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Pogacar faces defiant Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege / Photo: DIRK WAEM - Belga/AFP
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Pogacar faces defiant Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Remco Evenepoel has vowed to tame defending champion Tadej Pogacar at cycling's undulating Ardennes forest odyssey, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, on Sunday.
Between them the pair have won the past four editions of the 252km Monument first raced in 1892.
A passionate and daring racing style has made the 26-year-old Slovenian Pogacar cycling's most exciting asset, never faltering when accepting new challenges.
In the 111th edition of Sunday's slog through winding forest lanes, Pogacar faces a huge challenge against double Olympic champion and local hero Evenepoel, recently returned from injuries sustained when a postal van opened a door on him.
"I should be able to beat him, that's what my team pay me for," said the 25-year-old Belgian this week.
Pogacar managed to drop Evenepoel at La Fleche Wallonne on Wednesday on the steepest part of the final climb. Evenepoel said he had taken off a rain jacket too soon and was cold.
"It was a good team result and we expect something similar at Liege," said the affable Team UAE rider Pogacar at the finish.
His face however told another story as it was etched with fatigue.
Evenepoel and Pogacar were pipped to the line at the Amstel Gold by interloper Mattias Skjelmose last Sunday but in both recent races there was little between the star pair.
The Roche-aux-Faucons climb is the steepest Sunday at an average of 11 per cent, but this time it is 13km from Liege, potentially giving world and Olympic time-trial champion Evenepoel time to catch up on the run in.
The stocky Flemish rider won the Brabantse Pijl in astonishing style on his return from injury ten days ago, outpacing Wout van Aert who said that Evenepoel had killed him bit by bit.
"I'm delighted to find my form after only two months of training this year," he said.
He said he was in better form Wednesday in the Fleche but had stupidly ridden 70km without his rain jacket.
"After a hot shower that was dealt with. Now I'm ready. It's my favourite race and I want to win a third one."
Liege-Bastogne-Liege has been won from the Redoute hill, 38km from the finish, twice by each of the favourites.
"Get it right there and you make up a lot of time. Wrong and it feels like hours getting up there. I'm super motivated," said Evenepoel.
They head a field stacked with potential winners including Skjelmose and diminutive Englishman Tom Pidcock.
Ben Healy can become the third Irishman to win Liege after Sean Kelly and Dan Martin and has impressed in the classics this spring.
Absent are three heavyweights in Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert and Primoz Roglic.
The current Tour de France, Giro and world champion Pogacar has a daredevil side that has pushed him into the one day classics.
On Sunday, if he can win in Evenepoel's back yard the Slovenian will again show just how great he is.
C.Milbrandt--BlnAP
