'I wouldn't put me in your fantasy team' — Pidcock, Skjelmose and Schmid ahead of Liège

Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas — the build-up to Liège-Bastogne-Liège has been almost entirely about the three big favourites. But there is no shortage of quality riders lining up to chase the best result they can. Mattias Skjelmose and Mauro Schmid are two of them. And what about Tom Pidcock after his stint at the Tour of the Alps?

The Briton won a stage there, but his form is not yet back at its peak. "I made the best of the situation in the Alps, that's for sure," he told Sporza on the eve of La Doyenne. "Tomorrow I'm going to be trying to stay under the radar — hopefully, you don't see me, and then maybe I'll get a result in the end. I don't feel really my best. We'll see what I can do."

Should you back underdog Pidcock on Sunday? He rates his chances of winning as slim. "Not very big — I wouldn't bet on me. I wouldn't put me in your fantasy team tomorrow," he laughed. Speaking to Cycling Pro Net, he went a little deeper. "It's already a positive that I'm on the start line, so we'll see what I can get out of the race."

Mattias Skjelmose has had an excellent Classics campaign so far. He was second at the Amstel Gold Race and fifth at La Flèche Wallonne — though there was more in it than the result suggests. "I was disappointed because I wasn't well positioned for the Mur. I don't think I could have beaten Paul [Seixas], but I would have been close. That said, it's easy to say that now. It's a great privilege to be disappointed with fifth place at a race like La Flèche Wallonne."

On paper, Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a race that should suit him well. "On paper, yes — but I've never had a great result here," he laughed. "I'm really looking forward to it. It's the last race of a big block." He also has a strong co-leader alongside him in Giulio Ciccone, last year's runner-up. "I'm motivated, and we have a strong team. With two leaders at our level, we can fight for a podium place."

Mauro Schmid has been one of the big surprises of the season. The Swiss champion finished second at the Tour Down Under, won the Muscat Classic, a stage at the Tour of Oman, and the overall classification at the Settimana Coppi e Bartali. In the Classics, he came sixth at the Amstel Gold Race and second at La Flèche Wallonne. The Jayco AlUla leader arrives in Liège with genuine confidence.

"It's been a great start to the season — particularly La Flèche Wallonne," he said. "I was in good form, but I didn't know I was capable of a result like that. It gives me confidence for Sunday. I always thought Liège would be too hard for me, but last year it was maybe my best race of the three. That's where I'm drawing my confidence from."

One thing that stands out about Schmid's racing style is how often he finds himself at the back of the bunch. It cost him at Liège last year, as he knows. "My biggest problem will be positioning. Last year I was sitting very badly and had to pass 70 or 80 riders on La Redoute. Remco was also poorly placed, but still twenty spots ahead of me. If I come through to the front, I'm hoping to be in a good group. But it's going to be a challenge."