A few days later, we are still talking about the Tour of Flanders, because some considerations continue to wander in the environment, aroused by Mads' words Pedersen third at the finish line. We start from an observation: It is increasingly difficult to undermine the dominance of the "triad" (Pogacar, Van Der Poel, Van Aert) in the one-day classicsThe Sanremo saw the Dutchman's coup with the other two being outwitted on the Poggio by his attack and then by the attacking sprint of Ganna, but they were behind: 3 out of 4.
E3 Sax ClassicThe trio escapes together, while the others watch from afar. Van Aert wins: 3 out of 3. Ghent-Wevelgem: wins The door courtesy of Captain Van Aert, the hidden master of the race, the other two absent. Tour of FlandersPogacar gets everyone to agree with a monstrous move, Van Der Poel tries to hold on but fails, Pedersen outwits Van Aert in the sprint: 3 out of 4.
The obligation to advance
Keep this trend in mind when judging the words of Mads Pedersen, the former world champion who achieved an important podium finish. The Dane of the Trek Segafredo he followed a very precise script, which he had even announced to the microphones of Eurosport before departure: «The only weapon to be able to play an important role is to anticipate those three, this is the way I want to run the Ronde».
Words he reiterated at the finish line: "I had to act that way, without fear of running out of bullets. There were no other possible tactics, even though I knew it was costly. I wasn't planning a specific moment to attack, we hadn't made precise calculations on the eve, but I knew I had to be in front of the boys., anticipating their moves and gaining ground and in the end it paid off, the podium in a Monument represents something important, especially for me after I had already come close to it".
"Bye, Tadej, see you later."
So far, we're pretty much on the regular. However, when interviewed by Spaziociclismo, Pedersen finally let slip some interesting observations: «What did I think when I saw Pogacar arrive? “Bye, enjoy the ride, see you later.” I didn't try too hard to follow him; he was going incredibly fast uphill, and I didn't even try. He's a guy who wins the Tour de France, so it's only natural that he's faster than me on certain terrain. I think if I had tried to follow him I would have collapsed and then I would have detached myself from the group and goodbye to the placing.. Sometimes you have to know your limits."
A surrender already pre-established?
The facts, if you look closely, proved him right, and beating Van Aert in a sprint always has its meaning (opening photo). His words, however, can also be read the other way: faced with the Slovenian's excessive power (but on other occasions the same would apply to the other two) there is a tendency to not even oppose anymoreThe Sanremo was an absolute spectacle and it cannot be said that the others did not fight, in the Belgian E3 Saxo Classic, when the three broke away, there was instead the feeling that there was not much confidence in the chasing group, also considering the work of the respective teams who are "lucky" to have such champions. In Flanders it was the same story, when Pogacar opened the gas the speed was enormous and the others now seemed helpless. Also because "if it's one, it's the other...".
This theme will likely resurface as the season progresses. Pedersen, for his part, ultimately proved right, and Trek-Segafredo can be satisfied, precisely because the commitment of those working with the trio must also be taken into account. The Dane has shown he knows how to read the race.
"I know well that mine was also the tactic of others. Every worthy rider," he explained, "but not part of the magical trio, wanted to anticipate and be ahead when the race exploded. It was about finding the right moment and, above all, being in the right condition to go. The two things coincided in me, and the result came from that and from the right tactical reading of the race and, above all, of my condition."
Now to Roubaix, without Pogacar…
Pedersen is now aiming for Paris-Roubaix, which will close out his classics season. It's been a season of enormous success, considering that after a successful Sanremo (where he finished sixth, having been among those who capitalized on the strategic gap created by Trentin), he took fifth place in both Ghent and Dwars door Vlaanderen, then third place in Flanders, effectively missing out only on the E3 Saxo Classic (14th). Adding this to the rest—a total of 16 days of racing with 10 top 10 finishes, including two victories—it's fair to say the 2019 world champion has returned to his former glory. The fact is that against those terrible three it's not enough...
