“It was a sobering sight... This isn’t the real Remco Evenepoel" - Belgian media react to Liege-Bastogne-Liege disappointment

Ahead of Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2025, there a great deal of anticipation for a potential showdown between Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel. Sadly though, the superstar rivals looked leagues apart on the road with more than three minutes separating race-winner Pogacar and 59th placed Evenepoel by the time they crossed the finish line.

Understandably, after so much pre-race hype, the disappointment was tangible within the Belgian media at Evenepoel's surprising lack of competitivity. “Maybe that cold sore really was a sign he wasn’t feeling well,” analysed commentators Karl Vannieuwkerke and Jose De Cauwer for Belgian broadcasters Sporza during their coverage at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. “Remco is going to have to come to terms with this race, figure out what went wrong.”

Speaking in his own post-race interview, Evenepoel claimed a lack of racing fitness might be behind the lesser performance. “I’m not really disappointed, but it’s a shame I didn’t feel at my best in the finale - especially in this race. But I have to accept it," the Soudal - Quick-Step leader explained. "You can’t expect miracles. To reach peak form, you need a long training period. And I haven’t been able to train properly yet. That much was clear today.”

“It was a sobering sight. This isn’t the real Evenepoel - it’s a very distant finish,” added the Sporza commentators, although both were also trying to search for positives.

“This is one of those moments that will take time to process, just a bit of a setback,” commented Vannieuwkerke in conclusion, with De Cauwer adding: “It’s not unusual. You often see riders come back strong after an injury, but then need a reset.”