“If there’s one race that suits Mathieu [van der Poel], it’s the Tour of Flanders. I hear people saying he is becoming less dominant, but if you look at the numbers he produced in the E3 Saxo Classic, I disagree,” Boogerd argued to De Telegraaf. The three-time winner looked at his best at the E3 Saxo Classic, despite nearly being caught, and then didn’t seem to go all-out in his Middelkerke-Wevelgem move where he joined Wout Van Aert.
“He rode 446 watts for 90 minutes and, according to him, it was even better than he has ever done over that kind of duration. Then you are not in bad shape, if you ask me,” his compatriot argues. Van der Poel’s team is modest in comparison to his rivals however he is experienced and talented enough to overcome that hurdle.
The man to beat is going to be Tadej Pogacar, who has in the speed climbs the advantage taking into consideration recent history and how he won the race last year on brute climbing attacks over and over again. At the Tour of Flanders, he has to do what he wasn’t able to do at Milano-Sanremo: Hold the wheel of the World Champion.
“He simply wasn’t at his very best, and beforehand van der Poel himself had already said that if he were one percent below his top level, Pogacar would drop him. In Flanders, he will have to cling to Pogacar’s wheel on the Oude Kwaremont. If he can do that, he can win the Tour of Flanders for a fourth time.”
A soft spot for Wout Van Aert
Behind the ‘big two’ are two other riders who can realistically be considered for victory. One is Visma’s leader Wout Van Aert, coming in with stellar form and confidence from his most recent performances.
“Honestly, I would love to see Wout van Aert win it, because he is a tremendous rider. Maybe this will be his time. I have to say that, compared to the last two years, he looks stronger,” Boogerd believes. “Maybe that ankle injury this winter was not even such a bad thing, and after some rest he now seems to be in very good shape.”
Lastly the trio are joined by Remco Evenepoel who is making his debut, but the former Amstel Gold Race winner isn’t too confident about his chances. “It is brave that he is giving it a try. You can only praise him for that, but he will find it difficult to position himself”.
“The Tour of Flanders is such a nervous race on those narrow roads and climbs. On the other hand, he should be able to handle this very well, because the character of the course does suit him. And when you look at his palmarès, he has a great track record in one-day races.”