Two who know Liège like the streets of home, having conquered a couple each: Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini. The master and the student, Ardennes experts like few others in the world. We asked them about the topic that is starting to take center stage in bars: can Van der Poel win Liège, displacing Pogacar?
We know, when great feats like the Dutchman’s in Roubaix remain in your eyes, it seems to you that everything is possible for him. But then we come back down to earth and understand that the impossible doesn’t actually exist.
«A nice duel between Pogacar and Remco – says Bartoli – I would have enjoyed that! But this time it was Evenepoel’s turn to get injured and for the second year in a row, we won’t be able to see it. But tell me something: are you also among those who think that Van der Poel can win Liège? I do not believe”.
«I’m also on the side of those who indicate Van der Poel out of the picture for Liège – says Bettini – in my opinion it cannot threaten Pogacar, who gets rid of it whenever he wants on that type of climb. We have already seen how he can be put in difficulty in an Amstel and Liège is something else.”
The climbs of the Ardennes
Michele Bartoli, who spent his first year as a professional alongside Adrie Van der Poel and was introduced to them on the roads of the North, he really doesn’t believe in the hypothesis that the world champion could win Liège. And as in the past we had commented on the exploits of the Dutchman and his rival Van Aert, going so far as to compare the first to a sniper and the other to someone who shoots buckshot, this time too the analysis is clear.
«It’s good to try – says the Tuscan who has won Liège twice – but the climbs of the Ardennes are not comparable to the walls of Flanders. I hear that he could win it, because he won the world championship in Glasgow which would have been one of the most challenging ever, but obviously I haven’t seen the same race. Glasgow was Flanders without cobblestones, climbs that lasted a few tens of seconds. In Liege some last a few minutes. And when that’s the case, things change.”
Wrong analyses
The gaze is fixed first of all on the opponents and not just on Pogacar who will certainly have a lot of spotlight on him. The selection that Van der Poel implemented at Roubaix, also in light of the athletic qualities well highlighted by Pino Toni, will not be replicable. The Liège route is not suited to its characteristics and this could cause the reserve to be turned on well before the race is decided.
«It depends a lot on the development of the race – continues Bartoli – because it is clear that if they take him with the compact group and at a small trot up to the last climb, then they certainly won’t take him away. But I believe that if the race goes as usual, opponents like Skjelmose, Pello Bilbao, Vlasov, Carapaz and other climbers could crucify him. I would be careful to think that he can win everything, there are riders stronger than him on uphill courses. I’m reminded of the year that Petacchi won nine stages in the Giro d’Italia and they began to say that perhaps he could have made the classification. Or when someone decided that Ganna could aim for a Giro d’Italia, without taking into account his physical characteristics. When I read certain things, I feel like picking up the phone and calling, but I’ve learned to let it go.”
Watch out for Pidcock
Among those who could have their say even in defiance of a giant like Pogacar, Bettini sees the winner of the Amstel Gold Racewho has proven to be among the fittest climbers of the moment.
«I don’t believe in Van der Poel for Liège – says the Livorno, who also won two world championships – while I think that a name to follow is that of Pidcock. He showed that on those courses he also knows how to win. Perhaps he could be the one who can undermine Pogacar. But it certainly won’t be Van der Poel, I feel like ruling this out quite clearly. We’ll see him on Sunday at the Doyenne…”.
Van Aert is another runner
The argument from which we take inspiration to say that Van der Poel could actually hit the Liège is linked to the fact that in 2022 Van Aert, who athletically could resemble his old rival, came third after Evenepoel and Quinten Hermans. And that Mathieu also took sixth place in 2020, winning the sprint behind the group of Roglic, Hirshi, Pogacar, Mohoric and Alaphilippe.
«Van Aert is different – says Bartoli dryly – him he has already finished third in Liège, but above all he is a rider who won alone after passing Mont Ventoux. And he is also the one who, pulling for Vingegaard in the Pyrenees, separated Pogacar. Van Aert has a different predisposition for climbing, so much so he was talked about as someone who could win the Tour. I never believed it, but someone said it. We must also remember that cycling is not the terrain where you go to prove your theories. Knowing him, you understand how everything falls into a precise logic. Do you want to know how many chances I would give Van der Poel to win Liège? I would say 10 percent. We also saw Gerrans win it, who was a sprinter, but honestly I don’t think it’s the year of big surprises.”
Tags: Van der Poel Liège Bartoli Bettini
