Cycling - Tour de France - UAE Team Emirates Practice - Koge, Denmark - June 29, 2022 UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar during practice REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/ File Photo
(Reuters) -Tadej Pogacar bounced back in style after his Paris-Roubaix and Amstel Gold Race heartbreaks as he claimed a second Fleche Wallonne title with an early attack in the finale on Wednesday.
The world champion attacked some 400 metres from the finish in the steep Mur de Huy and never looked back, prevailing over France's Kevin Vauquelin and third-placed Tom Pidcock of Britain.
The Slovenian, who was pipped by Mattias Skjelmose at the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday and by Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix after overcooking a turn, mastered the tough conditions as rain and cold weather affected the race throughout.
Sensing that his main rival, Belgian Remco Evenepoel, was struggling, Tour de France champion Pogacar launched his attack early on a hill averaging a gradient of 9.8% and quickly opened a seemingly unassailable lead.
Vauquelin distanced the skimmed bunch to take second place for the second year in a row while Pidcock grabbed the last place on the podium.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
