When Wout Poels (Team Sky) was asked how he would celebrate his breakthrough victory in Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday, and for a brief moment, the 28-year-old Sky rider looked genuinely perplexed.
“I don’t know,” the Dutchman finally said, “all I know is right now I’m driving home alone. Maybe a little beer with my friends tonight.”
That he was initially a little unsure of his response is perhaps fair enough. After all, Poels had not only secured the biggest result of his career in Sunday, this was the first victory in Liege-Bastogne-Liege for a Dutch rider in 28 years, too, and, of course, after over six years in the peloton, Team Sky’s first-ever victory in a Monument Classic to boot.
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Nor was Poels track record in Liège-Bastogne-Liège particularly encouraging, given he didn’t race it in 2015, was 80th in 2014, 76th in 2012 and did not finish in 2011. However, a fourth place in Fleche Wallonne on Wednesday and steady progress in Team Sky both in the Classics and in stage racing - he took victories this year alone in the Volta a Catalunya and Tour of Valencia and was a strong climber for Chris Froome in 2015 en route to Tour de France success for the Briton - had suggested that a major result in a hilly one-day race was long overdue.
Then when Poels tore out of the quartet of riders on the inside of the final bend of Liege-Bastogne-Liege and kept Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) at bay all the way to the line, that victory finally arrived.
Sunday’s bitterly cold and rainy weather, Poels said, was definitely a factor in his favour, “because although it was a hard day, I felt good throughout, I had plenty of warm clothing.” But he had, he agreed, never previously been in the situation he found himself two kilometres from the line, in a leading break with three other riders.
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