La Flèche Wallonne 2025, 23rd April

[Tim Cahill]

In difficult or attritional conditions like today it's more useful to look at the differential to the other competitors rather than time or w/kg.

 

[Salvarani]

What a race!

What a rider!

Great win for Pog

 

[Pantani_lives]

It was impressive how Pogacar accelerated in the Virage Criquielion. Normally that bend is taken on the outside to make it less steep, but Pogacar just powered through the 19% inside and created a big gap in no time. Ten seconds is a lot over such a short distance, and he even slowed down in the final 100 m. He was playing in a different league again.

Nys confirmed that this race suits him, and the French can be happy with three riders in the top 7.

 

[titan31]

I think the key for Pogacar was drinking the beer on Sunday.

Skjelmose and Remco didn't drink and look where they finished today. Pogacar drank it and wins.

Riders should remember that

 

[E_F_]

I think the key for Pogacar was drinking the beer on Sunday.

Skjelmose and Remco didn't drink and look where they finished today. Pogacar drank it and wins.

Riders should remember that

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/02/24/588417922/olympians-are-using-non-alcoholic-beer-as-recovery-drinks-heres-the-science

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/02/24/588417922/olympians-are-using-non-alcoholic-beer-as-recovery-drinks-heres-the-science

Ha! I knew I had something in common with olympians! Always suspected it was wrath from Gods or something like this, but Alkoholfreies is good enough.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think the key for Pogacar was drinking the beer on Sunday.

Skjelmose and Remco didn't drink and look where they finished today. Pogacar drank it and wins.

Riders should remember that

Skjelmose didn't even do that...
Yes. I'm bitter because that means loosing 5 points for the CQ game.

At least he should be okay for Sunday.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Skjelmose didn't even do that...
Yes. I'm bitter because that means loosing 5 points for the CQ game.

At least he should be okay for Sunday.

I don't know. His knee was a bit ugly

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't know. His knee was a bit ugly

He said himself he should be okay.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Please tell us your theory. Pogacar who has successfully done many more and longer solos than the one at Amstel, decides to get caught and lose the sprint because he didn't like winning?

My main theory: You win some, you lose some. It works. 😆

Pogacar who went solo and ended second, did really well that day. Evenepoel beat Van Aert in a sprint the other day, then lost a sprint at Amstel. *** happens. These tiny differences in the results from one race to another are not worth analyzing deeply.

But it happens every year - people think they see weaknesses in Pogacar. And yet he has four times as many UCI points as the next best.

I guess it's wishful thinking. People want today's cycling to be normal. But it isn't.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

My main theory: You win some, you lose some. It works. 😆

Pogacar who went solo and ended second, did really well that day. Evenepoel beat Van Aert in a sprint the other day, then lost a sprint at Amstel. *** happens. These tiny differences in the results from one race to another are not worth analyzing deeply.

But it happens every year - people think they see weaknesses in Pogacar. And yet he has four times as many UCI points as the next best.

I guess it's wishful thinking. People want today's cycling to be normal. But it isn't.

No, sorry. You win some you lose some in a sprint, that's possible. A sprint is about timing, positioning, wind direction, lead out etc. A 50km solo is nothing like that. So when a guy who does ten 50km solos per year and wins 10 per year, to suddenly get caught 10km from the line, then you need to come up with something better.

 

[Peyroteo94]

My main theory: You win some, you lose some. It works. 😆

Pogacar who went solo and ended second, did really well that day. Evenepoel beat Van Aert in a sprint the other day, then lost a sprint at Amstel. *** happens. These tiny differences in the results from one race to another are not worth analyzing deeply.

But it happens every year - people think they see weaknesses in Pogacar. And yet he has four times as many UCI points as the next best.

I guess it's wishful thinking. People want today's cycling to be normal. But it isn't.

And he lost by 8 inches

 

[QueenStagiaire]

No, sorry. You win some you lose some in a sprint, that's possible. A sprint is about timing, positioning, wind direction, lead out etc. A 50km solo is nothing like that. So when a guy who does ten 50km solos per year and wins 10 per year, to suddenly get caught 10km from the line, then you need to come up with something better.

Sometimes you have a day below optimal shape, it‘s how humans work

 

[Pantani_lives]

FW winners in the rainbow jersey:

• 1958 Rik Van Steenbergen
• 1972 Eddy Merckx
• 1985 Claude Criquielion
• 2021 Julian Alaphilippe
• 2025 Tadej Pogacar

 

[pelotonIQ]

Remco not even on the podium, surely this time I hope we don't hear exuces from him.

 

[Sciatic]

This was both comical and tragic. 😆

- All those who had seen a worn Pogacar in Amstel... what is their theory now? When will people learn that a second place in a big race is not a significant sign of weakness?

- Fleche-Wallone has been among the most boring one-day classics for some years now. Only the steep climb at the end has fascinated. Today, this single remaining strength of the race was totally ridiculed.

Wow, you sound bitter, but hard to tell who it’s directed at? You realize the entire forum doesn’t think the same way?

 

[Danskebjerge]

Wow, you sound bitter, but hard to tell who it’s directed at? You realize the entire forum doesn’t think the same way?

If you want Pogacar to dominate cycling, it would be absurd if you agreed with me.

 

[YavorD]

As I said after Amstel, the last time Pogacar was caught after a solo and beaten in a sprint by a Dane, he went on to do an amazing climbing performances a few days later.

The story just repeats itself.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

His overrated-ness is proportional to the hype and his 'rating'. It's not about Nys per se. But the conversation around him. Eurosport commentators talking about him as a favorite today. Stuff like that.

How about no? Kévin Vauquelin hardly ever gets mentioned, for example. Similar age as well and he had more credentials in Flèche.

That's basic underrated versus overrated.

Fair point on Vauquelin. He rode superbly. In Nys' defense, I think a lot of people including Skeljmose tabbed him as a (potential) favorite in this race. I think he rode very well, particularly after suffering in the cold. But he didn't have that explosiveness today that many were expecting, I agree with you there.

 

[No Excuses]

Goat is just showing off at this point

 

[Peyroteo94]

His overrated-ness is proportional to the hype and his 'rating'. It's not about Nys per se. But the conversation around him. Eurosport commentators talking about him as a favorite today. Stuff like that.

How about no? Kévin Vauquelin hardly ever gets mentioned, for example. Similar age as well and he had more credentials in Flèche.

That's basic underrated versus overrated.

Chapeau mate. Wonderful post! The hype in Belgium was enormous around Nys. I also thought he could be Pogacar's best opponent but never thought he could beat Pogacar like some guys were pretending.

 

[dobrien]

Sometimes you have a day below optimal shape, it‘s how humans work

100% agree. This doesn't seem like it should be that hard...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Chapeau mate. Wonderful post! The hype in Belgium was enormous around Nys. I also thought he could be Pogacar's best opponent but never thought he could beat Pogacar like some guys were pretending.

So you were overrating him as well. It's funny because in Belgium there was no consensus that Nys was going to beat Pogacar... like you are pretending. I for one have said from the start Huy is too long (at that slope) for him currently.

But of course, i don't know which Belgian newspapers you read or which Belgian TV channels you watch. So i could be wrong.

 

[Medvind]

Well, that was pure dominance by Pog. No one even close.

Only an Alaphillipe in good old form might have challanged Pog.

Nice to see Pidcock finally manage to deliver in FW.

Jan Christen, superimpressive, hope he get to ride for himself one year.

Decent by Nys, he will improve next year.

Young Nordhaugen showed real promise.

Remco, about what I expected, not really his kind of finish.

 

[Peyroteo94]

So you were overrating him as well. It's funny because in Belgium there was no consensus that Nys was going to beat Pogacar... like you are pretending. I for one have said from the start Huy is too long (at that slope) for him currently.

Actually I never thought someone would really be dangerous to Pogacar BUT if I had to choose, I would choose Nys.