104TH LIÈGE-BASTOGNE-LIÈGE 1.UWT April 22nd, 2018

[DFA123]

Re:

Quickstep has really shown how to properly use superiority in numbers this season. Chapeau

It's served as a nice reminder in one day races that cycling really is a team sport. A lot of focus on individuals like of GVA, Valverde and Sagan in one day races. But Quickstep end up sweeping nearly everything, despite losing their number one cobbled rider, number one hilly classics rider, and top sprinter from last season.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

Movistar just proved that they are not even close to as strong of a team as they have been the last several years. The exodus of riders over the past two years is showing. I have a feeling the team is going to implode completely at the Tour. They've had too many very good riders leave and it's really showing.

It's the lack of good rouleurs that makes them lose. They still have a great teams for the mountain stages but not for the hills or classics anymore. Losing Castroviejo, Malori (unfortunately) and Dowsett makes them less competitive.

 

[Eclipse]

A good win - nice to see LBL being a little different but it was still sadly pretty boring anyway

 

[armchairclimber]

Gerrinthere Bob! I was starting to get frustrated with him burying himself for everyone else this year.

 

[Tonton]

Chapeau Bob! Well-deserved.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Great to see a winner like Jungels of such a big race. A proper rider - with an amazing power profile. Such a tough race as always, riders like Nibali dropped with 30km to go, and the suffering of so many world class riders in the final km says it all.

Terrible race, no movement until the last 25km and then one attack and no excitement from there onwards.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I just feel that Nibali is an overrated rider, an overachiever. I still don't know how he managed to win San Remo, but I guess thats what makes him that good. Not at all surprised with his poor performance here.

He will probably hit his peak shape and then win TdF anyways

 

[Frankschleck]

Well as much as i was cheering Kreuziger, he really rode a *** race. I liked that Valverde fought like a man, and Jungels rode a very good race. Henao looks like je is finding form, thats exciting.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Movistar just proved that they are not even close to as strong of a team as they have been the last several years. The exodus of riders over the past two years is showing. I have a feeling the team is going to implode completely at the Tour. They've had too many very good riders leave and it's really showing.

Nah, Betancur and Anacona hasn`t reached previous years level.

Doesn't matter. They've had around 8-10 very good domestiques both climbers and roulers leave the past two years with a huge number leaving after last season. This is the result of that. Truthfully some of the ones they lost are much better than Anacona or Betancur.

 

[silvergrenade]

Great racing last 20km. No real chase to get Jungels back. Disappointing.
Domoulim IMO has good form. He can win the Giro.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Great finish!! That scenario has played out so many times before (different races of course). You let the guy with the biggest engine get away = you're racing for 2nd. Jungels' development is impressive. He can win a lot of races.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Quickstep has really shown how to properly use superiority in numbers this season. Chapeau

It's served as a nice reminder in one day races that cycling really is a team sport. A lot of focus on individuals like of GVA, Valverde and Sagan in one day races. But Quickstep end up sweeping nearly everything, despite losing their number one cobbled rider, number one hilly classics rider, and top sprinter from last season.

Boonen wasn't their best cobbled rider, and Martin wasn't (looking to the future) their best hilly rider.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Movistar just proved that they are not even close to as strong of a team as they have been the last several years. The exodus of riders over the past two years is showing. I have a feeling the team is going to implode completely at the Tour. They've had too many very good riders leave and it's really showing.

It's the lack of good rouleurs that makes them lose. They still have a great teams for the mountain stages but not for the hills or classics anymore. Losing Castroviejo, Malori (unfortunately) and Dowsett makes them less competitive.

Nothing to do with a race like this. Landa didn't have a good day and Betancur continues to disappoint

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re: Re:

Horrible Movistar performance today

No kidding.

So we have spring WT classics:
Cadel - McCarthy
Omloop - Valgren
Strade - Benoot
E3 - Terpstra
MSR - Nibali
Gent - Sagan
Dwars - Lampaert
RVV - Terpstra
PR - Sagan
Amstel - Valgren
FW - Alaphilippe
LBL - Jungels

So - great result!. Now we are waiting for Sky palmares in GT.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

Quickstep has really shown how to properly use superiority in numbers this season. Chapeau

It's served as a nice reminder in one day races that cycling really is a team sport. A lot of focus on individuals like of GVA, Valverde and Sagan in one day races. But Quickstep end up sweeping nearly everything, despite losing their number one cobbled rider, number one hilly classics rider, and top sprinter from last season.

I think the word is "because". Boonen's presence was more of a tactical hindrance for QS in the fall of his career, because he lacked the physical strength to justify his hierarchical position.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

I just feel that Nibali is an overrated rider, an overachiever. I still don't know how he managed to win San Remo, but I guess thats what makes him that good. Not at all surprised with his poor performance here.

He will probably hit his peak shape and then win TdF anyways

I think ronde-pais vasco destroyed his prep. He was in better form then than now - you can't win MSR with the form he's just shown. And it's not the first time this has happened either, he seems to get worse during april.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Movistar just proved that they are not even close to as strong of a team as they have been the last several years. The exodus of riders over the past two years is showing. I have a feeling the team is going to implode completely at the Tour. They've had too many very good riders leave and it's really showing.

Turns out having a mid-table budget but top-table talent has its negatives. To buy in another top climbing talent, they've sacrificed far too many experienced rouleurs and helpers. There aren't many guys with the power to properly shepherd the leaders and those there are are having to be spread too thinly to be 100% effective. Barbero isn't strong enough to play the old role Rojas and Lobato could in the same scale of competition, and most of their domestiques for the rolling to flat terrain are inexperienced guys like Bico and Carretero, on the wind-down like Bennati or simply not that strong, like Arcas, and their main guys who ARE good enough are Sütterlin and Oliveira, the latter of which is injured.

Sepúlveda and Valls can cover the lower slopes domestique side of things and Sepúlveda has decent flat power too, but while they perhaps cover the loss of the Herrada brothers, there's still the Izagirres who take some serious replacing. All their best prospects are guys like Soler and Carapaz who fall into the same categories of rider as their existing leaders.

 

[Velolover2]

Pozzovivo able to outsprint everyone bar Alaphilippe.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Everybody talking about Movistar being weak overshadows the reality that Valverde was simply not as good this year.

VMT. I imagine it's very hard to get the form to have enough stamina for races like these, without the base of riding a GT or two in the previous season. If you're missing just 1-2% in a race like Liege, you'll get found out in the last half an hour of the race.

 

[Der Effe]

Amazing ride by Jungels and a great podium all round - even though Vanendert deserved more from this race. Apart from great performances by individuals, the mother of all classics only deserves its name because of it being the oldest classic with even the Scheldeprijs being a more attractive race.

 

[Brullnux]

Joking aside, this was the best edition since 2012

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Quickstep has really shown how to properly use superiority in numbers this season. Chapeau

It's served as a nice reminder in one day races that cycling really is a team sport. A lot of focus on individuals like of GVA, Valverde and Sagan in one day races. But Quickstep end up sweeping nearly everything, despite losing their number one cobbled rider, number one hilly classics rider, and top sprinter from last season.

I think the word is "because". Boonen's presence was more of a tactical hindrance for QS in the fall of his career, because he lacked the physical strength to justify his hierarchical position.

Indeed. Seems like the same could be said of Martin. Perhaps his presence hindered both the development of Alaphilippe and the opportunities available for riders like Jungels.

 

[El Pistolero]

El batido.

 

[Escarabajo]

There were too many climbers towards the end. When Jungels took off there were no teams with rouleurs to take the chase. Maybe Jack Haig but he started the chase too late. Same with the Astana.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

I just feel that Nibali is an overrated rider, an overachiever. I still don't know how he managed to win San Remo, but I guess thats what makes him that good. Not at all surprised with his poor performance here.

He will probably hit his peak shape and then win TdF anyways

Now you understand how these things work. 2014, Oman Green mountain 16, overall 12, LBL 30. This year Oman Green mountain 16, overall 12, LBL 32. Like clockwork.