At Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the two drivers who could become the greatest racers of this decade will meet head-to-head on Sunday: The two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar wants to crown his great spring form with the Ardennes triple. Remco Evenepoel, on the other hand, defending champion from Liège-Bastogne-Liège, comes fresh from the high-altitude training camp in the world champion jersey and represents the biggest triple obstacle.
Anyone who cares about cycling has made a note of this Sunday. Because for the first time ever, the duel between what is probably the strongest driver of this generation will take place this season. In addition, it happens on a very big stage: at “La Doyenne“, the one-day race Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the oldest in the series of five classic monuments. The “cream of cycling” has immortalized itself there, Eddy Merckx, for example, the five-time winner of the Tour de France, and also Bernard Hinault, his colleague in this discipline.
Pogacar and Evenepoel have already won it, the Slovenian in 2021, the Belgian the year after. Both were only 22 years old when they won. Eddy Merckx was “already” 23 when he had his first win in Liège. That’s worth mentioning. Because when Pogacar won two tours and four one-day races within 18 race days this spring and seemed almost unbeatable, Merckx said with respect: “He drives so well. He can win even more than me. He also starts earlier.”
Pogacar better than Merckx?
At least since then, before every race for which Pogacar sticks a start number on, you also look at Eddy Merckx’s balance sheet – and ask yourself: Can Pogacar get better there?
In the case of the 258 kilometers from Liège-Bastogne-Liège, one has to say: Yes, he can. Merckx has won “La Doyenne” five times – and the four other classic monuments as well. But the Ardennes Triple, i.e. victories in the Amstel Gold Race, the Walloon Arrow and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the same season, was not granted to him. Only two drivers have ever achieved that: Italian Davide Rebellin in 2004 and Belgian Philippe Gilbert in 2011. But Pogacar is well on the way to doing so. Last Sunday he easily won the Amstel Gold Race, on Wednesday just as easily the Walloon Arrow. Before that he won the Tour of Flanders, also superior.
“I came to ride my best spring”, he announced a few weeks ago. He succeeded. Because his two great rivals of spring, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel and Belgian Wout van Aert, have already completed their classic campaign to protect their own bodies, only one can prevent Pogacar from achieving something at the tender age of 24, something not even Merckx managed to do in his entire career. Only Evenepoel stands in the way of the Slovenian’s Ardennes triple.
Pogacar is aware of this. “Remco comes from the high-altitude training camp. He’s definitely in good shape and is motivated. He showed at the beginning of the season that he’s super good at smaller and shorter climbs.”, he looked ahead to the duel. The last three times they have raced together Evenepoel has been better. In the road race of the World Cup and the mega-tough one-day race in San Sebastian, the Belgian was right at the front, in the World Cup time trial he was third, Pogacar only sixth. Since then, the two have had different racing calendars.
Evenepoel better than Pogacar?
In his outlook for the 2023 season, Pogacar already named Evenepoel as his most challenging opponent in the future: “He’s just a good rider. I think he has good genes too. He sits very aerodynamically on his bike, puts a lot of watts per kilogram on the pedals and is very strong both physically and mentally. He’s hard to beat, maybe he’s even stronger than me.”
Evenepoel, the former footballer, must have liked to hear it. He’s been seen as something of a boy prodigy for a long time. He’s in both alongside Pogacar because of his talents Grand Tour like in one-day races someone who is credited with a career like that of Merckx. Evenepoel impressively lived up to the numerous early praises last season with victories at the Vuelta, at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the World Championships. Only three riders have done this before: the inevitable Merckx, Frenchman Bernard Hinault and Italian Afredo Binda. Merckx, who was sometimes critical of his compatriot because of his sometimes loose mouth, praised him there.
Before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, defending champion Evenepoel threatens to burst with self-confidence again. “I’m almost at 100 percent, maybe even at 105”, he told astonished reporters, and then explained: “That’s also quite logical. I’m driving the Giro d’Italia in two weeks. It would not only be strange if I felt bad now. I would have done something wrong too.”
So much seems clear: while many professionals have now come to terms with driving the place behind Pogacar, Evenepoel does not shy away from the argument. He’s even looking forward to becoming a triple goof.