"He is the second favorite" - Johan Bruyneel places Paul Seixas as Tadej Pogacar's biggest rival for Liège, not Evenepoel

The 2026 spring classics campaign has only one more chapter to be written and that is this weekend's Liège-Bastogne-Liège. However, it will be the culmination of a cinematic build-up to the end of the Ardennes, with Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas - both of which won their own race - will take on the defending champion Tadej Pogacar. Johan Bruyneel and Spencer Martin have analyzed the Frenchman's chances after his Flèche Wallonne triumph.

"On the Mur de Huy, it is very simple. Seixas accelerated, but everyone, including him, was already at their limit. The one with the best legs simply wins," Bruyneel argued on The Move podcast. The Belgian pundit was brief on his observation of what happened this Wednesday on the Mur de Huy, with Seixas arriving to the bottom of the climb in perfect conditions and then taking a win that will have meant a lot to him. For Bruyneel, he is going to be the main opponent to Tadej Pogacar this Sunday.

"He is the second favorite. Pogacar remains the top favorite, and Seixas is the second. It would be nice if he could follow Pogacar on La Redoute, because that is where Pogacar often makes the difference," he wonders. The race has been won in 2022 and 2023 by Remco Evenepoel; and Tadej Pogacar has taken the titles in 2024 and 2025 - all of which with attacks on La Redoute.

But what if Seixas is now able to follow and there is no solo move far from the finish? "Then it will be interesting to see what he does, will he ride along, or not? After La Redoute you get La Roche aux Faucons, a climb that I think suits Seixas better than La Redoute. I think Pogacar has a bit more power, so he can make the difference on La Redoute".

"It is, of course, still a Monument, with a length of nearly 260 kilometers. That does work against Seixas. But still, in this form, he will be there with the three favorites. Off the top of my head, they are Pogacar, Seixas, and Remco Evenepoel. That is, of course, a stronger field than in the Flèche Wallonne".

Whilst Evenepoel won Amstel Gold Race, Seixas went on to win La Flèche Wallonne. Both have thrived in their respective opportunities to prove their form ahead of Sunday's big clash, but Bruyneel is cautious in putting Seixas' performance at the level that is required of him in the next few days.

"With all due respect: Mauro Schmid, Ben Tulett, and Benoit Cosnefroy are not at the level of Pogacar and Remco". He believes he would've beaten Evenepoel however: "Seixas would still have won. Remco would probably have finished in the top three, but he wouldn't have beaten Seixas".

"It will also be great for us to watch, to see how Seixas stacks up against Pogacar. At the moment, there was one confrontation, in Strade Bianche. Pogacar did drop Seixas, who finished second. Was Pogacar already 100% back then? And Seixas? We don't know. To me, they seem to be in good form all season. Sunday will be the big test".

The pundit also had bright words for the British talent Ben Tulett, who rode to third on the day after being a late call-up by Visma, who lost Matteo Jorgenson after his crash at Amstel. "He was the last one who could stay with Seixas. He must have been sick or injured, because he didn't start the Amstel Gold Race. In his interview, he said he didn't even know he was going to start".

He will ultimately be leading Visma at Liège and inserting it back in the battle for the Top5. "That was his first podium in a WorldTour race, so it was a very important day for him. A rider who seizes his opportunities when the big leaders aren't there".