A striking bow to Pogacar heading into Strade Bianche: "There’s no one on the start list who can even try to follow him"

Bettiol, who finished seventh in Trofeo Laigueglia on Wednesday and is clearly in good form, spoke with Cyclingnews ahead of the one-day race in his home region. "Pogacar is the 'bello e il brutto' (beauty and the beast) of modern cycling," said the Italian.

"He makes cycling beautiful to watch because he’s as good as Eddy Merckx and is breaking every record," said the 2019 Tour of Flanders winner. "The ugly side, though, is that you line up for a race knowing it’s impossible to beat him. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone on the start list for Strade Bianche who can even try to follow him."

In races like Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, Bettiol sees more opportunities—but not in the gravel race. "I would have loved to see Mathieu van der Poel take on Pogacar at his best, but he’s just getting back into racing and is logically focusing on the classics. That’s where he has a better chance of beating Pogacar."

"We have to be realistic: there’s nothing we can do about it," said the Italian, who will line up for XDS-Astana alongside in-form teammate Cristian Scaroni. "Pogacar can race at his own pace and manage his efforts. Van der Poel can do that too, but the rest of us have to be extremely careful with every effort we make in a race."

So, what can we expect on Saturday? "I hope Pogacar attacks early," said Bettiol. "After UAE Emirates-XRG has put everyone in pain on the San Martino in Grania sector, when there are still 100 kilometers to go. Tadej can go there, do his thing, and everything will fall into place."

"It’s also safer for him because he can avoid crashes and control his own pace. If he gets a one-minute gap, his team car will be right behind him in case he gets a flat," Bettiol continued. "For the rest of us, it will be a race for second place, where I think we have a good chance. That’s a result everyone should be proud of."

"Finishing second behind Pogacar is an achievement you should remember," the Italian told Cyclingnews. "One day, when we’re old and retired, talking to our kids about our careers, we’ll truly understand just how good he was."