“Victory is possible, the batteries are recharged,” warns Mathieu van der Poel before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, even if the Dutchman happily sticks the label of big favorite to Tadej Pogacar. The poor performance at the Amstel Gold Race (22nd) after two triumphs at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix did not “put doubt” in the mind of the world champion.
“I didn’t have great legs but it wasn’t that bad either. The batteries are recharged. The form is still sufficient to play a significant role in Liège-Bastogne-Liège,” he declared on Friday after having given up on the reconnaissance of the course because of bad weather in the Ardennes.
Also read Cycling: a hot duel to close the spring of classics
For the Dutchman, Pogacar is the obvious favorite. “Tadej showed on the Strade Bianche that he didn’t need competition to be at the top straight away. He is a master class runner who will be on his playground with a very strong team around him. I still come to win, even if the spring is already a success. No matter what happens on Sunday, it will be the icing on the cake,” assured the only active runner to already have six Monuments to his name.