Lance Armstrong believes Mathieu van der Poel can challenge Tadej Pogacar: "The man we saw win Paris-Roubaix today can certainly win Liège-Bastogne-Liège"

Mathieu van der Poel has won both Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix with relative comfort and very large gaps. Alpecin-Deceuninck has so far dominated the monuments and, with Liège-Bastogne-Liège to come soon, Lance Armstrong believes the World Champion can contest for the win against Tadej Pogacar.

“It is not a perfect race for him, but the man we saw win Paris-Roubaix today can certainly win Liège-Bastogne-Liège,” Armstrong said in The Move podcast. “Last week, in the Tour of Flanders, he had such a big gap that he himself thought or his team leader said: just switch back a notch, next week is Roubaix. If he has also ridden somewhat on reserve today, it is possible.”

Not likely however, but regardless of that, the World Champion won in Roubaix with a gap of exactly three minutes over his own teammate Jasper Philipsen. One of the largest gaps in the history of the 'Hell of the North', a classic that in itself traditionally feautures large gaps. Van der Poel attacked with 59 kilometers to go and had great legs, great luck and teammates behind to cover attacks. It was a win as convincing as Pogacar's at Strade Bianche.

Without Remco Evenepoel and with Primoz Roglic uncertain to race Liège, van der Poel - who has raced only race five days this season - will prolong his season into the Ardennes classics - and may even be Pogacar's biggest rival. He will try to seek a result in one of the two monuments which he hasn't won yet, and the race's long distance will be something that favour him.