Modern sport is obsessed with exclusive clubs: take tennis’ much-lauded ‘Big Three’, the all-conquering trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Cycling has various permutations that never quite stick: a Big Six, a Big Five, Big Four, and now increasingly – with Primoz Roglic in the somewhat drawn-out twilight of his career – a Big Three of Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. Cycling’s problem is that Pogacar stands alone; a Big One is a daft idea.
But the last few weeks of ever-ratcheting hype have given rise to the idea that, if not now, certainly in the next couple of years, a new Big Two could dominate. And this weekend’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege is its first litmus test.
