Mathieu van der Poel: "I don't see this as the opportunity of a lifetime to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege”

With a mouthwatering battle set for Sunday afternoon as Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and more battle it out for the win at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, a big question is, can the world champion make it a monumental hat-trick this Spring?

Playing down his chances in the team presentation, van der Poel was coy. “The chance is rather small that we will win the fourth monument of the season (Jasper Philipsen also won Milano-Sanremo ed.) with the team on Sunday,” the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader told Sporza. “We have a strong team, but also strong opponents. Everyone is focused on Tadej Pogacar and that makes sense. He is the strongest rider. So it will be important to try to follow him."

Many have touted this as the best opportunity van der Poel will ever get to win in Liege, thanks in part to the absence of the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert and Primoz Roglic. The Dutchman himself however, doesn't see things that way. "I don't see this as the opportunity of a lifetime to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege,” he insists.

“There are many more riders in the peloton who can do this better than me,” the world champion continued. “Of course the race still has to be ridden tomorrow. But for the first time I will not be the outspoken leader of the team. Quinten Hermans and Axel Laurance, for example, will have a freer role.”