The news that Tadej Pogachar was left off the start list for Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege race defied all expectations for the race.

The Slovenian announced his absence on Saturday morning just before the team presentation in Liège. His UAE Team Emirates reorganized its plans following a roster change, and new leader Marc Hirsch said the team would take a more aggressive approach to the 257-km monument.

But how will Pogachar's absence affect the race for other teams and riders? Cycling News asked several big names for their thoughts.

"It will definitely affect the race," Jumbo Visma leader Wout Van Aert told Cycling News. 'But it will definitely change the tactics of the UAE.'

"They won't control the race anymore, and I think it's up to the other teams. But we definitely need to keep an eye on the other riders. I think when he was up there everyone was watching him."

Michael Woods, leader of Israel Premier Tech and runner-up four years ago and fifth last year, said he sympathizes with Pogachar, who had the same experience in 2018. But for him and his team, he noted, Pogachar's absence from the race will not change the aggressive approach they plan to take.

"I feel for him in the sense that he's going through a tough time with his family," Woods told Cycling News. 'I'm going through it too, my wife lost her father the month before this race in 2018, and it's really hard to be on the road and away from your spouse at this difficult time.'

"I think the race will be really open with him not being here. He messed up his run on Wednesday, but he had good legs and he definitely would have played a part in this finish on Sunday.

"For us, nothing has changed. Because while Pogacar obviously has a great finish, he can't finish as strong as Wout. So by trying to get rid of Pogacar, the best sprinter and climber in the world, we lose an ally."

Michael Matthews, who finished fourth in 2017 and heads BikeExchange-Jayco, said he respects Pogachar's decision to miss the race and instead spend time with his fiancee, Urska Zigato. From a racing perspective, the Australian, who witnessed Pogachar's power on the climbs last year, said his absence can only be a positive for the other contestants on Sunday.

"First of all, the situation of him missing the race is obviously a very sad one, as his fiancée's mother died two nights ago. I have great respect for him not being at the start and supporting his family. So I have a lot of respect for him in that aspect," Matthews told Cycling News.

"On the race side, it gives a lot of riders a chance to try to finish. Like last year, nobody can compete with him on the final climb. So now that he's gone, I think we're going to have a bigger group trying to get to the finish."

Geraint Thomas, who will be part of the powerful Ineos Grenadiers team that includes Tom Pidcock, Michał Kwiatkowski, and Dani Martinez, said it is sad for the race that neither Pogachar nor his compatriot, 2020 champion Primosz Roglic, will race. Pogachar and his compatriot Primoš Roglic will not be racing, which is sad for the race.

"Obviously it's a shame for the race," Thomas said. We have two of the strongest riders we've had in years. But there are still a lot of riders in this race."

"Everyone should be taking more chances now," he concluded.