Marc Sergeant puts Remco Evenepoel on the same level as Tadej Pogacar after Amstel Gold Race: “"Even in Roubaix, give him a few more years”

Remco Evenepoel finally made his much-anticipated return to racing last week, immediately reminding the cycling world of his class. He claimed victory at De Brabantse Pijl and then followed it up with a third-place finish at the Amstel Gold Race, where Mattias Skjelmose surprised both Evenepoel and Tadej Pogacar in a thrilling three-man sprint finale.

Despite narrowly missing out on the win, Evenepoel received high praise for his performance, particularly from Marc Sergeant, who shared his thoughts with HLN. Sergeant highlighted the significance of Evenepoel’s effort to reel in Pogacar after one of the Slovenian’s trademark solo attacks, something that rarely happens.

"He does everything perfectly until the last kilometer, but in the ultimate he could have done it differently. He lets himself be pushed too easily," said Sergeant.

He also speculated about Evenepoel’s mindset going into the final, "Was he too hungry? Was Evenepoel a bit too eager after the Brabantse Pijl? Did he think: 'I've already beaten Van Aert in the sprint, so I'll be able to do it with Pogacar too?'"

Still, Sergeant had nothing but admiration for the overall performance, "But apart from his sprint: what a race Evenepoel is riding again," the 65-year-old Belgian continued. "After this Amstel, it is more true than ever: not only Pogacar but also Evenepoel can literally win every one-day race. They have such an engine that they can suffocate any opponent on any terrain."

In fact, Sergeant now sees Evenepoel on par with Pogacar, perhaps even capable of matching his feats across the Monuments, "Even in Roubaix. Give him a few more years and I wouldn't be surprised if he does what Pogacar did last week."

As for Pogacar himself, Sergeant believes the Slovenian may not be too disheartened by the outcome, "It must be one of the first times that someone cracks his usual code in this kind of competition," he said.

"From fifty kilometres before the finish he can usually do it on his own. But not now. That bodes well for Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Especially because I'm cautiously wondering: could there be a downward trend for Pogacar after all these weeks?"

Looking ahead, Sergeant also suggested that Pogacar might skip Flèche Wallonne to focus fully on Liège, "I wouldn't even be surprised if Pogacar cancels his participation in the Walloon Arrow. Just recover from this race and then go all out for revenge in Liège," which takes place this Sunday.