On the eve of the Tour of Flanders, Tadej Pogacar appeared very relaxed and when asked about the confrontation with Mathieu van der Poel, the Slovenian clearly said that the Dutchman would win the race again.

"I don't know why Van der Poel beat me so easily at Milan-Sanremo, but the Tour of Flanders is a very different race, much more demanding, where legs will be less fresh in the finale - he explained the world champion -. The final straight will also have slightly less importance. But on the other hand, this race is his playground: there's the cobblestones, the small climbs etc. He has a lot of grit and will be, once again, very difficult to beat, but I'll give my maximum to win. I'll need to be tactically intelligent and make the race as difficult as possible."

The final straight of the Tour of Flanders has nothing to do with Via Roma at Milan-Sanremo, and the two routes are very different. If there should be another sprint to decide the winner, Pogacar is convinced that the victory would go to Van der Poel.

"Mathieu is a good sprinter, better than me. He always performs well in this type of races. If I have to finish the race with him, I'll do my best. But if the race is tough and he is tired, the difference between us could be minimal. We all know Mathieu's technical qualities. He's in great form and it will be very difficult to beat him. But in a race anything can happen, and before a potential sprint, there will be 250 kilometers during which there will be opportunities that I'll need to seize if I really want to win."

In previous interviews, Van der Poel has always said that he finds racing against Pogacar stimulating and the Slovenian also appreciates a rival like him. "Every race against Van der Poel is a great challenge, which I always like to play. I admire his way of racing, but it's not easy to race like him. In any case, if I had to choose between staying home with Urska or racing against Mathieu, I'd prefer to stay home with Urska."

Regarding course knowledge and race experience, Van der Poel is certainly ahead of Pogacar, but the Slovenian doesn't think this aspect is ultimately so relevant.

"It's true that I'm not the one who knows this race best. I've done the Tour of Flanders only twice, plus a few races in the region when I was with the U23. For riders living nearby, it's easier and they know these roads by heart, because the routes vary very little from year to year. But in my team I have some Flemish riders and I listen a lot to their advice, as well as those of the sports directors."

The Tour of Flanders is an important goal for Tadej Pogacar, but exactly one week from now we'll see him race Paris-Roubaix for the first time as a professional and the Slovenian expects to see a great race.

"I can't say if Roubaix is a more important goal than Flanders, because it's the first time I'll race in the Hell of the North, and I first need to try it. See how the race goes and how I feel. But I'm quite optimistic that I'll have a good race."

The decision to participate in Paris-Roubaix was confirmed only a few weeks ago, because team managers think this race is dangerous and for a grand tour rider like Pogacar, a crash could ruin all the work towards the Tour de France.

"Even a race like Strade Bianche is very dangerous. Every year there are crashes, and I can say this from personal experience. Even the first sprint of a grand tour is very dangerous, as is being at the front when you tackle Cipressa and Poggio at Milan-Sanremo. A small mistake can have enormous consequences and Roubaix is one of those races where risk is obviously present. The entrance to the Arenberg Forest scared me, but after doing it several times, I tell myself it's much better to approach it with a bit less speed, because it becomes less dangerous. But fear can make you lose a lot of energy: it remains one of the best races in the world, and after doing a reconnaissance in February, I decided I wanted to go before it was too late. I like to stay motivated and not get bored. That's why I want to enjoy every experience that cycling can give me."