Always check your programmed posts on social media, fam.
As everyone in cycling knows Belgian star Remco Evenepoel absolutely wrecked the competition in Kigali, yet UCI president David Lappartient initially congratulated the fourth-placed rider Tadej Pogačar, in a widely shared post.
“Congratulations to Marlen Reusser and Tadej Pogačar! With two fantastic performances, they captured the first two rainbow jerseys of the Rwanda Worlds,” Lappartient wrote on Facebook. There was just one itty bitty problem. It was Evenepoel, not Pogačar, who crossed the line first. Pogi came in fourth, a second out of a bronze.
The post was quickly corrected. But the Internet, as we know, is forever. And so the gaffe went viral.
It’s true Pogačar entered the race seemingly as Evenepoel’s biggest challenger. Early on, however, it was clear the Belgian was untouchable and would sail to a dominant victory.
The 40.6-km course featured 680 m of climbing and a cobbled punch to the finish. It had promised to be a showdown between the Belgian and the Tour de France champion. Instead, it turned into a solo masterclass.
Evenepoel stormed out of the start gate. After just 10.6 km, he was already 44 seconds clear of Pogačar and the rest of the contenders. From there, the gap only widened.
By the second time split, any hope for Pogačar was gone. Struggling on the climbs, he had already surrendered nearly two minutes, and the Belgian loomed ominously behind him. The decisive moment came on the cobbles of the Côte de Kimihurura, where Evenepoel swept past Pogačar with the finish line in sight — a crushing display of dominance.
“Of course I am disappointed Remco caught me,” the Slovenian said. “But he is so fast. Chapeau to him.”
Meanwhile, Pogi is set to defend his rainbow jersey and will spend a week in Rwanda preparing. Evenepoel will also race, and give his impressive chrono performance, it should be an interesting battle. Canadian Cycling Magazine will have full reports from the elite men’s race, and all the others. So check this space.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…