Tadej Pogacar looking forward to hotly anticipated battle with Remco Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Having successfully added the Amstel Gold Race to his palmares, Tadej Pogacar's attention has swiftly turned to the upcoming Liege-Bastogne-Liege where he and Remco Evenepoel will do battle for the first time this season.

“Remco comes from an altitude training camp so he will be in good shape heading into the Giro d'Italia," Pogacar says of the hotly anticipated dual in conversation with Wielerflits. "He is the defending champion and he showed earlier this season that he is super good on the short, smaller climbs. He has a good sprint in his legs. He is certainly one of the main favourites."

When asked if competing with the Belgian world champion is something Pogacar looks forward to, "I think so," he replies. "We have not often raced against each other at the top level. When we raced against each other, he always managed to win and I was very far behind. I hope it will be different on Sunday in Liège. Although I don't think Remco is the only one to watch out for, but he is definitely one of the favourites.”

With Evenepoel prioritising the Giro d'Italia this year and Pogacar focused on regaining his Tour de France title, it's unlikely we will see the two superstars go head-to-head in a three-week stage race in 2023 so Liege-Bastogne-Liege could prove very important. "After Liege I take a break and then I go on an altitude training. We'll see if I can further improve my fitness there," Pogacar explains. "You may also take a few steps back. Let's hope I can recover after Liège and then prepare well at altitude for the Tour de France."