Thomas De Gendt foresees Remco Evenepoel usurping Tadej Pogacar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège: “He has scared a lot of colleagues”
Cycling
At the Amstel Gold Race, fans witnessed the first clash of
the 2025 season between Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, and it didn’t
disappoint. In a rare display of vulnerability from the Slovenian, Evenepoel
managed what no other rider could: he reeled back one of Pogacar’s trademark
solo attacks. But despite their duel, it was Mattias Skjelmose who delivered
the shock, outsprinting both to win the race.
With Mathieu van der Poel no longer in the Spring mix, having
beaten Pogacar to victories at Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, the road is
clearer for Pogacar now. He did claim the Tour of Flanders, but now faces his
final Spring Monument test: Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where a familiar rival
awaits.
Both Pogacar and Evenepoel have already won the race twice. In
fact, the duo have won the race for the past 4 years, dating back to Primoz Roglic
winning in 2020. But, the two have never faced off in Liege for victory against
each other, as there have always been injuries or extenuating circumstances
involved stopping one of the rivals from competing.
Before that, however, comes La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Thomas De Gendt previewed the looming
showdown and speculated whether the effects of a demanding spring are beginning
to catch up with Pogacar.
"Oh, I think that's a dangerous statement, haha. I
think it's true because Paris-Roubaix probably did more harm than good to his
condition. That race is an assault on the body. Moreover, in Roubaix they
started the final very early again," he said.
"When I hear what values they have pedaled, then I know enough. Mathieu is
now on holiday, Tadej probably needed a few days to recover. His condition last
Sunday was not good enough for the solo he started."
Still, De Gendt isn’t ruling out a rebound, "I do not
rule out that Tadej will improve again towards Liège. In principle, it cannot
happen at the end of an eight-week period, but what is normal with someone like
Tadej?"
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As for the favourite this Sunday, De Gendt sees the momentum
shifting toward Evenepoel, "He has the freshness and the hunger to win.
His form is already improving. And by beating Wout in the sprint in the
Brabantse Pijl, he has scared a lot of colleagues."
"Remco can go to the finish with many riders, he will
beat them. So if you want to win, you have to ride away from Remco. On the
steep climbs, such as Roche-aux-Faucons, Tadej still has the advantage, but
they are not long enough for him to create a definitive gap."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
- He's not going to win the TdF. Maybe if they make every single stage a TT he could win. But I still believe Tadej would just sharpen his TT skills and win.mij04-11-2026
- You beat me to it. Should he make a full recovery (likely) and go light early in the year. One, two, three. Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Should he be on a Feel-Like-He's-Fixin'-to-Die High.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- The deciding factor may be the (TBD) number of (any type of) kilometers without Pogacar.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- Unexplained chronic fatigue is an all too common bitch. The hard to find definitive answer may lie buried in gut mechanisms. A mystery of the deep.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- It's weird to say Evenepoel would be making a "serious mistake by adding the 2027 Giro d'Italia to his calendar, warning that such a decision could even be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his ability to win the Tour de France." It may well be a mistake but with so many commentators (of all sorts) continuously claiming almost everything Remco does as being a mistake, almost nobody should care what the pundits and the disparagers should say. His team may not want him to do the Giro, and that matters. But it's possibly or probably up to Remco to decide and it may not have to be decided on until a month or so ahead of the race. Yes , Remco is inconsistent much like the majority of the best riders but he's enjoying a period of not having been recently injured (or sick). Whatever he does he need not be concerned with critics who will second guess any perceived failure no matter what. I suspect he will have enough other races on his schedule so he won't be considering it. But the worst reason to not race it is because of what some will say - humorous that be.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- I'll say clean sweep all grand tourZamorano04-11-2026
- And the place he calls home is in Slovenia with his parents.RidesHills04-11-2026
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