"We all hoped that Tadej Pogacar would win" - Amstel Gold Race director Leo van Vliet

In the immediate aftermath of Tadej Pogacar's utterly dominant victory at the Amstel Gold Race, much was made of the seeming slipstream boost controversially given to the Slovenian by the car of the race director Leo van Vliet.

Despite his denial of intentionally giving Pogacar any advantage, van Vliet admits the UAE Team Emirates leader was the man he would've cherry-picked as the winner. "We didn't have the strongest field of participants and we all hoped that Pogacar would win," the 67-year-old said much to the shock of analyst Thijs Zonneveld.

"I was lying in bed with leftover fever and I thought I was hallucinating, but unfortunately it wasn't," Zonneveld told the AD podcast In Het Wiel. "Van Vliet rode a pair time trial with Pogacar and they won together. Great, such a duo attack. As if Pogacar still needed that support. I think it's completely outrageous what happened."

"He shouts everywhere he can that Pogacar is the dream winner. As a race director, that is not super smart. He can express his wish, but then stay extra far away from the riders," he continues. "This way you don't run the risk that afterwards someone will shout that you favor a rider. Because this is more than shouting, hoping and wishing. This is just helping him win."