José De Cauwer stunned by Tadej Pogacar's acceleration on Mur de Huy: "No one even thought they could go with Pogacar"
Cycling
Rain with cold are becoming a key aspect of La Fleche Wallonne, although the race takes place deep into the "spring" Classics. By the time Mur de Huy arrives, it's as if the gods themselves wanted to see the riders suffer. Except there was one man who was completely unphased by the ordeal on Wednesday - Tadej Pogacar.
"All the riders were lacking explosiveness. Except for one man," Karl Vannieuwkerke begins his story on the Sporza website. "They did try to make it a difficult race. But in the end, they are so wary of each other that they wait until the Mur. And then there is one man who stands out," adds José De Cauwer.
Not only is La Flèche Wallonne a tough race thanks to its parcours, the weather conditions often make it even more brutal – and this year, the weather played a decisive role again. "Remco Evenepoel was in a good position until they reached the Mur, but the difference was huge in the end. But the same was true for Pidcock and Healy. No one thought momentarily: 'I have to go with Pogacar.'"
Opponents could have hoped that the Slovenian would be slightly shaken up after his defeat at Amstel Gold Race, but those prayers were not heard. Once Pogacar took off on Mur de Huy, the race was immediately over. It's a heavy blow for whoever aspires to take on the world champion in what's left of the Ardennes.
Sunday is the final spring classic, and Pogacar will again be the top favorite. "A very motivated Pogacar will be at the start. Some people thought after the Amstel Gold Race that something was wrong with Pogacar, but the positive signs are still there," according to De Cauwer. Vannieuwkerke agrees: "If there was even the slightest doubt, it has been completely eliminated today."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
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