Liège (Belgium) (AFP)
Liège-Primoz RoglicBastogne-Liège offered on Sunday an unexpected consolation to the great beaten of the Tour de France, Primoz Roglic, and total disillusion to Julian Alaphilippe, passed on the line by the Slovenian for having raised his arms too early and finally downgraded, the fault of a gap in the final explanation.
The Slovenian champion sprinted up a small group of favorites that broke out in La Roche-aux-Faucons, the last climb of La Doyenne.
The fallen yellow jersey of the Tour de France blew the victory to Julian Alaphilippe, whose it was the first outing with the rainbow jersey, by throwing his bike on the line.
After already four missed appointments with the Dean, the monument cut out for the French puncher, Alaphilippe certainly experienced his worst edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, with 257 kilometers reduced to nothing in the last meter.
Arms already in the air in victory, the Frenchman broke down when he saw the yellow figure of Primoz Roglic pull him up to his right.
The photo finish only confirmed what he already guessed, to see his face: the Slovenian crossed the line before him.
Guilty just before a gap in the last hectometers which forced the Swiss Marc Hirschi, bronze medalist at Imola, to take off his shoes, he was finally demoted to fifth place by the jury of commissioners.
- "It was not on purpose" -
"I started my sprint 200 meters from the finish, but then I made this mistake, for which I take full responsibility, the Frenchman takes upon himself. I am aware that my gap caused a problem for the other runners and I apologize, but I want to stress that I did not do it on purpose.
The commissioners' decision will certainly also prevent him from rehashing his early celebration.
"All I can do now is concentrate on the next races", prefers not to pour out the world champion.
In a good position to win before the incident, Marc Hirschi, promoted from third to second place with the downgrading of the Frenchman, does not hold it against Alaphilippe.
"I was really close to his wheel, I wanted to start my sprint and he moved to the left when I was really very close. It can happen in a sprint, that's how it is," said the Switzerland, one of the revelations of the Tour de France.
- Roglic in the beautiful role -
For the great beat of the Great Loop, what consolation on the other hand!
Primoz Roglic, lower than the ground two weeks ago when Tadej Pogacar dispossessed him of the yellow jersey in the time trial of the Great Loop on the eve of the finish, this time has the beautiful role.
"At the time it was really, really very tight. I could not believe that I had done it, it's incredible", savored Roglic, the mine radiant differently than two weeks ago at the Planche-des -Beautiful girls.
"I absolutely wanted to win a Monument in my career. I am extremely proud to be happy to have done so."
The world No. 1 in the UCI ranking has switched with a five-star quartet towards Liège after an attack by Julian Alaphilippe 500 meters from the top of Roche-aux-Faucons (1,300 meters at 11%).
Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar and bronze medalist Hirschi at Imola completed this "all star" group which explained itself for the victory despite the return of another Slovenian, Matej Mohoric, fourth after Alaphilippe's downgrade.
Pogacar, finally classified third, could only bow this time in front of his Slovenian elder.
© 2020 AFP