A handful of intriguing storylines will keep us interested throughout the men’s Classics season.
Cor Vos, Kristof Ramon
As we head into Opening Weekend, the stage is set for two months of racing that always entertains – and often brings a bit of drama too. Most of the biggest names in the sport are heavily invested in one or more major Classics objectives, which means that we will be treated to star showdowns as well as ever-increasing tension as those riders and teams on the losing end of the early races battle the pressure to perform over the next several weeks.
Preview: Van der Poel vs. the world at the Omloop Nieuwsblad
Here’s what you can expect from Opening Weekend.
This year, as has been the case for some time now, the one-day races are likely to see two dominating figures trying to hold off the rest of the world. That is the overarching plot that will run from the Omloop Nieuwsblad all the way through to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and with it will come plenty of subplots with the potential to take over the narrative.
Here are the storylines to follow through the men’s Classics campaign …
The best Classics rivalry since …?
Classics fans have been treated to some spectacular rivalries over the years. Most recently, we lived in the age of Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen. More veteran fans had the likes of on-and-off teammates and rivals Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini, while Erik Zabel and Óscar Freire battled for supremacy at Milan-San Remo and Johan Museeuw and Peter Van Petegem defended Belgian cobbles honor against Italian incursion. But none of those legends racked up as many wins as the two top Classics riders in the world right now: Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar.
Maybe because legendary feats only seem more legendary over time, and maybe because Pogačar has always had one foot in the Grand Tour game, it feels as if the sport has not quite acknowledged yet just how special this rivalry is. Pogačar currently sits in third all time with 10 Monument wins, while Van der Poel is tied with Rik Van Looy for seventh with eight Monuments.
Neither rider is showing signs of slowing down any time soon, so their rivalry should once again dominate the spring. It brings interesting subplots of its own. Pogačar seems unstoppable whenever he sets his mind to something, making it all the more dramatic that he can’t seem to crack Milan-San Remo. Meanwhile, he should only get better at Paris-Roubaix, where he was so impressive in his debut last year.
As for Van der Poel, he and Alpecin-Premier Tech can lay claim to being the dominant team of the spring these past few years, but that puts a target on their backs. Can Van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, and Co. keep it up with UAE always lurking and so many other outfits constantly retooling to try to improve?
On that note …
Can Soudal-Quick Step recapture the magic of old?
Remco Evenepoel’s departure spurred Soudal-Quick Step into action this past offseason, as the team shed its GC-focused skin and signed two Monument winners in a clear attempt to return to the organization’s roots. In the years since Tom Boonen, Philippe Gilbert, and Niki Terpstra were racking up wins at Flanders and Roubaix, however, other squads have decisively taken over at the top of the pecking order. Can the team really re-find that old Wolf Pack magic?
Where does Soudal-Quick Step go from here?
After the departure of leader Remco Evenepoel, can the once-mighty squad that used to dominate the Classics return to form?
Did we do a good job with this story?