Ten Dam and Dekker highlight two advantages Evenepoel has over Pogacar: "The difference is about 20%"

The impressive performance of Remco Evenepoel in the Brabantse Pijlhas set the stage for the Amstel Gold Race. A week ago, Tadej Pogacar was still against the rest in the Dutch World Tour classic, but thanks to the Belgian's impressive victory, he is suddenly seen as one of the absolute contenders. Laurens ten Dam and Thomas Dekker even think he's on the same level as the world champion, they said in the Live Slow Ride Fast podcast.

"I'd put him next to Pogacar," said Dekker, even though Evenepoel has only competed in one race. It was mainly the way he finished that impressed the former rider. The Soudal Quick-Step team leader was sidelined for months after a serious accident during training in December. "And then you return and make such a remarkable comeback... He looks sharp, rides relentlessly, takes control as if it could be his last race, and races like a lion. For cycling and against Pogacar on Sunday, this is wonderful."

Ten Dam agreed with Dekker. He thoroughly enjoyed the fighting spirit of the two-time Olympic champion. "He doesn't give up, does he? You might think: Well, Wout is better, but he keeps pushing, and at that hour, he wiped out van Aert. But at that moment, van Aert was still stronger." But that changed when they were in a two-man breakaway, mainly due to the aerodynamic difference. "Van Aert was slowly pushed to exhaustion because they were riding head to head, and he had less wind advantage in Remco's slipstream. Remco was able to recover almost completely." Dekker adds: "The difference is about 20%."

The two podcasters are amazed by Evenepoel, who made a perfect comeback to racing. The difference is significant: Van Aert was far from his best when he rejoined the peloton (39th in the Clásica Jaén), but that is mainly due to the special talent of his compatriot. "There are only a few riders for whom the cycling laws do not apply," says Ten Dam. "That's Mathieu, that's Pogacar, but it's also this guy."

The former rider for Rabobank and Team Sunweb, among others, even sees the Aerobullet as the top favorite for the Amstel Gold Race. "Suppose Tadej beats Remco on the Keutenberg. Then Remco will just bounce back, right? That plateau is quite long and flat, and Remco will fly. In order to try and stay ahead of him, you'd have to be a real superhuman."

But he's not the only one. Dekker sees Thibau Nys and Tom Pidcock, among others, as serious outsiders, although he ranks them a bit lower. But after the Brabantse Pijl, Van Aert has to be considered again. "I don't think it's going to be a duel. In the end, it might be the two of them, but I think van Aert can keep up for quite a while with these legs."

Ten Dam and Dekker still see Pogacar as the man to beat—alongside Evenepoel—but they also question his choices. They argue that he should have skipped the Amstel Gold, especially with the Tour de France in mind. "If Vingegaard beats him, which is likely because Vingegaard was pretty close even though he was half injured, why take the risk when you've had such a great spring? The finishes he rides... Everything is intense. All the attacks must be launched early and last long to wear down the others."