De Cauwer highlights and scratches names: "I wouldn't immediately mark Jorgenson as a top contender for the Flemish spring"

Now that Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice have wrapped up, the focus shifts back to the classics. Milan-Sanremo, the first Monument of the season, is set for Saturday, followed shortly by the cobbled classics in Belgium. Sporza commentators José De Cauwer and Renaat Schotte took a look ahead after the two WorldTour-level stage races.

In Paris-Nice, they watched Matteo Jorgenson claim victory. At Visma | Lease a Bike, this was seen as a positive sign for the rest of the spring, but De Cauwer remains cautious. "In principle, he is still primarily focused on stage racing. It’s a bit of a toss-up which direction he should take. Jorgenson himself said he’s in sharp form, but for the Flemish classics, you’d ideally want to put on a few extra kilos for more resilience. So, I wouldn’t immediately mark him as a top contender for the Flemish spring."

However, De Cauwer does expect strong performances from INEOS Grenadiers riders. "Magnus Sheffield should be on the list—not just because he won the final stage, but because we’ve already seen him win the Brabantse Pijl in the past. Maybe this is his breakthrough moment." He also believes Filippo Ganna could go far. "If you extend that form to Flanders, with a strong team where he will be a leader… We know Ganna has the ability, but we haven't really seen it yet. But in Paris-Roubaix and other races, he’s definitely a rider to watch."

De Cauwer also assessed Mathieu van der Poel’s performance at Tirreno-Adriatico. "He could have, and maybe should have, won two stages—especially the first one. He closed a gap himself and then got boxed in during the sprint. Okay, those things happen. But I think Van der Poel left Tirreno-Adriatico with a good feeling. He was able to add that final layer to his form."

Read more below the photo!

De Cauwer: "On Cipressa it will be difficult for Milan"

Lidl-Trek is another team to watch, according to the former Belgian team manager. "We absolutely have to consider Mads Pedersen as a serious contender for the Flemish spring classics. The way he’s been riding, his range might extend all the way to the Amstel Gold Race." However, he is less optimistic about Jonathan Milan's chances at Milan-Sanremo. "I think Pogačar is absolutely determined to win that race this year. That means the race will be made hard on the Cipressa, and that will make things difficult for Milan."

Of course, unexpected winners can always emerge. "No one expected Biniam Girmay to win Gent-Wevelgem. So it's entirely possible that someone like Merlier or Milan wins it—but Philipsen also has his eyes on that race." De Cauwer acknowledges that Milan and Merlier are currently the fastest sprinters in the world, but he remains uncertain about what that means for the Belgian. "Merlier has been in great shape all spring. What that will lead to is still a big question mark—even for him."

Read also

While his buddies suffer in the horror weather of Paris-Nice and Tirreno, Van Aert completes monster training in Tenerife

At UAE Team Emirates, they can no longer ignore the Pogacar-like talent after another solo victory by Juan Ayuso: "Then it's up to the rider."

"The people who ruined me are paying a heavy price"; Wiggins back on track – thanks to Armstrong

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe