legend in the Amstel Gold Race

We are running out of adjectives to define each exhibition that gives to cycling lovers Tadej Pogacar, one of those chosen ones who emerge every few years and become undoubted dominators of the sport. A generation in which his dominance has been counterbalanced by the coincidence with other pedal monsters such as his compatriot Roglic or men of the stature of Vingegaard, who was able to beat him in the last Tour de France, or natural wonders of the level of Remco Evenopoel.

However, Tadej Pogacar has not been discouraged and has transformed his defeats into renewed strength. In his eagerness to prove that it is he and not someone else who is destined to occupy the Olympus of cycling alongside Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, Indurain... and not only in the grand tours, but also in races as opposed to his characteristics as the classics, of which he already has 3 of the 5 monuments and with his sights set on conquering the two remaining ones, Roubaix and San Remo, the most complicated for his characteristics but which, as seen, are perfectly within the reach of a genius like Tadej Pogacar.

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Focusing on this Amstel Gold Race that we have enjoyed. The race was going smoothly after more than half a race. After the initial struggles the peloton reached the decisive part grouped together, nothing strange in this race in which the offensives are reduced to the last kilometers of the race despite the endless succession of climbs.

And when nobody expected anything to happen, in a moment of relative calm, there was the typical stupid cut, one of those that nobody gives importance to in this race because they end up falling by their own inertia, until the 14 members of the adventure began to be known. Alarm bells rang. More than 80 kilometers to the finish and there were Tadej Pogacar and Tom Pidcock, with some more illustrious guests like Magnus Sheffield, Alexey Lutsenko or a very motivated Ben Healy who has been showing in recent weeks his excellent form.

Behind tried to organize Jumbo-Visma and Bahrain-Victorious in the chase, but that was already sentenced. The passing of the kilometers showed no signs of being able to reduce the gap, making it abundantly clear that the victory was ahead. It remained to be seen what the outcome would be in the always nervous end of this race since the mythical Cauberg was no longer the end of the race.

But Tadej Pogacar didn't want to speculate and, with 35 kilometers to go, on the ascent of another mythical hill in these parts, the Keutenberg, he decided that there was no need to speculate. Change of pace, as usual lately, no one could follow him although Pidcock seemed to be able to hold on to his wheel, but eventually gave way to form a duet with Tom Healy and they went into chase mode, and then, we all knew what was going to happen. The race was over right then and there.

All that remained was to watch 30 kilometers of fruitless pursuit with the gap getting bigger and bigger. In front, suffering but with no sign of letting up, Pidcock was making his way to the finish line. Behind Pidcock and Healy emptied themselves in a vain attempt to chase, so much so that Healy ended up attacking the British rider a few kilometers from the finish to secure second place after finding himself without a chance for victory because of his lower top speed a few days ago during the Brabanzona Flèche.

Pidcock had a few more kilometers left to try to get the consolation prize of the podium, which he almost gave up to Andreas Kron and Alexey Lutsenko, who almost caught him at the finish line.

The rest of the participants were passing by in small groups of 3, 4, no more than 5 or 6 riders, a good example of the destruction caused by Tadej Pogacar and that gives a new luster to the Amstel Gold Race.

Amstel Gold Race Classification

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 6h02’22’’
2. Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) +38’’
3. Thomas Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) +2’14’’
4. Andreas Kron (Lotto-Dstny) +2’14’’
5. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) +2’14’’
6. Andrea Bagioli (Soudal-QuickStep) +3’14’’
7. Maxim Van Gils (Lotto-Dstny) +3’14’’
8. Mattias Skjelmoses (Trek-Segafredo) +3’14’’
9. Alexander Kamp (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +3’14’’
10. Axel Zingle (Cofidis) +3’14’’