Tom Pidcock heads into Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2023 as the resurgent leader in the absence of previous winner Remco Evenpole.

Pidcock took an impressive overall win in Amstel Gold, breaking Mathieu Van der Pol's record for consecutive wins. However, he was unable to match that performance in La Flèche Wallonne, where he was one of dozens of riders who suffered from the bitter cold.

"I can't say I'm proud of my performance in Flèche," Pidcock said Saturday morning in comments to Ineos Grenadier." I am sure there were better riders than me that day, but I was so cold that it was impossible to think about bike racing anymore."

Conditions were such that many riders were treated for symptoms of hypothermia, most notably Matthias Skjelmors, whose video of the Lidl-Trek rider suffering from signs of hypothermia and shivering was spread on social media and was the most controversial case.

Turning his attention to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the British rider said he was feeling "really good" before the race.

"I really love this race. I'm looking forward to the challenge and the suffering. I know how hard it will be, but I'm ready for it."

Pidcock is entered as a strong contender, but he will face a big challenge in the high-profile showdown between Mathieu Van Der Pol and Taddei Pogachar, who have returned from a training block in Spain.

In fact, Van der Pol is looking at Pogachar, the winner of Strade Bianche, as a major rival. The Dutch rider said, "In Liège, I can only count my rivals on one hand, starting with Tadej Pogachar."

But he did not rule out a young English rider, either. 'There's Tom Pidcock. Richard Kalapas, Tiesj Benoot, Matthias Skjelmoes, Maxime Van Gils, Dylan Theuns, and many others. ...... All of them have proven in the past week that they are in good shape, and on paper they are better climbers than I am," van der Pol said.

Pidcock is looking to build on his momentum from Amstel Gold and his form in Liège. 'I think we raced very well last year,' he said. 'Tactically, physically, I made the most of what I had in my locker.'

Pidcock enters the race backed by a strong Ineos Grenadiers team that includes Michal Kwiatkowski and Ethan Hayter, and a first Monument win is a clear ambition.

"I really want to pursue my first Monument win," Pidcock said. I really want to get my first Monument win," Pidcock said.

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