Schlagwort-Archive: ASO

Tro-Bro Léon – 208 Km

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1 HOFSTETTER Hugo FRA TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 05:07:15
2 MOZZATO Luca ITA B&B HOTELS-KTM 00:00
3 SWIFT Connor GBR TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:09
4 DE ROOIJ Jesse NED BIKE AID 00:30
5 WATSON Sam GBR GROUPAMA-FDJ 00:30
6 LOUVEL Matis FRA TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:30
7 PICHON Laurent FRA TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:30
8 VAN NIEKERK Morne RSA ST MICHEL-AUBER 93 00:30
9 DUJARDIN Sandy FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:30
10 LADAGNOUS Matthieu FRA GROUPAMA-FDJ 00:33
11 BEULLENS Cédric BEL LOTTO SOUDAL 00:35
12 KRON Andreas DEN LOTTO SOUDAL 01:12
13 VERMEERSCH Florian BEL LOTTO SOUDAL 01:16
14 DELETTRE Alexandre FRA COFIDIS 01:35
15 PLANCKAERT Baptiste BEL INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT 02:04

Lannilis, Sunday, May 15th 2022 – Rain played a significant role in the thirty-eighth edition of the Tro Bro Leon and the storyline of a nervous race, requiring riders to demonstrate their endurance, resistance, luck, clarity and agility. Hugo Hofstetter (Team Arkea Samsic) wins the race ahead of Luca Mozzato (B&B Hotels – KTM) and Connor Swift (Team Arkea Samsic).

The race started at 11.44 am with 22 teams and 152 riders, without former French champion Anthony Roux (Groupama-FDJ), who withdrew after a crash on Saturday in the Grand Prix du Morbihan. As the rain poured down, Marc Sarreau (AG2R-Citroën), Martin Urianstad (Uno-X Pro), Morné Van Niekerk (St-Michel – Auber 93) and Charles-Etienne Chrétien (Premier Tech U23) broke away as the peloton exited Porspoder (km 16). Their lead peaked at six minutes at the beginning of the first dirt sector (km 44) at the close of the opening hour.

TotalEnergies takes matters into its hands.
It stopped raining briefly at Saint-Divy when the TotalEnergies team was the first to start the chase at Km 70. The gap progressively shrank, falling to 4:25s at the beginning of the sixth of the 29 dirt sectors (“ribinou”), where many riders who suffered punctures.
Marc Sarreau broke his rear wheel with 90 kilometres to go. But he regained his position in the leading group, whilst Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) accelerated hard on a series of dirt sectors that caused several punctures and crashes. The UAE-Team Emirates team paid a heavy price for their bad luck, with Mikkel Bjerg and Rui Oliveira retiring from the race.
On the seventh dirt sector, Anthony Turgis attacked and formed the lead group with defending Tro Bro Leon winner Connor Swift (Arkea-Samsic), Arnaud De Lie and Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) before a peloton of some 60 riders formed again.
The race of the leading riders was still troubled by the punctures of Morné Van Niekerk and Martin Urianstad, with 71 kilometres to go. They regained their spots in the lead group before Marc Sarreau was dropped on the thirteenth dirt sector on the Kervidot climb.
Team TotalEnergies accelerated several times with Anthony Turgis and Niki Terpstra, whereas Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) was dropped and then retired. With 55 kilometres remaining, the breakaway held onto a 50- second lead from the peloton, led by Arkea-Samsic, which until then had avoided any bad luck.

Arkea-Samsic shows collective strength
Using their collective strength, the Breton team made a difference in the strategic “La Ferme” ribin. Clément Russo and Connor Swift took sixteen riders with them. After several accelerations, the defending winner of the Tro Bro Leon, Connor Swift accelerated with 26 kilometres to go. His teammate Laurent Pichon caught him three kilometres later in ribin 23 at Mescleguer, followed in the next dirt sector by 2021 Paris-Roubaix runner-up, Florian Verneersch (Lotto-Soudal), and Luca Mozzato (B&B Hotels-KTM). Stan De Wulf (AG2R-Citroën) was also in this group, but he crashed before the junction.

Hugo Hofstetter raises his arm, finally!
Fifteen kilometres from the finish, Baptiste Planckaert (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), third in the 2021 Tro Bro Leon, tried to counter-attack with Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa-Samsic) but suffered a puncture. Hofstetter re-joined the front of the race just as Florian Vermeersch got a flat tyre. The leading group then consisted of the three Arkea-Samsic riders and the Italian Mozzato.
On the second pass of the “La Ferme” ribin, Laurent Pichon fell victim to a puncture. He re-joined the race with the chasing group at 30 seconds.
The battle for the victory came down to Hofstetter, Mozzato and Connor Swift. The French rider won the sprint ahead of his Italian counterpart to take his first victory of the year. Up until today, he had finished on the podium seven times since the beginning of the season.

Top 10
1) Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic les 207,8 km, 5h07’15’’
2) Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels-KTM +0’’
3) Connor Swift (G-B), Team Arkea-Samsic +9’’
4) Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto-Soudal +30’’
5) Samuel Watson (G-B) Groupama-FDJ +30’’
6) Matis Louvel (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic +30’’
7) Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic +30’’
8) Morné Van Niekerk (Afs) St-Michel – Auber 93 +30’’
9) Stan Dewulf (Bel) AG2R-Citroën Team +30’’
10) Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama-FDJ +30’’

QUOTE OF THE WINNER

“Since the beginning of the season I was sure of my strengths. I knew it was a matter of time. Last year my team made the difference by toughening up the race in the same farm sector. This year we followed the same game plan. We knew where we were going. Our numerical superiority made the difference. In the final run, despite my cramps, I believed in myself and I did sprint for the win.”
@ASO

Eschborn-Frankfurt – 185 Km

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Photo by HERBERT MOOS

Photo by HERBERT MOOS
Photos by HERBERT MOOS

1 BENNETT Sam IRL BORA – HANSGROHE 04:27:52
2 GAVIRIA Fernando COL UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
3 KRISTOFF Alexander NOR INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRIAUX 00:00
4 BAUHAUS Phil GER BAHRAIN – VICTORIOUS 00:00
5 VAN POPPEL Danny NED BORA – HANSGROHE 00:00
6 THEUNS Edward BEL TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00
7 DE LIE Arnaud BEL LOTTO SOUDAL 00:00
8 CONSONNI Simone ITA COFIDIS 00:00
9 ALLEGAERT Piet BEL COFIDIS 00:00
10 MANZIN Lorrenzo FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:00
11 PHILIPSEN Jasper BEL ALPECIN-FENIX 00:00
12 WARLOP Jordi BEL B&B HOTELS – KTM 00:00
13 GALLOPIN Tony FRA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00
14 DUJARDIN Sandy FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:00
15 VAN DEN BERG Marijn NED EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST 00:00


Photo by Plomi

Sam Bennett holt bei Eschborn-Frankfurt den Heimsieg für BORA – hansgrohe

Für BORA – hansgrohe stand heute mit Eschborn-Frankfurt das erste Rennen der Saison vor heimischem Publikum auf dem Programm. 183,9 anspruchsvolle Kilometer mit acht Anstiegen im Taunus gefolgt von einem flachen Rundkurs in der Innenstadt von Frankfurt am Main. Die verbliebenen Ausreißer des Tages wurden 40km vor dem Ziel gestellt. BORA – hansgrohe konnte mit perfekter Teamarbeit vom Start bis zum finalen Lead-Out das Rennen bestimmen und mit Sam Bennett einen grandiosen Heimsieg holen.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Heute hat einfach alles gepasst! Mein letzter Sieg war 350 Tage her und es war wirklich an der Zeit wieder als Sieger ein Rennen zu beenden, ich bin einfach nur glücklich heute. Das Team hat vom Start weg das Rennen bestimmt, kontrolliert und super für mich gearbeitet. Danny van Poppel hat mich perfekt positioniert und ich musste es nur noch über die Ziellinie bringen. 100km vor dem Ziel hatte ich mit Krämpfen zu kämpfen, konnte mich aber zum Glück wieder erholen vor dem schnellen Finale in Frankfurt. Ich möchte mich bei allen bedanken, die an mich geglaubt haben während der letzten Zeit!“ Sam Bennett

„Wir hatten einen Plan und den hat jeder Fahrer perfekt umgesetzt heute. Auf Sam Bennett zu fahren war ganz klar unser Plan A, über Plan B mussten wir erst gar nicht nachdenken. Es ist schön zu sehen, wie wirklich jeder Fahrer 110% für diesen Sieg gegeben und sich aufgeopfert hat. In den letzten Wochen ist es oft nicht Plan gelaufen, umso wichtiger war dieser Sieg vor heimischem Publikum. Nachdem fast jede Mannschaft einen Sprinter dabei hatte war zwar klar, dass das Rennen auf einen Sprint hinaus laufen würde, nichtsdestotrotz aber mussten wir sehr viel arbeiten und dem Rennen unseren Stempel aufdrücken – hat sich ausgezahlt!“ Jens Zemke, Sportlicher Leiter


Photo by Plomi

Sam Bennett beschert BORA-hansgrohe Heimsieg beim Radklassiker Eschborn-Frankfurt

Sam Bennett (BORA-hansgrohe) hat die 61. Austragung des Radklassikers Eschborn-Frankfurt gewonnen und seinem Team den zweiten Heimsieg nach 2019 beschert. Der Gewinner des Grünen Trikots der Tour de France siegte nach 183,9 Kilometern im Sprint Royale vor der Alten Oper in der Frankfurter City. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) und der viermalige Sieger Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) fuhren auf das Podium, Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) wurde als bester Deutscher Vierter.

Schon kurz nachdem der Sportliche Leiter Fabian Wegmann den Start des UCI WordTour-Rennens in Eschborn freigegeben hatte, bildete sich eine fünfköpfige Spitzengruppe um den ehemaligen Tour-de-France-Etappensieger Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels KTM). Mit dem Franzosen ergriffen Johan Meens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Juan Antonio Lopez (Burgos BH), Daan Hoole (Trek-Segafredo) und Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen Baloise) die Flucht. Auf dem Feldberg hatte das Quintett mehr als drei Minuten Vorsprung auf das Hauptfeld.


Photo by Plomi

Bis zur ersten Passage des legendären Mammolhainer Stichs war der Vorsprung auf 2:15 Minuten zusammengeschrumpft, bei der zweiten Überfahrt bereits auf 1:35 Minuten. Das nutzten die deutschen Fahrer Jonas Rutsch (EF Eduaction-EasyPost) und Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) für erste Attacken aus dem Feld. Das Vorhaben wurde zwar rasch vereitelt, doch der Vorstoß sorgte dafür, dass einige Ausreißer bereits 85 Kilometer vor dem Ziel gestellt wurden. Nur Rolland und Meens retteten sich über die Steigung in Richtung Ruppertshainer Berg. Dort war es aber auch um den Belgier geschehen, Rolland setzte seine Flucht solo fort.
Der sehr aktive Jonas Rutsch nahm daraufhin die Verfolgung auf und schloss mit drei weiteren Fahrern zu Rolland auf.

Photo by Plomi
Das Quintett nahm die dritte Überfahrt des Mammolshainer Bergs mit rund 40 Sekunden Vorsprung in Angriff. In der vierten und finalen Mammolshain-Passage waren dann alle Ausreißer gestellt.

Sprint Royale vor der Alten Oper
Geschlossen ging das noch etwa 100 Fahrer starke Feld mit allen Favoriten auf die letzten 40 Kilometer hinein in die Mainmetropole. Hauptsächlich war es der Schweizer Meister Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Fenix), der das Peloton für seinen Sprinter, den Vorjahressieger Jasper Philipsen, zusammenhielt. Doch auf der letzten der drei Schlussrunden übernahm zunächst Israel-Premier Tech die Führung, ehe BORA-hansgrohe auf der Zielgeraden an die Spitze fuhr und Sam Bennett den Sprint mustergültig anzog.

Statements vom Podium

Sam Bennett: „Das Team war fantastisch, hat mich gut geschützt. Beim zweiten Mal am Mammolshainer habe ich das Team gebeten, das Tempo zu erhöhen. Das ging fast nach hinten los, da ich bei der dritten Überfahrt Krämpfe bekam. Das Finale war nervös, in der letzten Kurve hat Danny van Poppel mich aber sehr gut nach vorn gebracht und einen perfekten Leadout gefahren. Es ist mein erster Sieg seit meiner Rückkehr zu BORA-hansgrohe. Sie haben die letzten Monate an mich geglaubt. Dass es beim Heimspiel meiner Mannschaft geklappt hat, macht diesen Sieg sehr speziell.“

Fernando Gaviria: „Das Rennen ist für uns Sprinter sehr hart. Mein Team hat den ganzen Tag auf mich geachtet. Am letzten Mammolshainer habe ich leider meinen Leadout verloren, war deshalb im Finale allein. Deshalb bin ich mit dem zweiten Platz sehr glücklich, das stimmt mich zuversichtlich für den Giro d‘Italia.“

Alexander Kristoff: „Ich mag dieses Rennen und die fantastischen Zuschauer. Wir hatten eine offene Taktik, mit Biniam Girmay, der sehr stark klettert. Deshalb wollten wir das Rennen schwer machen, aber das Feld war am Ende trotzdem noch groß. Ich habe mich gut gefühlt, deshalb sind wir den Sprint für mich gefahren. Leider waren wir etwas zu früh vorn, Sam und Fernando haben uns dann mit Überschuss überholt. Leider hat es mit dem Sieg nicht geklappt, aber nächstes Jahr komme ich hoffentlich wieder.“

Feiertag am 1. Mai
Mit dem Traditionstermin kehrten auch die Zuschauer*innen an die Strecke des Radklassikers zurück und sorgten für die passende Feiertagsstimmung am 1. Mai. Vom Start in Eschborn über die Strecken-Hotspots im Taunus bis zur Schleife in Frankfurt feierten die Fans den ganzen Tag über die großen und kleinen Fahrer*innen. Bereits am Sonntagmorgen läutete die ŠKODA Velotour, zu der sich 6.200 Teilnehmende gemeldet hatten, den Radklassiker ein.

Eschborn-Frankfurt: Vorschau auf den Radklassiker am 1. Mai

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Der Auftakt in den Mai eröffnet traditionell auch die Saison deutscher Profi-Rennen. Nach zwei Jahren Pause findet Eschborn-Frankfurt wieder am Traditionstermin statt. Zurück am 1. Mai ist auch die typische Radklassiker-Atmosphäre. Bei bestem Frühlingswetter werden am Start in Eschborn, an den Taunus-Ikonen und im Zielbereich in der Frankfurter City zahlreiche Fans erwartet. 60 Jahre nach der Erstaustragung des Rennens liefert der Radsport-Feiertag wieder die passende Kulisse.

Elite-Rennen
Die Profis starten am Sonntag um 12:15 Uhr in Eschborn. Für sie sind 183,9 Kilometer auf dem Weg durch den Taunus bis zum Ziel in Frankfurt vorgesehen. Fans, die ihren Besuch an der Strecke planen möchten, finden unter verkehr.eschborn-frankfurt.de die Durchfahrtszeiten der Profis an den Schlüsselpunkten des Taunus-Kurses. Ab 16:30 Uhr erwarten die Besucherinnen und Besucher an der Alten Oper den Gewinner des Radklassikers 2022.

Zu den Favoriten gehören neben dem Gewinner aus dem vergangenen Jahr, Jaspar Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), auch Lokalmatador John Degenkolb (Team DSM) und Seriensieger Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux). Aus deutscher Sicht sind die Augen auf Jonas Rutsch (EF Education – EasyPost) gerichtet, der sein Debüt bei der Profi-Ausgabe seines Heimrennens gibt. Auch Deutschland Tour-Gewinner Nils Politt (BORA-hansgrohe) und Rick Zabel (Israel – Premier Tech), Zweiter im Jahr 2017, freuen sich auf das erste Rennen der Saison vor deutschen Fans.

ŠKODA Velotour
Mehr als 6.000 Teilnehmende werden auf den drei Routen der ŠKODA Velotour erwartet. Sie starten zwischen 08:45 und 09:45 Uhr in Eschborn zu ihren 40, 88 oder 100 Kilometern. Ob die kurze, flache Strecke oder alle Taunus-Ikonen auf der längsten Distanz gefahren werden, entscheidet die Frühlingsform. Zurück sind in diesem Jahr viele Services für Jedefrau und Jedermann: Pasta-Party, Nach-Ziel-Verpflegung, Siegerehrungen und Expo machen den 1. Mai zum Erlebnis.
Wer mit Blick auf die Wetterprognose einen frühlingshaften Sonntag auf abgesperrten Straßen verbringen möchte, kann sich am Wochenende in Eschborn nachmelden und die Startunterlagen gleich mitnehmen.

Sieben Rennen für den Nachwuchs
Schüler- und Jugendrennen auf einem WorldTour-Kurs am gleichen Tag, wie die Profis? Das gibt es nur beim Radklassiker. Um 10:40 Uhr starten die lizensierten Vereinsfahrer der U11, U13, U15 und U17 zum Süwag Energie Nachwuchs-Cup. Direkt nach den Nachwuchsfahrern feiert um 14:00 Uhr das VGF – alle fahren mit – Inklusionsrennen sein Comeback an der Alten Oper. Kurz bevor die Profis auf ihre Zielrunden einbiegen, bekommen dann die Kleinsten ihre große Bühne. Um 15:00 Uhr lockt die „kinder Joy of Moving mini tour“ Kids Bike Parade Kinder bis zwölf Jahre auf ihre Räder. Kurz darauf lassen die Kids ab zwei Jahren beim Laufradrennen auf der Zielgerade viele Augen leuchten.

TV-Übertragung
Als einziges deutsches Radrennen bietet der Radklassiker den Fans eine komplette, fünfstündige Live-Übertragung. Dank der aufwendigen Produktion des hr entgeht den Fans vom Start in Eschborn bis zum Ziel in Frankfurt keine Sekunde des Renngeschehens. Neben drei Kamera-Motorrädern sind vier Helikopter im Einsatz. Dazu sind vier stationäre Kameras am Mammolshainer Stich und elf Kameras im Zielbereich aufgebaut. Die TV-Bilder werden in 190 Ländern im TV und in digitalen Formaten gezeigt.
Um 12:00 Uhr startet der hr mit seinem Programm im TV und im Live-Stream auf hessenschau.de.

Liège – Bastogne – Liège – 257 Km

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Photo by HERBERT MOOS

1 EVENEPOEL Remco BEL QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 06:12:38
2 HERMANS Quinten BEL INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 00:48
3 VAN AERT Wout BEL JUMBO – VISMA 00:48
4 MARTINEZ Daniel Felipe COL INEOS GRENADIERS 00:48
5 HIGUITA Sergio Andres COL BORA – HANSGROHE 00:48
6 TEUNS Dylan BEL BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:48
7 VALVERDE Alejandro ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 00:48
8 POWLESS Neilson USA EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST 00:48
9 HIRSCHI Marc SUI UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:48
10 WOODS Michael CAN ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:48
11 HAIG Jack AUS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 00:48
12 MAS Enric ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 00:48
13 FUGLSANG Jakob DEN ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:48
14 VLASOV Aleksandr RUS BORA – HANSGROHE 00:52
15 BARGUIL Warren FRA TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 01:36
16 ARMIRAIL Bruno FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 01:36
17 STANNARD Robert AUS ALPECIN – FENIX 02:30
18 MOLARD Rudy FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 02:30
19 MEURISSE Xandro BEL ALPECIN – FENIX 02:30
20 PACHER Quentin FRA GROUPAMA – FDJ 02:30
21 VUILLERMOZ Alexis FRA TOTALENERGIES 02:30
22 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 02:30
23 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL QUICK-STEP ALPHA VINYL TEAM 02:30
24 COSNEFROY Benoit FRA AG2R CITROEN TEAM 02:30
25 KRAGH ANDERSEN Søren DEN TEAM DSM 02:30
26 POZZOVIVO Domenico ITA INTERMARCHE – WANTY – GOBERT MATERIAUX 02:30
27 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Ion ESP COFIDIS 02:30
28 WILSLY Jonas DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 02:30
29 MOLLEMA Bauke NED TREK – SEGAFREDO 02:30
30 NIBALI Vincenzo ITA ASTANA – QAZAQSTAN TEAM 02:30


Photo by HERBERT MOOS

It’s Liège at first sight for Evenepoel

Veni, vidi, Remco. The Belgian rider took over Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s leadership baton from his teammate Julian Alaphilippe, who crashed out of contention with 62 kilometres to go, and pulled off an amazing solo ride to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège on his maiden participation in La Doyenne. No one could match Evenepoel’s impressive attack atop the legendary Côte de la Redoute, and all the attempts to bring him back afterwards turned out fruitless. Intermarché-Wanty Gobert’s Quinten Hermans was the quickest in the sprint of the chase group, with Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert coming home third. It’s the first time Liège-Bastogne-Liège has had a full Belgian podium since 1976.

172 riders took the start on the 108th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège at 10:21 as there were three non-starters: Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Kamiel Bonneu (Sport Vlaanderen). It was five kilometres into the race that Lotto-Soudal’s Sylvain Moniquet first opened up a gap. He was quickly joined by his teammate Harm Vanhoucke, Groupama-FDJ’s Bruno Armirail, Uno-X’s Jacob Madsen and TotalEnergies’ Fabien Doubey. Many groups tried to follow their example, yet failed to do so as Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl didn’t grant any leeway to the attackers until kilometer 40, when Pau Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma), Baptiste Planckaert (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert), Paul Ourselin (TotalEnergies), Marco Tizza, Kenny Molly and Luc Wirtgen (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces) managed to go clear and finally reached the front of the race 17 kilometres later to establish a 11-strong breakaway. Meanwhile, Sport Vlaanderen’s Gilles de Wilde tried to counter as well, but failed to bridge back and gave up atop the Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne (km 76,8).

A huge crash gave knocked the race into shape
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Jumbo-Visma, Movistar Team and Bahrain Victorious took turns at the helm of the bunch to keep tabs on the breakaway, which registered a maximum gap of 6’30” clocked at kilometer 101, as the race went past Bastogne. The array of climbs between the kilometers 165 and 190 split the break by half, as Vanhoucke’s pace uphill proved too high for Miquek, Planckaert, Tizza, Molly and Madsen. Meanwhile, the bunch cut the gap down to 3’00” atop the Côte de la Haute-Levée (km 187). It was in a small descent on the way to the Col du Rosier (km 201,2), with 62 kilometres to go and Bahrain Victorious leading the way, that a huge crash happened in the bunch, making 30 riders hit the deck and forcing many more to stop. Amongst the most affected, pre-race favourites like Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Romain Bardet (Team DSM) or Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe). The peloton was reduced to 60 riders for a minute, until being reinforced by several groups that had been caught on the wrong side of the cut provoked by the crash. This is how Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team), Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe) or Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) came back to contention.

Evenepoel’s unmatchable acceleration
As has happened many times in the history of this race, the Côte de la Redoute (km 227,7) was key on the outcome of this edition. Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl led the reduced pack both on its approach and its steeper ramps. Near the summit, with just 29 kilometres to go, Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) made good use of the work deployed by his teammates Louis Vervaeke and Mauri Vansevenant to put on an impressive acceleration – an no one had an answer to it. The Belgian rider went on to catch Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), who by then was the last man standing from the day’s breakaway, with 22 kilometers to go. They began the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (km 243,8) with 30” on the pack, where many teams were contributed to keep tabs on the move. Evenepoel dropped Armirail early on the climb and undertook his successful solo raid to victory. The many attacks that happened behind were not good enough to bring his gap down, as he indeed came home with a comfortable 48-second advantage on the first chase group.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes – 142 Km

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1 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 03:52:32
2 BROWN Grace AUS FDJ NOUVELLE – AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 00:43
3 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:43
4 MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh RSA TEAM SD WORX 00:43
5 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:43
6 CAVALLI Marta ITA FDJ NOUVELLE – AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 00:47
7 SIERRA CANADILLA Arlenis CUB MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:58
8 LIPPERT Liane GER TEAM DSM 01:58
9 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 01:58
10 SPRATT Amanda AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 01:58
11 ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena NED CANYON // SRAM RACING 01:58
12 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 02:05
13 GARCIA CAÑELLAS Margarita Victo ESP UAE TEAM ADQ 02:55
14 KOSTER Anouska NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 02:55
15 PALADIN Soraya ITA CANYON // SRAM RACING 02:55
16 VAN ANROOIJ Shirin NED TREK – SEGAFREDO 02:55
17 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEZ Ane ESP TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 02:55
18 FISHER-BLACK Niamh NZL TEAM SD WORX 02:55
19 KASTELIJN Yara NED PLANTUR-PURA 02:55
20 MUZIC Evita FRA FDJ NOUVELLE – AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE 02:55

Van Vleuten flies again in the Ardennes

After a series of places of 2nd in recent classics, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team Women) capped off her spring with an impressive one-woman show on the final ascents of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes. Already a winner in the Ardent City in 2019, the Dutch star put the hammer down on the Côte de la Redoute, and eventually went solo on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. The ITT Olympic champion then made the most of her power to hold off her rivals and claim victory ahead of Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) and Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx). With a second victory in Liège, Van Vleuten matches Anna van der Breggen’s record (winner in 2017 and 2018) and maintains the Dutch dominance.
Liège Bastogne Liège Femmes 2022 – Stage summary

It’s an early and fast start for the 128 riders setting off from Bastogne at 8:35. Despite some headwinds, the pace is high from the gun, with some early downhill sections. It takes many attempts and 32km of battle for a group of four attackers to make the break with Magdeleine Vallieres Mill (EF Education-Tibco-SVB), Jeanne Korevaar, Quinty Ton (Liv Racing Xstra) and Flora Perkins (Le Col-Wahoo).

The early attackers don’t make it far
The peloton control the gap under 2 minutes on the way to the first ascent of the day, Côte de Mont-le-Soie, to be summited at km 55.3. Flora Perkins is the first rider over the top.
The peloton move closer on the Côte de Wanne (km 63.6) and Team SD Worx set a strong pace on the way to Côte de La Haute-Levée (km 72). The gap is down to 15’’ at the bottom of the ascent. The attackers are reeled in on the climb and Ton is the last breakaway rider to be caught, 500m from the summit.

An impressive counter-attack
A new group of attackers gets away ahead of the ascent of the Col du Rosier with some strong contenders: Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), Sara Martin (Movistar), Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo), Soraya Paladin (Canyon//Sram Racing), Evita Muzic (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), Amanda Spratt (Team BikeExchange), Leah Kirchmann (Team DSM) and Clara Honsinger (EF Education-Tibco-SVB).
UAE Team ADQ try to organise the chase, but the gap is up to 1’10’’ at Col du Rosier (km 82.6). The attackers push their lead to 1’30’’ on the climb up Côte de Desnié (km 99.5).

Van Vleuten moves on La Redoute
The peloton pick up the pace as the main favourites battle for the front positions ahead of the main ascents of the day. The gap is down to 1’ at the bottom of Côte de La Redoute. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx) light the first fireworks on the ascent, then Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) puts the hammer down.
The Dutch star, winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes in 2019, bridges the gap to the front of the race and keeps pushing. Only Marlen Reusser manages to follow her over the top. But the chasers only trail by 10’’ and a group of 16 favourites get back together with 22.5km to go.

Van Vleuten flies up la Roche-aux-Faucons
Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) immediately counter-attacks and opens a gap of 23’’ at the bottom of the final ascent of the day. Van Vleuten attacks again and goes solo at the front of the race 500m away from the summit of Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. Her lead is up to 12’’ over the top, with 13.4km to go to the finish in Liège.
She enters the last 10km with a lead of 20’’. And increases her lead to 30’’ for the last 3km, giving herself all the time necessary to celebrate victory. Grace Brown dominates the sprint for 2nd ahead of Demi Vollering.
@ASO

LIÈGE-BASTOGNE-LIÈGE 2022: INFO WITH ONE DAY TO GO

Eintagsrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key information:
 On the eve of the 108th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the reigning champion Tadej Pogacar announced he wouldn’t defend his victory at the helm of UAE Team Emirates. In his absence, and with a reshuffled finale, the tactics open up.
 While Philippe Gilbert bids farewell to his home Monument, Belgian fans will also turn their attention to the first participation of Remco Evenepoel, teaming up with two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe, and Wout van Aert, lining-up in Liège a week after a strong return on the roads of Paris-Roubaix.

JEAN-MICHEL MONIN : “A MORE OPEN RACE”
In its 108th edition, Liège-Bastogne-Liège is experiencing a route change in its finale, for reasons directly linked to the floods that affected the region in July 2021. “When we did the recons, the road leading to Côte des Forges was impracticable”, says Jean-Michel Monin, in charge of the route of the Doyenne. “And we did not want to ask the road services to restore it for the race when there were more important priorities on the human level. Removing the passage via the Côte des Forges was therefore not a sporting choice, but it could have consequences for the race scenario.” There are no difficulties listed between the Côte de la Redoute (km 227.7) and the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (km 243.8), where the key attacks were launched since the finish returned to the city center of Liège, in 2019. But, although it’s not listed as one of the climbs of the day, “passing through Sprimont, Côte du Hornay can’t be disregarded”, Monin explains. “I have a feeling some teams will try to make things hard and they’ll climb La Redoute at a very high pace. And with Tadej Pogacar’s unfortunate absence, it may be a more open race, with the decisive attack going much before La Roche-aux-Faucons.”

WOUT VAN AERT: “I JUST HAVE TO TRY AND FOLLOW THE BEST CLIMBERS”
The Belgian fervour may very well reach new highs on Sunday. It will be the last Liège-Bastogne-Liège of “Phil Gil”, only a few days after Dylan Teuns won La Flèche. The 108th edition will also mark the first participation of Remco Evenepoel (22 years old) … And the same goes with the national champion Wout van Aert, who could very well claim victory in his first attempt. Although his classics campaign was disrupted by illness, as he contracted Covid-19 ahead of Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Belgian star had a strong performance in Paris-Roubaix (2nd). “It was difficult to know what to expect but luckily everything turned out pretty good. It was a big surprise for me to be on the podium. For the first two days after Roubaix, the legs felt quite terrible but from Wednesday on I tried to change my mind and focus on this race with some good training. For me, it may be the easiest classic to ride. I just have to try and follow. It will be hard of course, but there isn’t much tactic about it. I try to follow the best climbers, and if possible I’ll be there in the finale. We try to be with Jonas [Vingegaard], Tiesj [Benoot] and myself in the finale. If we can survive the last climb and end up in the front group, hopefully we will have one more rider than some of the other teams.”

PHILIPPE GILBERT’S LAST TIME ON HIS DEAREST RACE
Tomorrow morning, Philippe Gilbert will start Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the 17th and last time in his career. He brings one step further the record number of participations he already held in a race very dear to him, not only due to his victory in 2011. The former world champion grew up in Remouchamps, at the bottom of the Côte de La Redoute. His fans have already painted the road to celebrate “Phil” and they’re ready to cheer for him. His last top 10 in Liège dates back to 2014 (8th) but the Walloon is eager to race his home Monument in front of his home crowds: “It’s a pleasure to be here, to feel the warmth of the fans. At the beginning of my career, I thought it would be complicated for me but I still managed to win it once in my life, and it means a lot to me.”

HUNGRY WOLFPACK FOR THE FINAL SPRING CLASSIC
For each and every Belgian team, the Spring Classics are one of the key points of the season. For a successful one like Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, coming out of it without a single victory and having recorded just a podium place on their books (Kasper Asgreen, 3rd on Strade Bianche) in those one-day races on the top-tier of this sport makes for a below-par campaign. “The team is not in a good situation,” accepted Remco Evenepoel on a press conference held on Friday via Zoom. “But we have been closer to victory on these last races, and we are hungry for this last Classic.” The phenomenon from Aalst will have Julian Alaphilippe’s wealth of experience by his side. “It’s easier to do a first Liège along with Julian,” says the youngster. “I’d like to win this race at some point in my career, yet it takes some experience to manage it… and I have a perfect teammate to learn from on Sunday.” As for the current rainbow jersey holder, who has finished second twice in La Doyenne, on top of his relegation from 2nd to 5th in 2020, he points how winning here is “a dream” for him. “It’s easy to understand: it’s a Monument – one of the most beautiful races of every season. I’ve been a player here many times – but I’ve never won! It’s a hard race to win.”

MAURO GIANETTI: “THE HUMAN SIDE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR US”
Defending Liège-Bastogne-Liège champion Tadej Pogacar won’t be able to take the start tomorrow as he had to go back to Slovenia to support his partner, whose mother passed away this week. His manager at UAE Team Emirates, Mauro Gianetti, pleads the team’s full support to Pogacar in these difficult moments: “For us, the human side is the most important. This was the last goal of Tadej’s spring campaign, but the season is long and right now he needs to take a break and devote his energy to this situation his family is going through.” In any case, UAE Team Emirates is still bidding for victory tomorrow at La Doyenne. “The race changes a bit for us, but the focus remains the same as we will try to win the race. We have very strong riders in our line-up, such as Marc Hirschi, Brandon McNulty or Marc Soler, who will be able to play their own chances.”

VALVERDE TOUTED AS “MAIN FAVOURITE” ON THE EVE OF HIS FINAL LIÈGE
It’s the final Ardennes campaign for Alejandro Valverde, he who holds the record for most podiums at both Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he who bears the perfect skillset to shine in these hilly races of attrition often resolved on a sprint, he who keeps racing at age 41 with the same spirit and devotion as when he first pinned a back number on as a professional rider twenty years ago. “It’s my last time in Liège and I feel good. Hopefully my feeling tomorrow will be great, and my rivals’ will not!”, he tells us jokingly, aware that his 2nd position atop the Mur de Huy on Wednesday extends and enhances his credentials as a rider to follow. “I believe he is the main favorite for tomorrow,” asserts his teammate Enric Mas wholeheartedly. “Liège-Bastogne-Liège means a lot to me. It’s the sole Monument I’ve won, and in fact I’m the only Spanish rider to have won this race,” says the rider from Murcia, who doesn’t hesitate before the prospect of passing on Movistar Team’s leadership baton to the aforementioned Mas. “He can also do well in this race as it suits him. The final kilometres we had on previous years were better for him, and for me as well, as they featured more climbs and an uphill finish – but it’s still a hard race on which Enric can excel.”

FUGLSANG: “WINNING FROM A SOLO BREAK IS POSSIBLE”
The Côte des Forges will not feature on this year’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and this brings back the discussion on the fruitfulness of long-range attacks. The Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons has been the launching pad for the winning riders to fly off the rest of contenders in the last four editions of the race. Look no further than to Jakob Fuglsang, current Israel-PremierTech rider and winner of the 2019 edition, the first one to finish in the city center of Liège in this modern era. “It is of course a bit more difficult to make it solo to the finish. But it is not impossible. With this years’ route, with no climbs between La Redoute and La Roche-aux-Faucons, the chance for the race to open up earlier is bigger. It’s good for the race. We don’t know exactly how we will play our cards tomorrow, but we hope to have two guys battling for victory – Michael Woods and me.” One year before Fuglsang it was Bob Jungels who triumphed by attacking on La Roche-aux-Faucons to go solo all the way to the finish line of Ans. Yet he is not confident this scenario will be reenacted tomorrow. “Back in the day, there were many climbs to make a difference after La Roche-aux-Faucons. Right now, it is no longer the case as it’s the very last climb. It’s more difficult for a lone escapee to win the race. I think the current profile favors riders who can sprint fast.” A chance to break this pattern is attacking further out, as Jens Voigt and Alexandre Vinokourov did in 2005 with their successful attack in the Col du Rosier, with 55 kilometres to go. A style of racing that suits Tim Wellens. “I’m going to try and attack for the win tomorrow – that’s for sure. I hope the moves will start early because I think it would be difficult for me to fight with the best in La Roche-aux-Faucons. Hopefully it will be full gas from the Col du Rosier.”

Eschborn – Frankfurt: Große Namen peilen Radklassiker-Trophäe an

Eintagsrennen, Vorschau, ,

Zurück am Traditionstermin lockt Eschborn-Frankfurt große Radsport-Namen nach Hessen. Am 1. Mai trifft sich das Podium der 60. Radklassiker-Edition wieder. Youngster Jasper Philipsen hat bereits drei Saisonsiege auf dem Konto und wird selbstbewusst die Mission Titelverteidigung angehen. Genauso wie Philipsen wollen auch John Degenkolb und Alexander Kristoff die Trophäe zurückholen.

Das neue Team von Seriensieger Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux) geht mit mehreren Optionen auf den Taunuskurs. Nach dem Gewinn des Scheldeprijs und einer starken Vorstellung bei Paris-Roubaix wird Kristoff selbstbewusst den fünften Sieg bei einem seiner Lieblingsrennen ins Visier nehmen. Dazu sind Georg Zimmermann, der im letzten Jahr erst kurz vor dem Ziel gestellt wurde, und Biniam Girmay im Kader vorgesehen. Vor wenigen Wochen gewann der 21-Jährige Gent-Wevelgem und steigt in Eschborn wieder in den Rennbetrieb ein.

John Degenkolb bekommt in seinem neuem Team DSM mehrere deutsche Kollegen an die Seite gestellt. Mit Nico Denz kann er auf erfahrene Klassikerqualität bauen, Niklas Märkl unterstützt als junger, endschneller Fahrer den Lokalmatador. Die einzige deutsche WorldTour-Mannschaft, BORA-hansgrohe, setzt auf die Sprinterfraktion um Danny van Poppel und Sam Bennett sowie Nils Politt. Der Deutschland Tour-Gewinner ist für das Team die Option für ein offensives Rennen im Taunus.

Dagegen wird Pascal Ackermann auf den Sprint in Frankfurt setzen. 2019 konnte er im Meistertrikot vor der Alten Oper den Jubel der Fans genießen. Nach dem Wechsel in das UAE Team Emirates möchte Ackermann an diesen Erfolg anknüpfen. Teamkollege Fernando Gaviria feiert am 1. Mai sein Comeback, nachdem er sich beim Opening-Weekend der Klassiker-Saison das Schlüsselbein brach. Mit Rick Zabel und dem ehemaligen Europameister Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel – Premier Tech) oder Hugo Hofstetter (Team Arkéa – Samsic) treten weitere Sprinter den Kampf um wichtige WorldTour-Punkte an.

Sprungbrett für den Nachwuchs

Neben den etablierten Namen schreibt der Radklassiker auch Geschichten für den Nachwuchs. So steht für Jonas Rutsch (EF Education – EasyPost) das Debüt bei der Elite-Ausgabe seines Heimrennens an. Die U17-, U19- und U23-Ausgabe des Radklassikers hat der 24-jährige bereits auf dem Podium beendet – jetzt folgt der lang ersehnte Start bei den Profis. Diese Premiere feiert er gemeinsam mit Teamkollegen Georg Steinhauser, der 2018 Dritter in der Junioren-Ausgabe von Eschborn-Frankfurt wurde. Damals musste sich Rutsch im U23-Rennen nur Niklas Larsen geschlagen geben, der für sein Uno-X Pro Cycling Team am 1. Mai ebenfalls erstmals bei den Profis startet.

Radklassiker-Atmosphäre ohne Einschränkungen
Nicht nur der Traditionstermin, auch die typische Atmosphäre kehrt beim Radklassiker zurück. Überall an der Strecke sind wieder Fans ohne Beschränkungen zugelassen. Am Start in Eschborn, an den Taunus-Ikonen und im Zielbereich in der Frankfurter City rund um die Alte Oper erwartet die Besucher*innen nach zwei Jahren Pause wieder ein wahrer Radsportfeiertag.

ŠKODA Velotour mit mehr als 6.000 Teilnehmenden

Über den Jubel der Zuschauer*innen freuen sich auch die Starterinnen und Starter der ŠKODA Velotour. Bereits zehn Tage vor dem 1. Mai ist absehbar, dass die 6.000er-Marke auch in diesem Jahr überschritten wird. Die Vorfreude bei Jedefrau und Jedermann, auf abgesperrten Straßen Radklassiker-Atmosphäre zu erleben, ist groß. Die lange „Classic“-Distanz über 100 Kilometer ist ein wahrer Jedermann-Klassiker mit allen legendären Taunus-Anstiegen. Die mittlere „Express“-Variante über 88 Kilometer verzichtet auf den steilen Mammolshainer. Die ŠKODA Velotour Skyline bietet sich mit 40 nahezu komplett flachen Kilometern zwischen Eschborn und Frankfurt vor allem für Einsteiger*innen an. Wer sich einen Last Minute-Startplatz sichern möchte, kann diesen noch bis zum 28. April unter www.skoda-velotour.de buchen.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège : Van Aert is back

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points:
 The conclusions drawn from the Flèche Wallonne, won by Dylan Teuns ahead of Alejandro Valverde and Aleksandr Vlasov don’t change the prognosis for the 108th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Indeed, the verdict reached atop the Mur de Huy doesn’t affect the chances of Tadej Pogačar defending his title, of Julian Alaphilippe getting the title he has always dreamt of, or of the Spanish rider making a final farewell to the Ardennes.
 But the standouts of the Flèche Wallonne will be joined this weekend by several other contenders who are likely to make a formidable impact: Wout van Aert in his first participation in the Doyenne; Matej Mohorič as a credible candidate for a San Remo-Liège double; Valentin Madouas and Romain Bardet who lengthen the list of French riders who are in a position to excel.

There are some types of races where Tadej Pogačar struggles. On his third attempt at the Flèche Wallonne, the Slovenian Cannibal had to be satisfied with a 12th place finish that maybe exposes one of his rare limitations. But he remains a serious contender to defend his 2021 title on the quai des Ardennes in the Liège city centre. Last year, „Pogi“ made a move in the final metres to beat world champion Julian Alaphilippe in a sprint finish, who could find himself in the same jersey in the same context, despite a career-worst fourth place at the top of the Mur de Huy yesterday. Therefore, it would be a bit hasty to exclude him from the select list of the main favourites based on his performance on the Flèche. It is even more true for Alejandro Valverde, whose slight drop in form 50 meters from the finish line cost him a sixth victory. However, his second-place finish is proof that the four-time winner would still be a fine elder for the Doyenne. With the Flèche Wallonne demonstrating which riders are on form, Dylan Teuns will ride in the spotlight, although the finish on Sunday will be less advantageous for him than the formidable Mur de Huy. It won’t necessarily be the case for Aleksandr Vlasov, who will probably be able to complete the podium as he did on the Flèche. The excellent results of Michael Woods (5th) and Dani Martínez (6th) make them legitimate candidates for the win in Liège. The group of French riders led by Rudy Molard (8th), Warren Barguil (9th) and Alexis Vuillermoz (10th), closely followed by Benoit Cosnefroy (13th), also give them hope for a strong showing in Liège.
The Liège event that closes the spring classics season also attracts some formidable contenders that skipped the Mur de Huy. The most probable rider in this category is Wout van Aert, a cyclo-cross champion that it would be over-simplistic to put in the „Flemish“ box. His victory in the 2021 Amstel Gold Race is a reminder that he has a very favourable „Ardennes“ profile. The Belgian champion has never taken part in the Doyenne, but „Pogi“ has shown that an exceptional newcomer can aim high. His 2nd place on Paris-Roubaix was enough to confirm that his form hadn’t been seriously affected by his Covid troubles. Matej Mohorič, who also finished 5th on Paris-Roubaix, could once again play the role of the Slovenian, who is less expected. He was present in the 2020 final sprint, won by Primož Roglič, and has become even more after finishing fourth, especially with his victory in Milan-San Remo a few weeks ago. As for the French, Valentin Madouas is most likely the leading hope for Groupama-FDJ, whose David Gaudu finished on the podium in 2021 but didn’t compete in the Flèche due to a bout of bronchitis. However, Romain Bardet showed encouraging form at the Tour des Alpes, which could put him back on the same level as his 2018 podium (3rd), or even better. Lastly, Philippe Gilbert has saved himself for his favourite race, which he won in 2011 and on which he will add to his participation record after his 17th and final appearance. It is a statistic that Valverde will not be able to take away from him!

25 teams, the leading riders
Australia
Team BikeExchange-Jayco: Matthews, Schultz (Aus)
Bahrain
Bahrain-Victorious: Teuns (Bel), Mohoric (Slo), Landa (Spa)
Belgium
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team: Alaphilippe (Fra), Evenepoel, Vansevenant (Bel)
Lotto Soudal: Gilbert, Wellens (Bel)
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux: Pozzovivo (Ita), Bakelants (Bel)
Alpecin-Fenix: Vine (Aus)
Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise: Herregodts (Bel)
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB: Paasschens (Ned), Wirtgen (Lux)
France
AG2R Citroën Team: Cosnefroy, Paret-Peintre (Fra), Jungels (Lux)
Groupama-FDJ: Gaudu, Madouas, Molard (Fra)
Cofidis: G.Martin (Fra), Jes.Herrada, I.Izagirre (Spa)
Team Arkea-Samsic: Barguil, Gesbert (Fra), Anacona (Col)
TotalEnergies: Latour, Vuillermoz (Fra)
Germany
BORA-hansgrohe: Higuita (Col), Hindley (Aus), Vlasov
Great Britain
Ineos Grenadiers: Martinez (Col), Kwiatkowski (Pol), Rodriguez (Spa), Pidcock (Gbr)
Israel
Israel-Premier Tech: Woods (Can), Fuglsang (Dan), Impey (Zaf)
Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Nibali, Moscon (Ita), De la Cruz (Spa), Lutsenko (Kaz)
Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: Johannessen (Nor)
Spain
Movistar Team: Valverde, Mas, Aranburu (Spa)
Equipo Kern Pharma: Adria (Spa)
The Netherlands
Jumbo-Visma: Van Aert, Benoot (Bel), Vingegaard (Den)
Team DSM: Kragh Andersen (Den), Bardet (Fra)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Pogacar (Slo), Hirschi (Che), Soler (Spa), Ulissi (Ita)
United States
Trek-Segafredo: Mollema (Ned), Ciccone (Ita)
EF Education-Easypost: Uran (Col), Carr (Gbr), Powless (Usa)

©A.S.O.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes : an ardent summit

Eintagsrennen, Frauenradsport, Frühjahrskassiker, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, ,

Key points:
 Following her victories in the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, Marta Cavalli is aiming for a historic treble on Sunday on the roads of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.
 The Italian rising star will battle again with her compatriot Elisa Longo Borghini, winner in Roubaix, after a spring dominated by transalpine riders.
 The Oranje stars, with Annemiek van Vleuten and Demi Vollering leading the way, want to bounce back to the top step of the podium on roads that have often favored them.

Liège, the Ardent City, can also be a land of conquest, redemption or consecration for the pedaling stars gearing up for a last summit in the Spring Classics campaign. On Sunday, some 144 riders are expected to start the 6th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, including the champions who have just shone on the cobblestones of the North and the Ardennes hills.
From Bastogne, where the peloton will set off for 142.5 hilly kilometres, Marta Cavalli will be particularly watched. After a surprise win in the Amstel Gold Race, the Italian impressed in Paris-Roubaix Femmes (5th) and imposed her talent on the slopes of the Mur de Huy. She is moving towards a potential historic triple Amstel-Flèche-Liège, a performance that only Anna van der Breggen has achieved (in 2017).
On the roads of the Ardennes, Cavalli will vie with her compatriot Elisa Longo Borghini, winner in Roubaix, 6th in La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, and 3rd in Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes last year. The Italian star will once again enjoy a very strong support in the ranks of Trek-Segafredo, which notably counts on the Dutch powerhouses Ellen van Dijk and Lucinda Brand.
The Oranje are used to shining in Liège, and several of them are expected to be at the forefront on the slopes of La Roche-aux-Faucons. Second in Huy on Wednesday, also second in the Strade Bianche and the Ronde van Vlaanderen earlier this season, Annemiek van Vleuten is looking for a way back to success in Liège, where she won in 2019.
She will have to face the young SD Worx armada, led by defending champion Demi Vollering (3rd in the Flèche), with the support of the experienced Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and the guidance of the young retiree Van der Breggen. Another Dutch star, Marianne Vos is uncertain after missing Paris-Roubaix Women with Zwift following a positive Covid-19 test.

24 teams, the leading riders :
Australia:
Team BikeExchange-Jayco: Amanda Spratt (Aus)
Belgium:
Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire-Van Eyck Sport: Denise Betsema (Ned)
Lotto Soudal Ladies: Kyie Waterreus (Ned)
Plantur-Pura: Yara Kastelijn (Ned)
France:
Arkéa Pro Cycling Team: Morgane Coston (Fra)
Cofidis Women Team: Rachel Neylan (Aus)
FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope: Marta Cavalli (Ita)
Germany:
Canyon//Sram Racing: Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol), Soraya Paladin (Ita)
Great-Britain:
Le Col-Wahoo: Eider Merino (Esp)
Italy:
Bepink: Silvia Zanardi (Ita)
Valcar-Travel & Service: Olivia Baril (Can)
Luxembourg:
Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch: Nina Berton (Lux)
Norway:
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: Joscelin Lowden (Gbr)
Spain:
Movistar Team Women: Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned)
Switzerland:
Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad: Tamara Dronova
The Netherlands:
Liv Racing Xstra: Sabrina Stultiens (Ned)
Parkhotel Valkenburg: Mischa Bredewold (Ned)
Team DSM: Liane Lippert (Ger), Floortje Mackaij (Ned)
Team Jumbo Visma: Marianne Vos (Ned), Anouska Koster (Ned)
Team SD Worx: Demi Vollering (Ned), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Rsa)
The UAE:
UAE Team ADQ: Mavi Garcia (Esp)
The USA:
EF Education-Tibco-SVB: Lauren Stephens (Usa)
Human Powered Health: Barbara Malcotti (Ita)
Trek-Segafredo: Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita), Ellen van Dijk (Ned)

©A.S.O.