“The World Cup will be the only direct duel between the Big Six” | The stand

We’ve been spoiled the past few weeks. A Tour winner who wins the Tour of Flanders. A Belgian world champion who succeeds himself in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the cyclo-cross world champion who put Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix on his honors list in a powerful way.

Each time, the winner of the four (spring) cycling monuments crossed the finish line solo. That was back in 1983, Jonas Creteur looked up.

With an average speed of 43.666 kilometers per hour, 2023 was also the fastest spring ever.

The only side note to Liège-Bastogne-Liège was the failure of Tadej Pogacar for many cycling fans. Not because it detracts from Evenepoel’s victory. Well, because everyone was looking forward to the duel between Evenepoel and Pogacar.

And also because it makes a razor-sharp duel between Jonas Vingegaard and Pogacar in the Tour this summer uncertain.

“If we can speak of a downside in the spring, we must say that the number of duels between “the Big Six” was limited,” says Jonas Creteur in De Tribune.

The Big Six are: Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Vingegaard.

“We missed the duel between Evenepoel and Pogacar in Liège and the duel between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel in Paris-Roubaix could have been even better without Wout van Aert’s flat tire.”

“Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pogacar have only raced against each other three times: in Milan-Sanremo, E3 Harelbeke and the Tour of Flanders.”

“Pogacar and Vingegaard have only crossed swords in Paris-Nice and Pogacar and Roglic have not yet raced against each other. Roglic and Evenepoel have only fought each other in the Tour of Catalonia.”

“We are currently talking about ‘the Big Six’ in cycling, but they have not raced against each other that much.”

“The only race that the Big Six will all race against each other this year (without accidents) will be the World Cup. Let’s hope, because you never know what will happen in the Tour.”

“But let me be clear, that does not detract from Evenepoel’s performance in Liège.”

Next month, two of the Big Six will look each other in the eye every day for three weeks during the Tour of Italy. If the Tour of Catalonia was a dress rehearsal for that, then the duel between Evenepoel and Roglic in Italy promises to deliver fireworks.