Van der Poel faces Pogacar test as Knetemann warns - “He can’t afford to go too early”

This Sunday, Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel line up at the Tour of Flanders as the main contenders for victory, but Belgium brings strong counterarguments to challenge that favoritism, with Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert ready to enter the fight.

Roxane Knetemann spoke on the podcast In het Wiel, still surprised by Evenepoel’s confirmation at the start, though she does not expect it to significantly change the race approach of the main favorites.

“I don’t think Pogacar’s tactics change if Evenepoel hadn’t been on the start list. He knows he has to start early. I think he sees Van der Poel as his biggest rival, and he has to make him tired and empty him out. He does that by racing aggressively from a long way out."

The former Dutch rider’s view is clear: the Slovenian is likely to opt for a hard race from early on, trying to wear Van der Poel down before the decisive moments.

In this context, the Dutchman’s energy management could prove decisive for the outcome. “I would try to ride a bit on the safe side. I think this is exactly what Pogacar hopes for: that they get away together early, because that allows him to chip away at Van der Poel’s tank. You do that less quickly with Pogacar."

"He knows: ‘This is how I can break him, we need to start the Oude Kwaremont already exhausted.’ We saw that last year as well.” In other words, Van der Poel will need to carefully measure his effort and avoid engaging too early in a direct battle, or risk paying the price later, especially on the Oude Kwaremont.

In last year’s edition, Van der Poel managed to follow the attacks for a long time but eventually cracked on the final passage over the Oude Kwaremont, the moment he let the World Champion slip away.

If the two once again find themselves alone at the front, the scenario could repeat itself, with an intense tactical duel. “Then it is up to Van der Poel to do less work in that kind of two-man break, because he has to save energy. But he is not going to completely stop riding, because that’s just not Van der Poel.”

Looking at the numbers, both riders’ consistency in the race is remarkable. In seven appearances at the Tour of Flanders, Mathieu van der Poel has never finished outside the top four. Tadej Pogacar boasts a similar record, with two victories and a fourth place on his debut. The Dutchman now has the chance to make history and become the outright record holder if he secures a fourth win.

Will we see a duel between two friends and rivals, or will in-form names like Filippo Ganna and Mads Pedersen also enter the mix, alongside Evenepoel and Van Aert? The road will decide.