That wasn't the problem. The problem was that all the others thought it was a problem, while in reality Pogacar handed them the perfect scenario to wreck him. They chased like a bunch of ****** and still Ben fcking O'Connor finished only 35s behind Pogacar. That tells you that with a somewhat competent chase, you could easily have caught him. His lead never was more than 62 seconds. It was the perfect scenario to keep him dangling 45s in front and reel him in 30km from the finish. The only redeeming factor is that Pog was actually the strongest rider, so the strongest won.
Pogacar was obviously the best rider on the day and that by a big margin, but indeed, he rode the race like he wanted to make it challenge fior himself. If he would have waited until 50km, he wins by a couple of minutes.
It would have been a perfect scenario for riders like VDP and Evenepoel to chase and catch him on the final climb. I think if they get him back at 50km, Pog just goes again on the last climb.
Several factors contributed to the chase that never was after the Belgians rode for 1 round:
- several domestiques riding their worst race of the year: nobody noticed Benoot, Wellens with the Belgians, but where did the Danes, Italians, Spain, USA hid their forces?
- the loss of Alaphilippe, Bilbao, Skellmose, Landa,... disrupted the tactics of several teams and with no communications a lots of riders just rode their own race
- riders lacking any tactical awareness when not being guided by their team. With a WC being ridden on a different route each year, they lack usual route knowledge. The fact that it is a circuit usualy means loads of turns, favoring attackers.
- the usual idiots riding their race without any tactical nouse: Ben Healy, only ever interested in attacking and gaining nothing, Mollema or me first, ....
Just one extra tour of organised chase might have done it.
In this scenario Wout Van Aert would have been there and Remco could have pulled Pog back for Wout?
Loads of missed chances.