"We're not starting beaten" - David Gaudu denies Tadej Pogacar will take easy Fleche Wallone win

Tadej Pogacar may start as an odds-on favourite at the 2023 La Fleche Wallone, but a defiant David Gaudu is confident that nothing will be given to the Slovenian and the Frenchman plans to fight all the way to the line.

"Of course, Pogacar is one of the strongest riders in the world," Gaudu admits, full of praise for the UAE Team Emirates man who most recently rode to a dominant victory at the Amstel Gold Race. Something Gaudu doesn't think will happen at La Fleche Wallone. "No, we're not starting beaten, we're going to race, we're going to try and the goal is to win the race."

Gaudu is part of a two-pronged attack for Groupama-FDJ at La Fleche Wallone with Valentin Madouas also a dark horse to take the win. "I think that in any case, everyone has a bit of a plan A, a plan B, a plan C almost a plan D," says the Frenchman confirming his team flexibility when it comes to race tactics.

Gaudu who didn't finish the Amstel Gold Race has already pushed Pogacar hard earlier this season at Paris-Nice, finishing second in the overall classification only fifty-three seconds behind the Slovenian and ahead of Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard.