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.
Denne historien er fra April 28, 2022-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
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Denne historien er fra April 28, 2022-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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