Soudal - Quick-Step depart to Liège-Bastogne-Liège as the defending champions. Julian Alaphilippe has came close in the past to winning it, but this year he starts off with the goal of helping Remco Evenepoel in an expected difficult battle with Tadej Pogacar.
“I have to make do with the legs I have now, I enjoy being able to be useful to the team now. We'll see how I feel," Alaphilippe said in the run-up to La Doyenne. “If things go well, I will do my best to follow the best riders as long as possible. And if I see it's on the limit, we can try to anticipate and send guys ahead. Remco is extremely motivated, he knows what to do and we will do our best to help him.”
The Frenchman himself could be a favourite for the hilly race but taking into consideration his last month, where he hasn't achieved the consistency he hoped for, and then got injured in a crash at the Tour of Flanders, a domestique role is what he's going for this Sunday. He's had to miss out on the other Ardennes classics as he was recovering from knee bursitis. Alongside the likes of Louis Vervaeke, Andrea Bagioli and Mauro Schmid, they will form a block that should try to anticipate the attacks of the main favourites.
“We are all aware that Pogačar is currently at an exceptional level. If you look at the track record he already has at his age… But when you start a race, you have to drive to win. You cannot say in advance that you are racing to finish second. We are going to make it a great race, I have nothing to prove," he concluded.
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