Quick-Step's hero Mauri Vansevenant looks back at Liege-Bastogne-Liege: "I knew Pogacar would attack at that point, because that's how Remco Evenepoel did it for two years"
CyclingMonday, 22 April 2024 at 02:30
Soudal - Quick-Step found their savior of the spring in the person of Mauri Vansevenant. As unlikely hero as he is, Vansevenant impressed with 4th place at Amstel Gold Race to which he added 6th from Liege-Bastogne-Liege today. Now, Wolfpack definitely hoped for more at Classics, but as a consolidation prize, it's not half-bad to find a new leader in the 24-year-old Belgian. It's also a great promise ahead of his next target, the Giro d'Italia.
"I knew a podium would be difficult, so I aimed for a top ten finish. I knew Pogacar would attack at that point, because that's how Remco Evenepoel did it for two years. The only solution was to work together afterwards, because there were also teammates there."
"It was elbow to elbow towards the finish, and I almost hit a phone after the finish. That was a serious blow, but luckily I was able to stay straight. The Giro d'Italia will also follow within ten days," said Vansevenant about his next goal. "I also have ambitions there, especially to go for stages. I think I have a good chance there, with the legs I have now, so I will take good care of myself," he told Sporza.
"I haven't looked at the road book yet, to be honest. I have had a busy period, during which I fully focused on the Ardennes classic. It will be a tough Giro anyway, but that's okay with me. Hopefully the weather will be nice and I can make something beautiful out of it," says Vansevenant.
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
Nov 05, 13:04
0
Popular news
Latest comments
- Lefevere is such a clown.Sweep08-11-2024
- You're spewing nonsense. MVDP was at Liege too. Jonas did his best ever numbers in the Tour, as did Evenepoel. In the worlds, MVDP wasn't the only one chasing and a large part of the route was flat. Oh, did you forget that Pogi soloed 80 ks? What about the 80ks at Strade Bianche? The training ride at the Lombardia? And man, I can't stand how dismissive you people are of his Giro dominance. "There wasn't anyone around to challenge him" yeah well whenever a cyclist wins it's because there was no one else around who would be good enough. I'm sick of this imaginary opponents argument. Who was supposed to be there to challenge him anyways? Do you think Roglic or Evenepoel could do anything? Or Vingegaard, who always trains to peak for the Tour?Ayrton08-11-2024
- What a great ride that day, and what a great young rider. I am really looking forward to what he'll do next, and his attitude about racing is great. Let's hope he keeps that.RidesHills08-11-2024
- everyone should TRY to remember that just a year ago it was pascal the couldn’t remotely hang with vingegaard at the tour. the explanation for that was that pog had injured his wrist and that had interfered with his preparation. compare what a damaged wrist would do to your prep vs. what happened to vingegaard. i think a 100% healthy pogacar vs. a 100% healthy vingegaard at the tour is just about even money. hopefully that’s what we’ll get.OCexile08-11-2024
- i still believe that a thoroughly healthy jonas is at least a match for pogačar. i think some of tadej’s new aura of crushing invincibility comes from a year when everything lined up for him just right. to be clear, i’m NOT saying he’s not the most gifted rider on the planet! he IS! but… liége is made for him; there was NOBODY at the giro to challenge; jonas, for all his spirit, was broken and a shell of his true self at the tour. the Worlds course was a perfect fit for this year for pog, where slimmed down but still MUCH bigger van der poel still kept the gap under a minute in a course that REALLY didn’t suit HIM. my point is that i actually don’t think tadej suddenly launched himself to a level of ability far, far above where he’d been before. he’s a great rider that had an historically great year, but i don’t believe he’s become something NEW, and UNBEATABLE. if he’s fully healthy, i really expect jonas to be as much of a handful for pog as pog is for him.OCexile08-11-2024
- seriously, ESPECIALLY when paired with each other. when they put bob with phil, it’s like bob KNOWS he needs to tighten everything up because phil (god bless him) is losing his marbles. bob is actually pretty GOOD when he’s on phil duty. and when they took vande velde OUT of the booth with bob an put him on the back of a motorcycle, he was suddenly smart and edgy again. put those two guys TOGETHER though, and bob suddenly becomes the dumbest, sloppiest, most ill-informed pogacar and van aert fanboy on the planet, unleashing a constant stream of dim-witted, chuckling hyperbole, and christian is his enabling toady. yuk. after GCN folded i had to listen to wayyyy to much of their “dumb and dumber” show. they must be separated forever.OCexile08-11-2024
- Good news. Cycling world at least doesn't have rampant racism. But, I think it is partly because it is hard to dislike Biniam. He seems like a jolly good person even though he's a sprinter. Some sprinters are very aggressive/cocky.
KerisVroom08-11-2024 - Good news. Cycling world at least doesn't have rampant racism. But, I think it is partly because it is hard to dislike Biniam. He seems like a jolly good person even though he's a sprinter. Some sprinters are very aggressive/cocky.KerisVroom08-11-2024
- It will be a great race until the stage where it's not. Jonas can only hope for injury or illness to Pogacar. And Remco? There's no training, food, or technology that going to grant him 9 extra minutes in this race.Sweep08-11-2024
- It looks like someone is having a hard time understanding the concept of cause and effect. Perhaps Eli can enlighten us as to what the lowest and worst thing is that can happen IN a race, by a competitor.
santiagobenites08-11-2024