UAE Team Emirates star Pogacar maintains winning run in Fleche Wallonne triumph

Slovenian clocked up his 12th victory of season with charge on gruelling Mur de Huy climb

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 86th edition of the men's race "La Fleche Wallonne", a one day cycling race (Waalse Pijl - Walloon Arrow), 194,2 km from Herve to Huy, in Belgium, on April 19, 2023 (Photo by GOYVAERTS / BELGA / AFP) / Belgium OUTShow less

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar kept up his incredible form with victory in the Fleche Wallone in Belgium on Wednesday.

The two-time Tour de France winner clinched his 12th victory of the season on the infamous Mur de Huy climb at the finale. The 1.3-kilometre hill, which comes at the end of the 194km race, is one of the most feared climbs in cycling, with sections as steep as 17 per cent.

The Slovenian timed his charge in final kilometre perfectly to clinch the victory, with Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) in second place and Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) in third.

Pogacar received great assistance from his fellow riders in the Emirati team. They controlled the pace of the peloton and neutralised a three-rider breakaway in the final section of the race.

Pogacar was led to the front on the approach of the Mur and then controlled his opponents, before making a charge in the final 200 metres.

After the race Pogacar said: “I left it all on the final climb, it’s so hard but it’s a spectacular finish. The work of the team made the difference, it gives me a lot of morale when my teammates do such an amazing job and today their work gave me an extra motivation.

"There were moments in which the race was nervous, I also almost crashed, but the team did a very good job, keeping me in the front.

"We were aware that we would have needed to pull the peloton from the beginning, it was all on us to make the race demanding in the end and it was as planned.

"You never get bored of crossing the line first. I enjoyed that today and I am really grateful I am living this moment now with such great shape, I am trying to exploit it as much as I can. Liege-Bastogne-Liege will be a different race, with longer climbs. I have a good form, but there will be opponents such as Remco Evenepoel and other riders coming fresher and so it will be one of the most competitive race of the season.”

UAE Team Emirates' winning tally in 2023 is now up to 20.

This weekend Pogacar faces a mouth-watering duel with Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, with the Belgian defending champion out to overcome the 2021 winner.

"I'm happy to be on such good form," said Pogacar. "And I'm taking full advantage of that."

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  Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 86th Fleche Wallonne one-day race in Belgium on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. AFP

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  Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates celebrates on the podium after winning the Fleche Wallonne. AFP

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  Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates on his way to victory. AFP

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  Tadej Pogacar after his victory. AFP

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  Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates wins the Fleche Wallonne. EPA

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  Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates on the Mur de Huy. AFP

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  UAE Team Emirates' Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates as he crosses the finish line. AFP

Denmark's Skjelmose was pleased with his second place behind Pogacar at the Fleche Wallone.

"That's also the sign of a great champion, to keep it calm when you know you have good legs," said Skjelmose.

Third-placed Landa, of Spain, said: "There was no way to beat Pogacar, he's over and above the rest of us and there's nothing we can do about it."

Pogacar, 24, won the Amstel Gold classic on Sunday and the Tour of Flanders earlier this month, stepping up his quest to collect classic one-day races before his main target at the Tour de France this July.