Bakelants and Boonen identify Evenepoel weakness ahead of battle with Seixas and Pogačar

Cycling
by Pim van der Doelen
Thursday, 23 April 2026 at 16:23
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After Paul Seixas's convincing win on the Mur de Huy, attention has already shifted to Liège-Bastogne-Liège. A direct showdown with Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel awaits the young Frenchman on Sunday. Jan Bakelants and Tom Boonen discuss his chances on Sporza's Wielerclub Wattage podcast (in Dutch, but with English subtitles available).
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With Evenepoel absent from the Flèche Wallonne, Seixas was the clear favourite on the Mur de Huy. The question was whether he could deliver. He himself said that he had never produced that kind of effort before. The Frenchman answered with his legs and won convincingly on his debut in the Ardennes.
For former pro Bakelants, that bodes well for Sunday's tension. "If you can ride that kind of time at the Flèche Wallonne, I don't see why he couldn't follow Pogačar on La Redoute," he said, cautiously optimistic. "I'm genuinely hugely impressed by him. He really does have that acceleration in his legs."
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Bakelants identifies the sore point for Evenepoel

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According to the Belgian analyst, that is precisely the weapon Evenepoel lacks. "That's why I'm a bit more reserved about him." Bakelants was also not entirely convinced by his compatriot's Amstel Gold Race win last Sunday. "Either he was riding in a controlled way, or he's genuinely missing just that little spark — and that's exactly what could decide everything in Liège."
Boonen agreed with his fellow analyst. "Pogačar and Seixas grind you down layer by layer. They slowly wear you out by accelerating slightly every time." Something that, according to the former World Champion, is characteristic of an explosive climber. "That's something they genuinely have, but Remco as a time trialist doesn't always have that," Bakelants added.
That said, the former professional was quick to acknowledge that Evenepoel is not slow. "He does have that powerful finishing kick, like at the Amstel — but he uses it less in between." Whether the explosiveness of Seixas and Pogačar will ultimately prove fatal for Evenepoel is something Sunday will answer.

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