Leading favourite Tadej Pogačar has abandoned the 2023 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège after he was caught up in a crash with Mikkel Honoré (EF Education-EasyPost) in the second of racing.
Pogačar quit the race after he fell at km 84.5 of the 258 kilometre event. According to the UAE team Twitter account Pogačar is now heading to hospital for a checkup on a wrist injury.
The fall and abandon comes after Pogacar has dominated the first half of the Classics season, with 12 wins to date.
Victories in the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold and La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday made the Slovenian the top favourite for Liège-Bastogne-Liège alongside Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) in what was set to have been a keenly anticipated duel in the ultra-hilly Monument with the current World Champion. Pogačar was in a position to become the fifth rider in history to take an Ardennes Triple.
Pogačar’s entire UAE Team Emirates squad initially waited for their leader but he had to abandon. After Pogačar quit and got into the team car to head to hospital, the other UAE riders have returned to the bunch.
He reportedly crashed on a descent, apparently after he and Honoré both punctured, although this has yet to be confirmed.
At that point in the race, an 11-rider break had some four minutes advantage on the field, with UAE Team Emirates co-leading the chase.
Pogačar's exit comes in what was set to have been his last race of the first half of the season prior to a period of rest and then building up for the Tour de France, which he won in 2020 and 2021.
