"The headline today is: Tadej Pogacar can be beaten" - Wout van Aert takes renewed hope from Amstel Gold Race despite missing podium

Wout van Aert continues to be there or thereabouts this Spring without taking the ultimate reward. On Sunday afternoon at the 2025 Amstel Gold Race, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star was forced to settle for winning the sprint for 4th, having missed the decisive move.

After Tadej Pogacar attacked solo at around 40km to go, things looked bleak for those in the chase. Firstly Mattias Skjelmose and then Remco Evenepoel however, had different ideas and went off in chase of the Rainbow Jersey, eventually successfully completing the catch before Skjelmose sensationally sprinted to the victory. Whilst this was ongoing though, Van Aert was seething to himself for having missed the move.

"We got close again because the guys at the front started looking at each other. But we let a big chance slip when Remco attacked," admitted the Belgian to VTM Nieuws in a post-race interview, having as mentioned, won the sprint for 4th behind the three leaders. "That was a misjudgment. I could’ve - and should’ve - been there. When Pogacar made his move, I thought he was gone. Maybe I just didn’t believe enough.”

That's not to say it's all doom and gloom for Van Aert though. Far from it in fact as the Belgian leaves the Amstel Gold Race with a renewed sense of optimism. “This is still a nice way to close out the spring, but the win is missing in the end,” he reflected. “I’m definitely happy with my form. Still, this result stings a bit. And as strange as it may sound, the headline today is: Pogacar can be beaten.”