Eddy Merckx (Bel/winner in 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975): “Mathieu can win one day, but not this time…”
1. “Yes, Mathieu van der Poel can hope to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège one day. If he gets going, if he gets it in his head to aim for her, why not. He is strong.”
2. “However, I don't think he can win this monument this year. When we saw his performance at the Amstel Gold Race, we can say that it’s going to be difficult for him this Sunday.”
Bernard Hinault (Fra/winner in 1977 and 1980): “He can win this Sunday”
1. “For me, yes, Mathieu van der Poel can win Liège-Bastogne-Liège. With him, it's simple: he can win all the one-day races. With the power he has in his legs, there is no reason why he cannot win the Doyenne.”
2. “Yes. He is the big favorite with Tadej Pogacar. I know he did the Flandrian classics and not the Slovenian one. But what did he do on Wednesday? Van der Poel took his foot off the gas and did not ride in the cold and rain on the Flèche wallonne. I think he must have prepared well for Sunday's meeting. So yes, he can win this edition.”
Tadej Pogacar will be the big favorite of Liège-Bastogne-Liège: “I will miss Remco”
Sean Kelly (Irl/winner in 1984 and 1989): “You need a different pedal stroke on the cobbles and in the Redoute”
1. “Yes, I am convinced that the Dutchman has all the qualities to one day win the third monument of the season. But on condition that there is more specific preparation upstream. I find it great that he is lining up this year in Liège after everything he has already done this spring, but we need a different pedal stroke on the cobbles and in the Redoute where we need more flexibility . We run less there with pure force.”
2. “I don't see van der Poel worrying Pogacar this weekend and I don't think he can really endanger the other true specialists in the Ardennes classics either. He’s still been on deck for a good while now and when things go full throttle in the Redoute, I fear it will be complicated for the world champion…”
Michel Bartoli (Ita/winner in 1997 and 1998): “We can expect anything from Mathieu…”
1. “Mathieu van der Poel does not present the typical profile of the winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but the Dutchman is such a phenomenon that I think he is capable of achieving this feat. We can expect everything from such a champion, even if the challenge looks arduous on paper.”
2. “With van der Poel on deck from Sanremo and Pogacar who has just returned from an altitude training course, it seems very complicated to me for the world champion… If I have to get wet, I will say no.”
Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz/winner in 2005 and 2010): “He can do the Ardennes hat-trick!”
1.“In theory, I am convinced that Mathieu has all the qualities to one day win Liège-Bastogne-Liège. I will go even further by arguing that if he agrees to adapt his program around the Ardennes classics, he is capable of achieving the Amstel-Flèche-Doyenne hat-trick!”
2.“No, I don't really see how the world champion could beat Pogacar this Sunday. In my opinion, this is even impossible, especially since I already noticed certain signs of fatigue last Sunday on the Amstel.”
Axel Merckx's column: “Pogacar is even more favorite for Liège-Bastogne-Liège”
Andy Schleck (Lux/winner in 2009): “He can win all the one-day races”
1. “Yes, without the slightest doubt. More generally, I even believe that if he makes it a real objective, Mathieu van der Poel is capable of winning all the one-day races on the calendar, even the Flèche wallonne for example, the finish of which is very specific. He has the profile of the perfect rider for the classics.”
2. “Yes, I believe in the luck of the world champion, even if it will be complicated. The roles will be reversed on Sunday and it is on Pogacar that all eyes will be on. I believe and hope that we will experience a fantastic duel in the last 25 kilometers. But you'll have to run just right, because on the Doyenne, the man with the hammer can strike after every turn…”
Alejandro Valverde (Esp/winner in 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2017): “A super crack”
1. “Yes, I am convinced of it. Van der Poel is a super crack. When he is at the start of a race, you always have to take him into account for victory. He is capable of anything, he has already proven it.”
2. “It will be difficult, because van der Poel has been on the go for several weeks. He left a lot of nervous impulses while Pogacar will arrive fresh on a terrain that suits him well. But van der Poel has no pressure. If he has good legs, who knows…”
Philippe Gilbert (Bel/winner in 2011): “Yes, he can win in Liège, but not this year”
1. “For me, yes, Mathieu van der Poel will be able to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège one day. Especially since the finish on the flat, in Liège, is more to its advantage than the old one at the Doyenne, when it was located in Ans.”
2. “This year, I would say no, because he did not have the ideal preparation. The real leaders and favorites for this Sunday's race have completed training at altitude or the Tour of the Basque Country. Which is not the case for MVP, since he made the Flandrian classics. There are no secrets in Liège. There are more than 4000 meters of altitude difference on this monument and you may feel it in the finale. As Wout van Aert felt when he finished third (in 2022). So I see Mathieu present in the final this Sunday, but not for the win.”
Mathieu van der Poel, an alien in hell: the crazy figures of a dizzying spring
Wout Poels (PB/winner in 2016): “A cycling legend”
1. “Yes, I think he can win the Dean. Because Mathieu is a cycling legend.”
2. “If Pogacar doesn't have a great day, there is always a possibility that Mathieu will win. But it will depend on his level of freshness, after all the classics he has already raced so far.”
Jakob Fuglsang (Dan/winner in 2019): “If the stars align…”
1. “If everything goes well and the stars align, I think Mathieu can win Liège-Bastogne-Liège one day, yes.”
2. “No. This year, it’s going to be too hard for him…”
