We Wuz Robbed…Again!

Remco Evenpoel rode a perfect race to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège, arriving at the finish line in solo splendor, his first victory garbed in the Rainbow Jersey. The 23-year-old Belgian revived his moribund Soudal-Quickstep team, his presence galvanizing the ‘Wolfpack’ who rode with authority, strength, and purpose to bring him into winning position. The sight of former World Champion Julian Alaphilippe, back in action after yet another of series of crashes that have plagued him these past few years, fighting with all he had for the current champ, was a reminder of the power and prestige of the Belgian squad, something forgotten during their miserable Spring campaign.

Yet, just as in Paris-Roubaix, and of course through no fault of the winners nor of any intention of diminishing the value of their victories, the two promised matchups between great champions were denied the public. Wout Van Aert’s untimely puncture on the cobbles and Tadej Pogačar’s terrible crash at kilometer-85 in the Ardennes Classic took the sizzle out of both Monument races. Oh, what we the fans lost in those two incidents, the promised mano-manos between the brightest stars of this magnificent generation, simply vanished.

 Van Aert is currently recovering from his somewhat disappointing Classic’s season with a bikepacking trip - a brilliant public relations coup if there ever was one, I mean, who doesn’t admire the humility of the mega-star after seeing pics of him all loaded up with gear on a gravel bike and heading out for adventure? For Pogačar, things are much more complicated as he crashed at 50-mph+, breaking his scaphoid among other hand/wrist injuries, with the resultant 9-12 weeks of recovery putting his Tour de France campaign in jeopardy. Perhaps the Vuelta in September will be a better Grand Tour choice at this point, possibly the hotly anticipated matchup between the Slovenian and Evenepoel will happen there and not at the 2024 Tour de France.

 I woke up early on Sunday, thinking that the men’s race was door-to-door coverage only to find that the women’s race was on, a race I thoroughly enjoyed. The day reminded me of my Housatonic Valley Classic, where the women and men raced concurrently on the same point-to-point racecourse, with the women starting some miles up the road to insure a cushion between the two pelotons. I came so close to making a Women’s World Cup out of that Connecticut event, the Saturn sponsorship was aimed at that goal. Unfortunately, the GM company went out of business. My next sponsor was Saab…I was like the Bermuda Triangle for failing car companies, sponsor me and the end would quickly come.

 Marlen Reusser impressed me the most, I thought she should have won. The tall Swiss, who is a doctor it should be noted, one who has taken a leave of absence from her profession to race, is representative of those marvelous, hyper-achieving women - she also plays the violin (!) - who populate our sport. Reusser has a Van Aert level of perfection on her bicycle and is beautiful to watch. She was alone in front with about a 50” lead, then inexplicably coasted down one of the final climbs when she should have been pedaling like mad. Perhaps orders from her SD Worx team director to allow eventual winner Demi Vollering to complete her Ardennes Triple (Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège). Reusser, even after all that time alone in front, won the sprint for third, only 22” behind. She’s a strong one and I’m a fan.