Tadej Pogachar returns to Belgium for the Ardennes Classics and will lead UAE Team Emirates with Marc Hirsch in Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday and Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday.

The leader of UAE Team Emirates has not raced since finishing fourth in the Tour of Flanders and will finish a long spring block of classics and stage races over the weekend to rest up and prepare for the Tour de France.

Pogachar won the 2021 Liège-Bastogne-Liège and has shown talent in both Grand Tours and mountain classics.

"I return to the Ardennes with great memories of last year. I can look back on it very fondly. It was a dream come true to win in Liège and I feel a good connection with this race," Pogachar said.

"The team is very dynamic in this Ardennes race. I have good form and I think I can do well. But overall the team is very strong and there are always favorable options."

Pogachar and Hirschi will be supported by talented young Spaniards Juan Ayuso, Marc Soler, Vegard Stake Rengen, Jan Polank, and Diego Ulissi, with George Bennett replacing Ayuso in Liege-Bastogne-Liege ...

Pogachar has already raced 18 days in 2022, winning the UAE Tour and Strade Bianche in a 50km solo attack and Tirreno-Adriatico.

Mixing up the races like a recent Tour de France winner, Pogachar finished 5th in Milan-San Remo, 10th in Dwars door Hlaanderen, and 4th in Tour de Flanders. In the Ronde, he attacked with Mathieu Van der Pol, but hesitated in the last kilometer, allowing Dylan Van Baarle and Valentin Maduas to join him. Pogachar was involved in a sprint contest and lashed out at Van Baarle.

"After the Tour de Flanders, I went to test the pavé sector for the Tour de France.

"It was pretty hard, but it gave us an idea of what to expect before the Tour.

"Then I had a couple of days off; I've done a lot of racing since the UAE Tour, so it was nice to get back home and train normally. I enjoy this job, so it was good to have a bit of routine."