Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) has warned that parts of Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège course are becoming dangerous and said race motorcycles can unfairly aid solo leaders, echoing concerns he shared about motorbikes in racing back in February.
Speaking to L'Équipe on Friday, the two-time winner singled out the descent of the Col du Rosier, the race's longest climb at 4.4km at 5.9%, as a growing concern. "The roads, each year, become worse and worse," he said. "The descent of the Rosier, for example, is becoming very dangerous. It's maybe an invitation for ASO to change the course."
That descent feeds directly into the race's new mid-course pressure point. Riders drop off the Rosier into Spa, then climb the Col du Maquisard before descending again, climbing the Côte de Desnié, and then heading into La Redoute, the climb that has decided recent editions. Evenepoel said the 10–15 minute sequence of explosive efforts and extra elevation gain before the Redoute will leave riders more fatigued than in previous years.
His second complaint was about race motorcycles. Asked whether he could bridge back to Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) after the Redoute, as he nearly did at the Tour of Flanders, Evenepoel was blunt: "If there aren't the motos in front, yes."
He said the cameras are getting bigger, the bikes are sitting closer to riders, and the effect is "always to the advantage of the one who is in front". He referenced both the Tour of Flanders, where he said he "shouted a bit" at the motorcycles, and his own win in Mallorca, where it was claimed he saw an unfair advantage when four bikes sat ahead of him. In a race where the leader can go clear on La Redoute and ride solo for more than 30km, even marginal aerodynamic shelter can widen a gap that chasers are struggling to close.
Pogačar's 600-watt problem
Evenepoel was equally direct about the competitive challenge. When journalists suggested the solution was simply to follow Pogačar's attack, he pushed back. "Follow at 600 watts? It's not easy," he said. "Pogačar's attacks are quite severe. We saw it at the Tour of Flanders with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) in the last Kwaremont. He attacks very early, he holds a certain power for a long time, then he wins almost every race."
Rather than trying to pre-empt Pogačar, Evenepoel said he would aim to stay as close as possible over the top of La Redoute. As outlined in our Liège-Bastogne-Liège preview, given the power of the riders at the top of the startlist La Redoute is likely to be the key tactical decider.
Evenepoel also praised Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), the 19-year-old who won La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday. "Paul Seixas's effort was very impressive," he said. But he drew a clear line between a Flèche Wallonne circuit and Sunday's 259.5km Monument. "There will be more fatigue in the legs. It's completely different."
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
