"This is a completely different race. So I wouldn’t bombard myself as the top favourite, but I am one of the favourites. I also want to win the race, but I am certainly not the only rider.” However after the performance he put here last year, and the form he's shown over the past weeks, he can certainly makes moves on the Kemmelberg once again to make the difference.
The strong tailwind in the final kilometers will benefit attackers, and since
Lidl-Trek already have Jonathan Milan as an option in case it comes back to a sprint, the Dane will certainly be in position to attack if he has the legs to do so.
Pedersen seems to be the designated rider within the Lidl-Trek team to finish it off, but the American formation has several aces up its sleeve. “We can play a card for every situation, with Jonathan (Milan, ed.), Jasper (Stuyven, ed.) and Toms (Skujins, ed.)," he argues.
“So we have good cards to play with. I think these sunny conditions are fine, as long as there is wind and we get echelons. A team like UAE Emirates XRG certainly won’t want to wait for a sprint. That’s a possible good ally.”