Top favorites Evenepoel and Pogacar set for tight final clash: "It's no secret that Remco is in super good shape"

Pogacar once again showed his incredible talent in the Flèche Wallonne with an explosive acceleration on the Mur de Huy. What did he do after his victory? "Just riding around," he laughs to Cycling Pro. "We had three days of riding around and did the recon yesterday. I feel good for tomorrow.” The world champion doesn't think anything crazy is to be expected. “I think it will be more or less like always. It's a big Monument and a long race, hard race. It will all depend on the legs. We hope for great legs for all the seven riders in the team; then, we can make a nice race for us."

The Slovenian rider won the race last year after a blistering acceleration on La Redoute, following the recipe of Evenepoel (winner in 2022 and 2023). The Belgian is, therefore, his biggest opponent. "It's no secret that Remco is in super good shape, but Lidl-Trek also has two riders who can go for the win here. Then there's always someone else who is in good shape on the day. I think many guys will try to fight for the victory, but we will also do that."

Evenepoel could not compete for the win on Wednesday, finishing ninth, 16 seconds behind Pogacar. Has he recovered a little from the cold and wet race? "Good enough. It was three days, so everything should be fine for tomorrow," he says. He doesn't want to reveal his tactics yet, but the recipe for victory is pretty simple. "We just have to give it our all. These days, you have to be up early, right from the start of the final. When the big shake-ups happen, you have to be there. I have to trust my legs and my power. I'm confident about the final."

Waiting for La Redoute might be suicide, with Pogacar looking so strong. Will Evenepoel make his move earlier? "It's 256 kilometers, and with 100 kilometers to go, the first climb of the final begins. From that moment on, it all happens very quickly. Then it will go fast, and the door will be open at the back," he analyzes. Winning is not necessarily the goal, he says in advance. "I want to finish as high as possible in the ranking and ride a race like in the Amstel. At the very least, I want to show my best version of myself in the race," Evenepoel concludes.