Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) came out of Amstel Gold Race with 10th place, though his ride was much better than his finishing position on the day. Healy was one of the main aggressors in the final in pursuit of the leading trio.
However, though he made a number of efforts to get clear of the select group that formed behind Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), but was brought back each time.
"I’ve got mixed emotions. I think I rode a pretty good race and I had the legs, but it's a tactical race and maybe I just missed out a little bit here or there," he said.
"That is what makes it such a great race. After this, I have got a positive mindset and am optimistic going into the next races. I know that the form is there.
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In the final, Healy's was reabsorbed back into the seven-man group that went to the line sprinting for 4th place some 34 seconds after Skjelmose surprisingly scalped Pogačar and Evenepoel in a three-up sprint for victory.
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In the group behind, Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike) led in the chase group to take a 4th place to add to the same position he took at Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) was 5th from Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty).
Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) was 7th, with Tiesj Benoot (Visma Lease a Bike) 8th and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) in 9th. Healy brought up the rear of that group, for 10th place, though having put all his eggs in the basket of aiming for 4th.
His ride yesterday comes after 4th at Strade Bianche and an aggressive ride at Itzulia Basque Country (2.UWT), where he was the main animator for the last three stages and won the final stage after a 50km solo move from the breakaway.
Healy can go into both La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday and, especially, next Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège knowing he is one of the strongest, and hopefully feeling a bit fresher than this time last year after riding fewer races.
One of the main talking points yesterday was Pogačar's unsuccesful efforts to go solo from about 40km out, having initially made a move on the Gulperberg with 47km to go alongside Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), who soon dropped back.
Evenepoel and Skjelmose formed an alliance to go after him, with 25km to go and while Pogačar still only had an advantage of some 30 seconds; the duo catching him and Skjelmose winning after Evenepoel led out the sprint far too early.
