Valverde warns his natural successor: ‘Enjoy it while it lasts’

“Nowadays we are seeing the dominance of both Pogačar and Van der Poel, although with the Tour of Flanders on Sunday in mind, we also have to take Van Aert into account, because he has shown that he is in top form. The battle between them will be very exciting, although I would not dare to predict who is going to win,” said Spain’s current national coach.

“With that kind of superiority, the outcome can seem predictable, but in the case of Pogačar, who wins Grand Tours and classics, it is important to remember that he will not always be able to win,” Valverde knows.

“He has to enjoy this moment of glory while he can.” As for the idea that such dominance can sometimes make racing less entertaining, Valverde does not really agree. “I do not know whether the public will appreciate this dominance more or less. Personally, I quite like it.”

Even so, the Spaniard does not believe the Tour de France in July is already decided. “I think Vingegaard is currently the only rider who can challenge Pogačar in the Tour. We can see that the Dane is back in the kind of shape he had before his crash in Itzulia. He is very fast, he looks good, and he has won Paris-Nice and the Tour of Catalonia.”

“I also see the Spanish riders doing well. Juan Ayuso is very motivated and he looks strong: he started the season with a victory and then crashed,” Valverde said about the Lidl-Trek leader.

“Whether we can win, I do not know. It looks difficult, but we have good riders and I am convinced they will be in good shape. There is still a long way to go and you cannot make predictions just yet,” Valverde concluded.