"I dare to take charge": Grégoire's bold Amstel Gold Race ends just short of the podium again

It was not part of the plan. But for Romain Grégoire, Sunday's Amstel Gold Race was another sign that things are beginning to click. Even if the result — fourth place — will sting for a while longer.

The 23-year-old from Besançon had been assigned a straightforward brief heading into the decisive kilometres: sit on Remco Evenepoel's wheel and let the Belgian do the work. With 42 kilometres to go on the approach to the Kruisberg, Grégoire ripped up that script entirely. He attacked. Hard. The move split the peloton and created the race-winning group.

"The goal was to follow Remco because we knew he could take us far," admitted sporting director Benoît Vaugrenard afterwards. "In the end, Romain made the move because he felt good, and he did it very well."

Grégoire was unapologetic. "I have more confidence in myself, I dare to take charge, and I think that's how you have to race if you want to achieve a big victory."

His attack forged a lead group of five: Grégoire, Evenepoel, Mattias Skjelmose, Matteo Jorgenson and Kévin Vauquelin. Then came the crash that ended Jorgenson's spring — Vauquelin went down, Jorgenson could not avoid him, and the trio of Grégoire, Evenepoel and Skjelmose rode clear. They caught and dropped Marco Frigo, the last breakaway survivor, and for a time it looked like Grégoire might be in the mix for victory.

Evenepoel had other ideas. On the penultimate Cauberg, the Belgian began turning the screw — and Grégoire could not hold his wheel.

"I was in an ideal situation, I had everything to get on the podium," Grégoire said. "But I could feel Remco wanted to drop me as he was going really fast on every hill. I didn't miss much to get over the Cauberg with them, but I lost 10 metres at the top, then 20, and after that it was over."

He refused to concede, though. Caught by the chasing group in the final kilometres, he fought to the line and still had enough left to sprint — finishing fourth, just missing the podium in a sprint he knew he needed to win.

"Once again, I was just missing a little something in the sprint, but I don't have many regrets," he said. "I had the right wheel and did the sprint I needed to do."

It wasn't over at that point. 'At first I told myself to catch my breath and try to get back in the wheel of the group and still go for the podium. I still believed I could make it.' Grégoire failed to do so and was then caught by a group of chasers.

With that group they were going to sprint for place three. 'Once again I just missed something in the sprint, but I have few regrets. I had the right wheel on my side and did the sprint I had to do.' Little regret, though a (new) disappointment. 'It's the third time this year I've finished fourth in a big race (after Strade Bianche and the Brabantse Pijl, ed.). It's starting to pile up, so I'm a little disappointed.'

'On the other hand, Ewen was still there, and that enabled us to get two solid results. We won't console ourselves with that, but we didn't go home empty-handed either,' Grégoire concluded. Added team boss Vaugrenard: "The guys were exemplary, and we have to highlight this strong collective effort.