Remco Evenepoel saved Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl's spring with a lone victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège last weekend. The 22-year-old attacked over the top of the Côte de la Redoute and rode away from the reduced peloton to win by almost a minute.
The Belgian team that so regularly dominates the one-day races that define April and hogs the sports pages in Belgian newspapers hadn't won since Fabio Jackobsen sprinted to victory at KuurneBrussels-Kuurne at the end of February Milan-Turin, won by Mark Cavendish, is not considered a bona fide Spring Classic.
In the three other Monuments ridden so far - Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix - their best placed finisher was Yves Lampaert in 10th at Roubaix. At Flanders, last year's winner Kasper Asgreen was their best, in 23rd.
After Jackobsen's win at semi-Classic Kuurne, it is their worst run of Classics results in some 20 years. The Flanders result was especially difficult to swallow; having won the race three times in the last six years they were nowhere to be seen as Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel dominated the finale. The last time Quick Step failed to place a rider in the top 10 there was 2013.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 28, 2022 من CYCLING WEEKLY.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 28, 2022 من CYCLING WEEKLY.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
"We tore around the Sydney suburbs at 60kph in a terrifying, feral pack"
Fast, furious and furry tales from Australia
RIDDEN AND REVIEWED BROMPTON G LINE £2,499
A Brompton for running riot in both town and country
How do different gravel conditions impact your tyre choice?
There are a myriad of tyres on the market but selecting the right one is easier than you think
FEAST OF SWEDEN
Soon after landing in Gothenburg, I began to realise how little I knew about Sweden.
THE WORLD'S GREATEST GRAVEL EVENTS
Globe-trotting gravel racer Joe Laverick chooses his eight favourite events, from coastal Wales to the wilds of Kenya
THE CALL OF THE WILD
Tempted to embark on a long-distance bike adventure? Let former round-the-world record holder and author Julian Sayarer inspire you to strike out and hit the road
Saint Piran accused of using non-UCI legal bikes
Cornish team also alleged to owe former staff tens of thousands of pounds
JOE LAVERICK GETTING INTO THE FEED ZONE
I've ridden through hundreds of feed zones in my time racing a bike.
Lowden not ready to stop after retirement
Former Hour record holder eyes UK time trial scene
Pogačar makes history (again) at Lombardia
Slovenian makes it four in a row at the late-season Italian Monument