“Tadej Pogacar Forced to Withdraw from Ardennes Triple after a Fall at Liège-Bastogne-Liège”

Professional cyclist Tadej Pogacar had to give up his dream of the rare Ardennes triple prematurely. The two-time Tour champion fell on Sunday (04/23/2023) at the 109th edition of the classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège and was eliminated.

Pogacar suffered a wrist injury and has been taken to hospital for further evaluation, his UAE team said. The incident happened after 84 kilometers. Apparently the Dane Mikkel Honoré caused the fall after a puncture.

For the Slovenian exceptional driver it was the painful end of an outstanding spring. Pogacar (24) had previously won the classics Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne, which are part of the Ardennes trilogy. So far, only Davide Rebellin (2004) and Philippe Gilbert (2011) have managed the triple. Pogacar’s other season successes include victory in the prestigious Tour of Flanders, overall successes in the Tour of Andalusia and Paris-Nice.

Vollering WINS in the women – Lippert Eighth

The second woman to win the Ardennes triple on Sunday was Demi Vollering from the Netherlands. The 26-year-old from Team SD Worx won after 142.8 km ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy/Trek-Segafredo) and teammate Marlen Reusser (Switzerland). Liane Lippert (Friedrichshafen/Movistar) finished eighth as the best German. Before Vollering only the Dutch ex-world champion Anna van der Breggen (2017) had celebrated the triple success.