Nathan van Hooydonck: "Anyone who wants to beat Pogacar will have to put pressure on his team"

Tadej Pogacar is the man to beat at Strade Bianche today, despite starting his season in the brutal gravel race. Nathan van Hooydonck stands by the idea that the Slovenian will be in great form and looks into how he can be beaten.

“It may be Pogacar's first race, but I do not rule out that he will, if possible, be even better than at the start of the season in recent years," van Hooydonck wrote for Het Nieuwsblad. "Then he was always in a long run-up to the Tour. Today he will be in full preparation for the Giro. And we in Flanders, with all our classics, may think that that is still a long way off, but for a tour rider, two months is really not much.”

The route was made tougher this year with an added loop and a few more gravel sectors that will make it an even harder race, which could benefit climbers as it features difficult sectors. However the race can be decided with the decisions of early on: “While in the Strade Pidcock has the immense advantage of his helmsmanship. Compared to the competition, he can save an enormous amount of energy in the first part of the race."

"He races at the front, never has to brake and knows perfectly what his bike can do and what the surface does to that bike. He is so 'in control'," van Hooydonck said of the defending champion. "That, plus the fact that it is already a week further, will be the big difference with the Omloop where, admittedly, he did not leave a super impression."

“With the return of Pogacar, I expect a completely different UAE than last week in the Omloop and Kuurne. It continues to amaze me how such a strong team without Pogacar hangs together like loose sand. Individually they are super strong riders, but sometimes there seems to be so little plan," the Belgian adds. "Last week again: Wellens is allowed to do his thing, Politt gets his chance, young Morgado almost rides among them, and three of the remaining four did not make it to the finish. It's all so confusing.”

He says how he believes other teams can try to take over the race and Pogacar: “With Pogacar there it is completely different. UAE will soon have a prominent presence. That will also determine the opponent's tactics. Anyone who wants to beat Pogacar will have to put pressure on his team. By sending a man along, by opening up the race early enough... That is my advice to Pidcock: let UAE work and in the meantime focus fully on Pogacar."