'Frustrating day’ for Soudal Quick-Step as Evenepoel admits: "I didn’t have the explosivity to fight for the win today"

The 25-year-old rider had indicated beforehand that he wanted to make his move on the final climb of the Wall of Huy. This was primarily to drop the more explosive riders like Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek). However, Evenepoel stayed with the peloton in the final part of the race, which meant that a depleted group started the last steep kilometers uphill.

Evenepoel's team, Soudal Quick-Step, still tried hard to spice up the race. "The team worked hard," team leader Klaas Lodewyck told Het Nieuwsblad. "On narrower and more technical sections, we rode faster than the other teams had intended."

Yet the more explosive riders managed to survive, which meant that Evenepoel did not have the best cards in the final. Lodewyck is well aware of this. 'This is not a finish that suits him 100%. The cold has taken its toll on him, and Remco is not yet at his grand tour weight. We didn't focus on that during his recovery after his accident in the winter.'

So, it wasn't entirely unexpected for the team management that Pogacar would stand out. "We had considered that Pogacar would excel here today. Even after the Amstel, where he wasn't outstanding. In the end, he was also the best there until 200 kilometers, and of course, he had already won once before on the Wall of Huy."

Teammate Mauri Vansevenant was asked after the race if he had noticed any signs of weakness in his lead rider. “I didn't notice anything. It's very simple here. Your legs do the talking on a finish like this. The strongest wins, so there are no excuses today.”

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Evenepoel also responded after the race. He did not speak to the press, as the former world champion and current Olympic champion suffered from the cold. However, he did post on Instagram. "Tough and rainy day out there with the pack."

He also thanked his teammates for their efforts. "Thanks to the team for the hard work all day; I didn’t have the explosivity to fight for the win today," he added, accompanied by a freezing-cold emoji. "Focus on Sunday," he concluded his post.

On Sunday, Evenepoel will also start in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the third race in the Amstel Gold Race-Flèche Wallonne-Liège-Bastogne-Liège triptych. "Sunday is a different race; fatigue will play a role," Vansevenant knows. Sports director Lodewyck, who knows that La Doyenne is 252 kilometers long, confirms this. "An extra hour on the bike suits Remco even better."