Schlagwort-Archive: Lüttich-Bastogne-Lüttich

LIÈGE-BASTOGNE-LIÈGE 2024: TWO SUITORS FOR THE OLD LADY

Eintagsrennen, Frühjahrskassiker, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker,

Key points:
 The 110thLiège–Bastogne–Liège will bring down the curtain on a phenomenal spring classics campaign in which two men have been head and shoulders above the rest. Mathieu van der Poel is set to face his second Old Lady (6th in 2020), in which he hopes to take the fight to the winner of the 2021 edition, Tadej Pogacar.

 However, Tom Pidcock’s triumph in the Amstel Gold Race and Stephen Williams’s victory in La Flèche Wallonne rammed home the point that it is not always a top favourite who wins the race.

 The French contingent will be racing under different banners, with Kevin Vauquelin leading the charge for Arkéa–B&B Hotels, Benoît Cosnefroy for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, Guillaume Martin for Cofidis, the triple threat Gaudu-Madouas-Grégoire for Groupama–FDJ and Romain Bardet for dsm–firmenich. The likes of Maxime Van Gils, Santiago Buitrago, Mattias Skjelmose and Tobias Johannessen are also serious contenders.

This Ardennes week has already gone down in history, with Tom Pidcock bagging the first ever British win in the Amstel Gold Race and Stephen Williams following suit in La Flèche Wallonne, where he proved to be the toughest of the 44 riders who overcame a combination of rain, snow, hail and bone-chilling temperatures to finish the race.
They will both be back on the road on Sunday, joined by Simon Yates, making a British treble a distinct possibility. It is easier said than done, however, as Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel, the two most successful classics specialists in the current peloton, are returning to action in the last entry of the Ardennes series. The world champion’s second triumph in Roubaix Velodrome brought his monument tally to six, while the ultra-competitive two-time Tour de France winner has been stuck at five since he claimed Il Lombardia last autumn.
The Slovenian champion is always hungry for more, but that does not mean he has got any slower. „Pogi“, in a league of his own in Strade Bianche and the Volta a Catalunya, has only missed the mark once this season, in Milan–San Remo (third). In this bout between two champions with undeniable panache, it remains to be seen who will strike further out on the road to Liège. A fortnight ago, MVDP dropped his rivals in the Orchies cobbled sector, 60km from the line, while Pogačar capped an 80km solo raid in Piazza del Campo in Siena in his first race of the season. Who can do better?

The top-billed fight will feature these two alpha predators, who did not have to cope with the bitter cold on the road to Huy yesterday, but there will be no shortage of riders eager to fish in troubled waters. Both the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne were a stark reminder that the top favourites do not always end up at the top of the podium. Both the polar explorers of Wednesday and some of those who succumbed to the frosty conditions have a real shot at victory on Sunday… provided that they can stop shivering. Dylan Teuns and Mattias Skjelmose are just two examples of riders who have what it takes to vie for the win in mild weather. Among those who were unable to match „Stevie“ on the Mur de Huy are a host of Frenchmen, who represented 50% of the top8… and of the top18! France will be pinning its hopes on Kevin Vauquelin, whose performance in Huy evoked fond memories among the tricolores. In 2015, Julian Alaphilippe made a splash with second place in La Flèche Wallonne, right behind Alejandro Valverde. At the time, he was just a few weeks older than the 22-year-old Norman is now. Romain Grégoire (seventh) also helped put the new French generation on the map, but the old guard made an impact too, with Benoît Cosnefroy in fourth place and Guillaume Martin in tenth. Romain Bardet, who is fighting for the top honours in the Tour of the Alps, will join their ranks in a bid to take another podium spot in Liège (third in 2018).

Liège–Bastogne–Liège is also a key race for the host nation, which hopes to have found potential successors to Remco Evenepoel in Maxim Van Gils, following his third place in Huy, and Tiesj Benoot (ninth). Colombia has yet to taste glory in this race, but Santiago Buitrago, third last year, stood gallantly against the forces of nature yesterday (fifth). Nordic cyclists (with 11Norwegians and Danes among the 44finishers of La Flèche Wallonne) have also been dealt a decent hand, with aces such as Tobias Johannessen (sixth in La Flèche Wallonne) and the winner of the 2019edition, Jakob Fuglsang.

25 TEAMS, MAIN CONTENDERS
Australia
Jayco AlUla: S.Yates (Gbr), Craddock (USA)
Bahrain
Bahrain Victorious: Buitrago (Col), Bilbao (Esp), Poels (Ned)
Belgium
Soudal Quick-Step: Vansevenant, Van Wilder (Bel)
Lotto Dstny: Kron (DEN),Van Gils (Bel)
Intermarché–Wanty: Calmejane (Fra), Zimmermann (Bel)
Alpecin–Deceuninck: Van der Poel (Ned), Kragh Andersen (Den)
Team Flanders–Baloise: Bonneu,Maris (Bel)
Bingoal–WB: Vliegen, Meens (Bel)
France
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale: Cosnefroy, Lapeira (Fra), Gall (Aut)
Groupama–FDJ: Gaudu, Madouas, Grégoire (Fra)
Cofidis: Martin (FRA), J.Herrada, I. Izagirre (Esp)
Arkéa–B&B Hotels: Vauquelin, Champoussin (Fra)
TotalEnergies: Burgaudeau, Doubey (Fra)
Germany
BORA–hansgrohe: Higuita (Col), Jungels (Lux), Vlasov
Israel
Israel–Premier Tech: Williams (Gbr), Woods (Can), Fuglsang (Den), Teuns (Bel)
Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Lutsenko (Kaz), Charmig (Den)
The Netherlands
Team Visma | Lease a Bike: Benoot (Bel), M.van Dijke (Ned)
Team dsm–firmenich PostNL: Bardet (Fra)
Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: Johannessen, Eiking, Leknessund (Nor)
Spain
Movistar Team: Formolo (Ita), Aranburu (Esp)
Equipo Kern Pharma: Galván, Ruiz (Esp)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Pogacar (Slo), Hirschi (Sui), Ulissi (Ita)
The United Kingdom
Ineos Grenadiers: Pidcock (Gbr), Kwiatkowski (Pol), Fraile (Esp)
The United States
Lidl–Trek: Sjkelmose (D), Mollema (Ned), Bagioli (Ita), Skujiņš (Lat)
EF Education–EasyPost: Carapaz (Ecu), Healy (Irl), Powless (USA), Urán (Col)

2024 ARDENNES CLASSICS:

Eintagsrennen, Strassenrennen, Vorschau, Weltcup und Klassiker, , ,

Key points:
 As a special „treat“ for the 40th finish of La Flèche Wallonne atop the Mur de Huy, the peloton will tackle the brutal ascent of the Chemin des Chapelles on four occasions for the very first time. Another major change to the programme for Wednesday, 17 April is that the women will start in the early afternoon and finish an hour after the men at the end of an extended course (143.5 km).

 The programme for Sunday, 21 April has also been inverted. Remco Evenepoel and his rivals will lead the vanguard to the Ardent City for the 110th edition of Liège–Bastogne–Liège. A while later, the women will follow the same course from Bastogne to Liège (147.6 km), clashing on climbs such as the Côte de Cornémont, which comes between La Redoute and the Côte des Forges.
 25 squads —including four wildcard teams— of seven riders each will make up the 175-strong pelotons of La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, while 144 cyclists representing 24 outfits will get to grips with La Flèche Wallonne Femmes and Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes.

Once a year, the roads of the Province of Liège lead to Huy and Liège and rekindle the fire of the Ardennes classics, a sequence of races that have gone down in cycling history. First raced in 1936 (on a course from Tournai to Liège), La Flèche Wallonne went through a watershed moment in 1985, when it moved its finish line to the summit of the Mur de Huy. The upcoming 88th edition, scheduled for 17 April 2024, will therefore be the 40th time that the race culminates on an ascent that immediately earned a spot among the toughest climbs in pro cycling.

To mark the occasion, the final circuit has been compacted to 31.6 km, with the Côte d’Ereffe and the Mur de Huy as the pièces de résistance. For the first time ever, the riders will have to drag their bicycles up these slopes (1.3 km at an average gradient of 9.6%, peaking at close to 20%, most notably on the Claudy Criquielion turn, named for the first victor on the Mur) an eye-watering four times! The successor to Tadej Pogacar, who clinched his first victory in 2023, will blast across the finish line around 4:30 pm, after 199.1 km of racing from Charleroi, which will host the start of the race for the 30th time.

Minutes after the gripping finale of the men’s race, the stars of La Flèche Wallonne Femmes will embark on their own adventure to tame the Mur too, in keeping with a fine tradition that goes all the way back to 1998. As usual, the women’s race will roll out of the Grand-Place in Huy, but the start of the 28th edition has been moved to 2 pm so that the crowds can give them a wild reception around 6 pm. On their way to the Mur, they will discover new ascents in Gives, Courrière and Évrehailles, coming at the beginning of a course that will be about 15 kilometres longer (143.5 km).

The order of the races will also be switched around on Sunday, 21 April. Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes will start in the early afternoon and draw to a close about an hour and a half after the Old Lady. Remco Evenepoel, eager to join Léon Houa, Eddy Merckx and Moreno Argentin in the ultra-select club of riders who have won the race three times in a row since its inaugural edition in 1892, will face the same climbs that sent him on a trajectory to his second triumph in 2023, including the detour to Cornémont, just after La Redoute, where he left Tom Pidcock in the dust.

Heading out from Bastogne, the women’s peloton will follow the very same route to Quai des Ardennes: a 147.6 km roller coaster peppered with nine climbs, starting with the Côte de Saint-Roch and also featuring the Wanne–Stockeu–Haute-Levée triptych before the Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons, the last major challenge of the day. At the end of the adventure, glory awaits in the Ardent City.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2023

Eintagsrennen, Ergebnisse, Frühjahrskassiker, Strassenrennen, Teamnews, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , , , ,

ELITE Männer 258km:


Photo HERBERT MOOS

1 EVENEPOEL Remco BEL Soudal Quick-Step 06:15:49
2 PIDCOCK Tom GBR INEOS Grenadiers 01:06
3 BUITRAGO Santiago COL Bahrain Victorious 01:06
4 HEALY Ben IRL EF Education-EasyPost 01:08
5 MADOUAS Valentin FRA Groupama-FDJ 01:24
6 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 01:25
7 BENOOT Tiesj BEL Jumbo-Visma 01:37
8 KONRAD Patrick AUT BORA-hansgrohe 01:48
9 SKJELMOSE JENSEN Mattias DEN Trek-Segafredo 01:48
10 HIRSCHI Marc SUI UAE Team Emirates 01:48
11 VAN GILS Maxim BEL Lotto Dstny 01:48
12 WOODS Michael CAN Israel-Premier Tech 01:48
13 CICCONE Giulio ITA Trek-Segafredo 01:48
14 SIVAKOV Pavel FRA INEOS Grenadiers 01:48
15 BARDET Romain FRA Team DSM 01:48
16 IZAGIRRE Ion ESP Cofidis 01:48
17 DE PLUS Laurens BEL INEOS Grenadiers 02:02
18 PARET-PEINTRE Aurélien FRA AG2R Citroën Team 02:02
19 VELASCO Simone ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 02:13
20 ROTA Lorenzo ITA Intermarché-Circus-Wanty 02:13


Photo HERBERT MOOS

Patrick Konrad Achter bei Lüttich – Bastogne – Lüttich


Photo HERBERT MOOS

Beim vierten Monument der Radsportsaison ging es auf 258 Kilometern durch die hügelige Landschaft der Ardennen. Von Lüttich aus führte die Strecke relativ flach zum Wendepunkt, der nach 90 gefahrenen Kilometern erreicht wurde. Auf dem Rückweg nach Lüttich wurde es mit zehn der insgesamt elf kurzen, aber teils sehr steilen Anstiege dann wesentlich bergiger. Durch die intensive Nachführarbeit von BORA – hansgrohe begann sich der Vorsprung der frühen Ausreißergruppe allmählich zu reduzieren bis mit noch 85 km die Côte de Wanne für die erste Selektion im Feld sorgte. Kurz vor La Redoute waren Aleksandr Vlasov, Patrick Konrad und Giovanni Aleotti immer noch im reduzierten Peloton mit dabei. In der Steigung versuchte Aleks des Tempo mitzuhalten, musste aber letztendlich reißen lassen. Nachdem Evenepoel attackierte, überholte er den letzten der Spitzenfahrer und hatte am Fuß der Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons einen Vorsprung von mehr als 1:30 Minuten auf verschiedene kleine Verfolgergruppen. Dahinter in der größeren Verfolgergruppe war BORA-hansgrohe nach dem Sturz von Aleks Vlasov nur noch mit Patrick Konrad vertreten, der beim Sieg von Evenepoel den Sprint seiner Gruppe gewann. Der Österreicher belegte damit bei seiner 7. Teilnahme bei diesem Rennen einen starken 8. Platz.

Reaktionen im Ziel

„Ich habe heute morgen herausgefunden, dass heute meine 7. Teilnahme bei diesem Rennen sein würde. Dieses Rennen gefällt mir besonders und wir hatten heute auch bessere Wetterbedingungen als erwartet. Zu Beginn waren meine Beine nach der Tour of the Alps nicht super frisch aber während des Tages ging es mir zunehmend besser. Zuerst wollten wir für Aleks fahren, aber dann ging er vor dem Finale zu Boden und ich war in der größeren Gruppe alleine. Ich wollte einen Sprint forcieren, denn ich wusste, dass ich der Schnellste in meiner Gruppe war. Am Ende bin ich froh, eine Top 10 Platzierung bei diesem Monument zu belegen, ich glaube es ist ein schönes Resultat.“ – Patrick Konrad

„Lüttich – Bastogne – Lüttich ist immer ein hektisches Rennen. Der Sturz von Pogačar hat die Dynamik des Rennens geändert, und alles war dann in den Händen von Quickstep. Viele der Favoriten wurden schon mit 85 km abgehängt und leider waren Sergio und Jai heute nicht in Topform. Sergio hatte nicht die Beine von der Baskenland-Rundfahrt und Jai hatte sich vor Kurzem erst von einer Krankheit erholt. Aber unsere drei Giro Fahrer Giovanni, Aleks und Koni waren in der größeren Gruppe bis zum Fuß der Redoute. Glücklicherweise ist Aleks nicht schwer gestürzt und ihm geht es gut, also keine schweren Konsequenzen vor dem Giro. Der 8. Platz von Koni ist wirklich eine starke Performance und ich glaube, es wird ihm extra Motivation und Zuversicht vor dem Giro geben.“ – Enrico Gasparotto, Sportlicher Leiter

ELITE Frauen 143km:


Photo HERBERT MOOS

1 VOLLERING Demi NED Team SD Worx 03:50:47
2 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA Trek-Segafredo 00:00
3 REUSSER Marlen SUI Team SD Worx 00:22
4 MARKUS Riejanne NED Team Jumbo-Visma 00:22
5 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON//SRAM Racing 00:22
6 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED Movistar Team 00:22
7 REALINI Gaia ITA Trek-Segafredo 00:25
8 LIPPERT Liane GER Movistar Team 01:24
9 PALADIN Soraya ITA CANYON//SRAM Racing 01:24
10 FISHER-BLACK Niamh NZL Team SD Worx 01:24
11 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON//SRAM Racing 01:24
12 SANTESTEBAN Ane ESP Team Jayco-AlUla 01:24
13 LABOUS Juliette FRA Team DSM 01:24
14 MAGNALDI Erica ITA UAE Team ADQ 01:24
15 VAN ANROOIJ Shirin NED Trek-Segafredo 01:24
16 KERBAOL Cédrine FRA Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling 01:24
17 MUZIC Evita FRA FDJ-SUEZ 01:24
18 KASTELIJN Yara NED Fenix-Deceuninck 01:24
19 MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh RSA AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step Team 01:24
20 GARCIA Mavi ESP Liv Racing TeqFind 01:24
21 BAUERNFEIND Ricarda GER CANYON//SRAM Racing 01:24

Liège – Bastogne – Liège – 257 Km

Eintagsrennen, Ergebnisse, Frühjahrskassiker, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , , ,


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

Eintagsrennen, Ergebnisse, Frauenradsport, Frühjahrskassiker, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , ,

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.”

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.

2021 ardennes classics

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

Key points:
 The men and women’s versions of the Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège have been scheduled for 21 and 25 April, respectively, after returning to their usual slots on the calendar.
 The Flèche Wallonne is bringing back the traditional start in Charleroi, with a course steeped in the history of the race all the way to the final climb up the Mur de Huy, while Liège–Bastogne–Liège will have an extra sting in the tail thanks to the addition of the new Côte de Desnié.
 The women’s two races have also been backloaded by the organisers. The men and women’s courses will converge in the final 90 kilometres in the Flèche Wallonne and the final 80 kilometres on the road to Liège.
 New partners are stepping up to the plate, including AG, Shimano and Decathlon, while Cofidis has renewed its commitment to the ardennes classics.

The newly crowned world champion was the only one left with a bitter taste in his mouth after the exceptional autumn editions of the classics, held at the tail end of the 2020 season. Marc Hirschi and Anna van der Breggen’s wins in the Flèche Wallonne, followed by Primož Roglič and Lizzie Deignan’s victories in Liège–Bastogne–Liège, were in line with the character of the Ardennes classics, coming at the end of gruelling races in which only the strongest and toughest riders stayed in contention until the finish. Six months later, it is time for the pretenders to the crown of the Flèche Wallonne to reset their clocks to the usual dates. The men will roll out of Charleroi, which hosted the start of the race from 1998 to 2012. The road to Huy will follow the traditional east-west trajectory and pit the peloton against the Côte d’Yvoir for the first time, but the Côte de Gives, another addition to the course, is where things will really get serious. Following two 32 km loops with a profile that looks like the serrated edge of a saw blade, the final showdown will take place on the unique Mur de Huy, the ultimate litmus test for punchers. The women’s race will merge onto the course of the men’s race for the final 90 kilometres. Will Anna van der Breggen, the undisputed master of the Chemin des Chapelles, with six victories to her name, be able to extend her dominance on this beefed-up course?

Liège–Bastogne–Liège moved its finish line back downtown in 2019. An audacious solo move earned Jakob Fuglsang the win that year, while last October it was a group of five attackers that vied for victory in a messy sprint. This time round, the home straight on Quai des Ardennes will come after almost 260 kilometres of racing on a course featuring the brand-new Côte de Desnié, a nasty climb (1.6 km at an average gradient of 8%) that comes shortly before the decisive Côte de la Redoute, the point where lactic acid starts to reach agonising levels. The riders will have to leave something in the tank if they want to use the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons as a springboard to try and win the Old Lady. The same holds true for the ladies, who will start this year’s edition in Liège and tackle another gruelling 141 km course: the fifth running of the women’s race will take the peloton to the Côte de Desnié, Col du Rosier and Côte des Forges for the first time.

Three new partners and a renewed commitment
• In 2021, the ardennes classics are delighted to welcome AG on board as the new „Major Partner“ of the four Belgian races. Cycling has been part of AG’s DNA for a long time. Through its partnerships, AG seeks to promote cycling as a sport and as part of everyday life. This partnership is a long-term commitment, running until the end of 2024.
• As announced a month ago, Shimano is now an „Official Partner“. The Japanese firm will leverage its experience and know-how in the field of neutral technical support.
• Decathlon is now an „Official Provider“. Its focus will be on young fans and bicycle safety.
• Finally, Cofidis, which has been at our side since 2012, is extending its commitment to the Ardennes classics as an „Official Partner“.

Amaury Sport Organisation is proud to have the support of all the partners of the ardennes classics and acknowledge their strong commitment.

LIÈGE – BASTOGNE – LIÈGE 2020

Eintagsrennen, Ergebnisse, Frühjahrskassiker, Teamnews, Weltcup und Klassiker, , , ,

Liège – Liège (257,0 km / 4375 hm)
1 ROGLIČ Primož (SLO) JUMBO – VISMA 6:32:02
2 HIRSCHI Marc (SUI) TEAM SUNWEB 0:00:00
3 POGAČAR Tadej (SLO) UAE TEAM EMIRATES 0:00:00
4 MOHORIC Matej (SLO) BAHRAIN – MCLAREN 0:00:00
5 ALAPHILIPPE Julian (FRA) DECEUNINCK – QUICK – STEP 0:00:00
6 VAN DER POEL Mathieu (NED) ALPECIN – FENIX 0:00:14
7 WOODS Michael (CAN) EF PRO CYCLING 0:00:14
8 BENOOT Tiesj (BEL) TEAM SUNWEB 0:00:14
9 BARGUIL Warren (FRA) TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 0:00:14
10 KWIATKOWSKI Michal (POL) INEOS GRENADIERS 0:00:14
11 MARTIN Daniel (IRL) ISRAEL START – UP NATION 0:00:14
12 DUMOULIN Tom (NED) JUMBO – VISMA 0:00:14
13 MOLARD Rudy (FRA) GROUPAMA – FDJ 0:00:14
14 MARTIN Guillaume (FRA) COFIDIS 0:00:14
15 URAN Rigoberto (COL) EF PRO CYCLING 0:00:14
16 PORTE Richie (AUS) TREK – SEGAFREDO 0:00:14
17 IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka (ESP) ASTANA PRO TEAM 0:00:43
18 COSNEFROY Benoit (FRA) AG2R LA MONDIALE 0:00:58
19 FRAILE MATARRANZ Omar (ESP) ASTANA PRO TEAM 0:00:58
20 MARTINEZ POVEDA Daniel Felipe (COL) EF PRO CYCLING 0:00:58
21 KÄMNA Lennard (GER) BORA – HANSGROHE 0:00:58

After his crash Primosz Roglic (SLO) is chasing the front group with the help of his team mates, He made it back to the front group but was lacking power in the finale to keep up with the best. Very unlucky for him, he was a podium candidate.
Foto: Gerhard Plomitzer

October 4 th 2020 – 17:29
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) won the 106th Liège-Bastogne-Liège with an exhibition of race craft and experience to make the most out of his legs and the circumstances in the final kilometres. Two weeks after a heart-breaking defeat on the Tour de France, the Slovenian got his payback from this amazing sport called cycling. Roglic went clear with Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Marc Hirschi (Team Sunweb) with 14 kilometres to go, atop the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. They reached together the final straight, where the wearer of the rainbow jersey put out an irregular sprint that got him relegated because it hindered the effort of Pogačar and Hirschi. Still, Roglic was quicker than Alaphilippe and crossed the finish line first as the French rider raised his arms.
175 riders took the start on the 106th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège at 10:24, ready to race over 258 kilometres from Liège to Bastogne and back. It was after nine kilometres that Iñigo Elosegui (Movistar Team), Kobe Goossens (Lotto-Soudal), Alexander Kamp (Trek-Segafredo), Michael Schär (CCC Team), Kenny Molly (Bingoal WB), Omer Goldstein (Israel Start-Up Nation), Valentin Ferron, Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie) and Gino Mäder (NTT Pro Cycling) went clear. Kamp punctured shortly afterwards and was caught by the peloton, from which Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal WB) counter-attacked. The Dutch rider joined the frontrunners at the kilometre 40, establishing a nine-strong break. The biggest time gap was 5’45”, clocked atop the Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne (km 76). Deceuninck-Quick Step, Team Sunweb and Ineos Grenadiers were the teams that devoted more effort to control their advantage.
Crashes before the clashes
The race changed significantly as the riders entered the last 100 kilometres. Crashes took it toll, forcing the withdrawal of pre-race favourites such as Greg van Avermaet (CCC Team) or Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott). A crash at the head of the bunch with 85 kilometres to go removed from contention Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-McLaren) and Michael Valgren (NTT Pro Cycling), affecting also Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Marc Hirschi (Team Sunweb) and Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates), amongst many others. The pack was left pattern-less until everyone came back to its par and Trek-Segafredo took the reins. Meanwhile, at the front of the race, a series of attacks left Schär alone, as a sole frontrunner, with 64 kilometres to go. Mäder was the last man able to hold the Swiss’ wheel.
Deceuninck-Quick Step put the hammer down
Deceuninck-Quick Step hit the front of the pack again on the Col du Maquisard (km 210; -48km). The Belgian outfit brought back Schär at the Côte de la Redoute (km 222; -36km). By the summit of this iconic climb there were only 50 riders on the bunch, that was led by Dries Devenyns and Mauri Vansevenant into the Côte des Forges (km 234; -24km), where Michael Albasini (Mitchelton-Scott) launched an attack before taking a bow and bidding farewell on his last-ever professional race. Despite an attack by Luis León Sánchez (Astana Pro Team) and Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates), it all came down to the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (km 243,5; -14,5km).
An eventful outcome
Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) upped the pace at the foot of the climb and Alaphilippe took the initiative to force a final selection including himself, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Marc Hirschi (Team Sunweb). The four cooperated without hesitation, with a dozen riders chasing them around 20” behind. Matej Mohoric (UAE Team Emirates) attacked from the chase to join the quartet with 500 meters to go, launching the final sprint. Alaphilippe took off 200 meters from the finish and got a clear margin, but his irregular trajectory barred Hirschi and Pogačar from pulling off a clean sprint and he was therefore relegated to 5th place. The rainbow jersey raised his arms, but he was pipped on the finish line by Roglic, undisputed winner of the day.
@ASO

Keine Topplatzierung für BORA – hansgrohe bei Lüttich-Bastogne-Lüttich

Regnerisches Wetter und viel Wind warteten heute auf das Fahrerfeld bei Lüttich-Bastogne-Lüttich, dem ältesten der Klassiker im Radsport. Das Tempo im Feld war von Beginn an hoch und es dauerte eine Weile, bevor sich neun Fahrer absetzen konnten. Im Lauf der ersten Rennphase konnte diese Gruppe einen Vorsprung von bis zu fünf Minuten herausfahren, bevor ab Rennkilometer 120 das Tempo im Peloton erhöht wurde. Leider war Jay McCarthy in einen Sturz etwa 100 km vor dem Ziel verwickelt und musste das Rennen aufgeben. Auch Max Schachmann hatte heute einen schlechten Tag und fiel schon vor La Redoute zurück. Dadurch hatte BORA – hansgrohe rund 40 Kilometer vor dem Ziel nur noch Lennard Kämna und Ide Schelling in der Gruppe der Favoriten. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt wurde der letzte der Ausreißer gestellt und auch Ide konnte dem Tempo nicht mehr folgen. Im letzten Anstieg des Tages war Lennard zuerst in guter Position, konnte aber die entscheidende Attacke von Alaphilippe nicht mitgehen und war in der Folge in der zweiten Verfolgergruppe. Den Sieg holte sich am Ende P. Roglic, Kämna erreichte als 21. das Ziel.
Reaktionen im Ziel
„Das war mein erstes Lüttich und ich muss sagen, ich mag das Rennen. An der einen oder anderen Stelle habe ich sicher noch Fehler gemacht, aber ich bin zufrieden. Auf den Leib geschneidert ist mir das Profil nicht, aber es hat Spaß gemacht. Ich war am letzten Anstieg in guter Position, genau wo ich sein musste, aber hatte dann nicht mehr die Beine, um ganz vorne mitzufahren. Ich denke, ich kann mir heute nichts vorwerfen. Jetzt habe ich noch ein Rennen vor mir, dann ist diese spezielle Saison zu Ende.“ – Lennard Kämna

„Wir wollten heute eigentlich um den Sieg mitfahren, aber das hat nicht geklappt, wie wir uns das vorgenommen hatten. Mit Jay haben wir einen wichtigen Mann durch einen Sturz verloren. Dann hatte leider auch Max einen richtig schlechten Tag. Er hat schon früh gesagt, dass heute gar nichts geht, aber wir hatten gehofft, dass er sich vielleicht etwas freifahren kann. Dem war nicht so. Dadurch hatten wir im Finale nur noch Ide und Lennard vorne. Ide ist wieder sehr gut gefahren und hat Lennard unterstützt, wo er nur konnte. Lennard war dann im entscheidenden Moment an der richtigen Stelle, konnte aber die Attacke nicht mitgehen. Da kann man niemand einen Vorwurf machen. Mehr war heute leider nicht für uns drin.“ – Enrico Poitschke, sportlicher Leiter

LIÈGE – BASTOGNE – LIÈGE FEMMES 2020

Eintagsrennen, Ergebnisse, Frauenradsport, Weltcup und Klassiker, , ,

Bastogne – Liège (135,0 km / 2100 hm)
1 DEIGNAN Elizabeth (GBR) TREK – SEGAFREDO 3:29:48
2 BROWN Grace (AUS) MITCHELTON – SCOTT 0:00:09
3 VAN DIJK Ellen (NED) TREK – SEGAFREDO 0:02:19
4 VOS Marianne (NED) CCC – LIV 0:02:19
5 PIETERS Amy (NED) BOELS DOLMANS CYCLINGTEAM 0:02:19
6 BARNES Hannah (GBR) CANYON / /SRAM RACING 0:02:21
7 REUSSER Marlen (SUI) EQUIPE PAULE KA 0:02:21
8 LABOUS Juliette (FRA) TEAM SUNWEB 0:02:21
9 AALERUD Katrine (NOR) MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 0:02:26
10 LIPPERT Liane (GER) TEAM SUNWEB 0:03:27

October 4 th 2020 – 13:01

At the end of a tremendous show of courage in the difficult conditions of the rainy Ardennes, Lizzie Deignan claimed Liege-Bastogne-Liege for the first time of her career. The Brit powered away on the Cote de la Redoute never to be caught despite the strong counter-attack of Grace Brown. She wins this 4th edition of the race ahead of Brown and Ellen Van Dijk. Thanks to her success, the Trek-Segafredo rider takes command of the UCI Women’s World Tour again.
Five months after its initial date, the weather conditions were just as cold for the ladies of the 4th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège women. Cold temperatures and rain as the 136 riders took off on the 135-km course from Bastogne to Liège. In these difficult conditions and with a strong tailwind, the pack remained bunched.
Hard to take off and power away from a pack well under the control of teams Sunweb, Trek-Segafredo and Boels-Dolmans. A first decisive move eventually came on the first climb of the day, the Cote de Wanne (km 56.5) when seven riders pulled away: Peters (Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team), Labous (Team Sunweb), Barnes (Canyon Sram), Van Dijk (Trek Segafredo), Vos (CCC Liv), Reusser (Paule Ka) and Stephens (Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank).
On the following climb, while Stephens was dropped, two others very interesting riders joined the front group: Deignan (Trek Segafredo) and Aalerud (Movistar Team). The advantage of the front 8 reached 32” at the top of the Cote de la Haute Levée.
That gap carried on growing despite the efforts of teams Mitchelton-Scott and FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope at the front of the chasing bunch of around 40 riders. On the climb up the Côte de la Vecquée, Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott) managed to take off and eventually joined the escapees before the top where the gap had reached 1’20’’.
Among the seven former UCI road World champions present on the race, Lizzie Deignan was the first to give it a go as she powered away on the climb up the Côte de la Redoute. The Brit reached the summit with a 20” advantage over her former group and 1’30” over the pack.

Deignan saw her lead grow to 52” on her closest rivals and 2’20” on the pack with 20kms to go. On the final climb up La Roche aux Faucons, Grace Brown decided to take off on a counter-attack. At the summit, the Australian was only 35” adrift. While the pack of favourites including Van der Breggen and Van Vleuten failed to move any closer, a fantastic battle started between Deignan and Brown on the last 13kms to the finish in Liège.
With 5kms to go, Deignan could still enjoy a slim 10” lead over Brown. She eventually managed to remain clear all the way to the line, clinching Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the very first time. Deignan wins with a 9” advantage over Brown and 2’19” over third placed rider Ellen Van Dijk (Trek Segafredo). Deignan, thanks to her success, moves back into first position of the UCI Women’s World Tour.
@ASO