Tadej Pogacar arrives this Sunday at the start of the triptych of the Ardennes at the
Amstel Gold Race as the big favourite to win. He comes with no pressure, having won the Tour of Flanders and with the peace of mind that he already has the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in his palmares.
However, given that he is a cannibal, we are sure that if he has the chance to win the Ardennes triptych (Amstel, Flèche Wallonne and Liège) he will try. This is something that the two best riders in the history of these classics, Eddy Merckx and Alejandro Valverde, have not achieved, but it is something that has been achieved by two great classics riders: Davide Rebellin in 2004 and Philippe Gilbert in 2011.
What is clear is that these classics suit the Slovenian like a glove, as he has shown in Liège every time he has raced. Last year he didn't take part because of a family problem, so he's certainly looking forward to repeating his 2021 triumph.
If the Ardennes hat-trick proves to be a bit complicated, Pogacar could plan to try for the double of the 2 big Walloon Ardennes, Flèche and Liège, which in addition to Rebellin and Gilbert were won by Ferdi Kubler, Stan Ockers, Eddy Merckx, Moreno Argentin and Alejandro Valverde up to three times.