Tadej Pogačar absolutely destroyed the la Redoute KOM at Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Sure, he won La Doyenne but taking the Strava top time is just as important
If it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen, right? Well, thankfully for us mere mortals, Tadej Pogačar uploaded his Liège–Bastogne–Liège ride and boy oh boy did he smash the la Redoute KOM.
The highly awaited clash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège between 2021 champion Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel culminated in a remarkable 35-km solo triumph for the Slovenian. This victory served as a satisfying redemption for the UAE-Emirates cyclist, who suffered a broken wrist and had to withdraw from the previous season’s race, sidelining him for two months. With this second La Doyenne title, Pogačar now boasts six career Monument trophies, drawing him even with van der Poel.
The attack
Pog was simply untouchable as he attacked on la Redoute. As the peloton approached the base of the Redoute, UAE-Emirates assumed control at the front, leading the 60-strong group. However, Fleche Wallonne victor Stephen Williams quickly lost ground. With 850 remaining to the summit, the Slovenian launched his attack, leaving Richard Carapaz struggling to keep up but ultimately failing. Pogačar managed to extend his lead to eight seconds by the time they reached the top.
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La Redoute is a 1.5km climb averaging 9.8 per cent. Pogačar clocked in at 4:02, averaging 22.9 km/h. His time was seven seconds faster than Laurens Huys and Gijs Leemreize’s KOMs from 2020. (Although those two records were not done in competition.)
It was also 10 seconds faster than that of Remco Evenepoel’s recon ride on Friday.
Mind-boggling speed
Although the climb averages just under 10 per cent–there are parts where it hits a whopping 22 per cent. That makes the average speed of just a hair under 23 km/h even more astounding.
Pogi put a minute into his chasers in no time. By the time the race hit the Côte des Forges climb, Richard Carapaz and his teammate Ben Healy formed part of a robust chase group comprising 15 riders, trailing by nearly a minute with 28 km left. Meanwhile, Mathieu van der Poel lagged even further behind. The two-time Tour de France champion tackled the penultimate climb a solid buffer.
As they reached the final climb, the riders closest to Tadej Pogačar were Healy, Romain Bardet, Romain Grégoire, and Benoît Cosnefroy, trailing by +1:18. Initially, Healy and then Bardet attempted to shake off the others. Egan Bernal’s attacks and the subsequent responses from the group bolstered the Healy contingent.
For Bardet, it proved challenging to fend off the pressure from the 11 riders in the Healy-Bernal pack, but he did, in an impressive ride for second. Van der Poel remained in contention for a podium finish, ultimately taking the sprint for third. Bardet’s runner-up finish marked his most successful Monument result after 23 attempts.
The ride was a good sign for the Slovenian’s debut at the upcoming Giro d’Italia. Pogi is aiming for a Giro/Tour de France double in 2024, a feat not accomplished since 1998 when the late Marco Pantani did so. Since then, other riders have won two Grand Tours–notably Alberto Contador, who won the Giro and the Vuelta, and Chris Froome, who took the Tour and the Vuelta.
