"I expect the decisive acceleration on La Redoute" - Nathan van Hooydonck doubtful Mathieu van der Poel can match Tadej Pogacar in Liege

Ahead of Liege-Bastogne-Liege this Sunday, one of the biggest questions is will Mathieu van der Poel be able to live with a Tadej Pogacar acceleration on the climbs? According to ex-Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider, Nathan van Hooydonck, it's unlikely.

"Who can follow Tadej Pogacar if he really pulls through on Sunday? That is the big and even the only question before Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Pogacar is in full build-up anyway. His form is on the rise. I expect the decisive acceleration on La Redoute," the recently retired Belgian predicts in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad. "My answer: I doubt it. After Strade Bianche, I expect the second 'Great Pogacar Show.'"

"The dream scenario for Van der Poel? That we will soon have a very quiet edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege with a big explosion on the final climb, la Roche aux Faucons," van Hooydonck continues. "That slope is not very long (1.3 kilometres at 11%). That's a five-minute effort. Van der Poel can do that. But once we go over that five minutes, he's going to struggle."

"Another disadvantage for Van der Poel: both Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic are not there. Two riders you would have suspected could have followed Pogacar if he accelerates on the steepest parts," concludes the 28-year-old Belgian. "Van der Poel is going to miss them."