Tadej Pogačar has said that he does not believe the 2023 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège can or should be seen as a simple duel between himself and defending champion Remco Evenepoel, with other favourites very much also in the running.
Sunday could see Pogačar scoop a historic Ardennes triple in a single season, a feat which has only been previously achieved by three riders in history – Anna van der Breggen in 2017, Philippe Gilbert in 2011 and the late Davide Rebellin in 2004.
But as Pogačar pointed out in a lengthy interview published by Het Nieuwsblad (opens in new tab) on Saturday morning, regardless of what happens, he has had a great spring, so successful he feels he can equate it with an overall victory in the Tour de France.
Classics specialists will have to face up to the prospect of Pogačar returning to the spring one-day races in the future, too, with the Slovenian already warning that they are sure to be back on his schedule in the years to come.
I have really enjoyed and definitely want to do this program again in the future,” Pogačar said. “I don’t know if that will get the same results, but of course it’s possible.”
“Those victories were unexpected, I never dared to dream I could win them all. I equate these victories with a win in the Tour de France.”
If he had to choose between the two, he said, “It would be difficult” before finally settling on alternating: “one year the Classics, the next the Tour.”
While the Tour is looming on the horizon, Pogačar has one last race to tackle before some much-deserved rest and begins his build-up for July: Liège-Bastogne-Liège. But he insisted his form remains solid despite a very long spring campaign:
“I’ve been busy for a while, but I still feel good. After Paris-Nice I focussed on the Classics and things got better and better.”
“We’ll see whether I’m still at my very best on Sunday, but mentally I’m fine, very motivated.”
Apart from being the Classic that suited him the best alongside Flanders on paper, he said, Pogačar added that “Liège is one of the most beautiful races on the calendar.”
“It was my first Monument win [in 2021] and a year earlier I was already on the podium and discovered I could handle the Classics.”
The new challenge for Pogačar on Sunday will be how he fares against Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), the current World Champion and, like Pogačar, a former winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Pogačar said he was anticipating…
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