108th Liège-Bastogne-Liège: 24 April, 2022

[RedheadDane]

Ouch!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1518253993142726660

View: https://twitter.com/larrywarbasse/status/1518253993142726660

Is "share the male pain" possible when you're not - in fact - a male?
I felt that! Despite anatomical differences.

 

[Breezy1985]

I already posted a picture during the race of him becoming world Champion wearing bib 13.

He doesn't worry about the voodoo. He is the voodoo

 

[Breezy1985]

Is "share the male pain" possible when you're not - in fact - a male?
I felt that! Despite anatomical differences.

I have heard lots of women would "feel that" when it comes to Larry
(Not just women)

 

[houtdffan]

I think as others have hinted above, the key is to make the middle 80kms harder, rather than mess with the run in. As we saw with the last few years in Ans (and with Flèche every year, and the old Amstel route) if you leave the final hill too close to the finish, then the attacks happen there.

Liege has never been set up for the pure mountain goats, if you’re looking for Purito vs Contador you’ve come to the wrong race. The recent winners of Liege (GT winners, 1-week stage race specialists, puncheurs) are exactly the kind of rider it’s always favoured.

Purito vs Contador usually did have their battles over 50-100km. Those two did not usually wait until the final climb to get it on

 

[Red Rick]

What I think you want is you wanna force the Pogs and the Rogs to attack from further out because the later hills aren't hard enough to get gaps at sprintier boys or to prevent the group from getting too big.

 

[Taxus4a]

The victory of a great champion. Nice to see attack this way again in la Redoute. It was good for him his mate Julian and Pogacar wanst there.. For us, it would have been much more interesting with Pogacar., . We will see very interesting Lieges in the future.

 

[yaco]

You've often seen Roglic lead the chase of a group?

I doubt that Pogacar or Roglic would have allowed Remco to ride away with 29kms to go - There are crunch periods in a race where the leader must take responsibility - That doesn't mean they would necessarily win but you don't tely on domestics.

 

[Netserk]

Colonster after RaF basically means admitting defeat and having the race be a two-climb affair every year. Would still be better than what we have now but certainly not the best you can get out of a redesign, even if you don't believe action prior to Redoute/RaF/whichever is your final hard hill is possible.

If so, I don't think small hills after Redoute are superior to another climb after RaF. And I think Redoute dominates Lorcé more than RaF dominates Redoute.

 

[Escarabajo]

Lot of comment on the race scenario, no one looked at the wind? Going solo or in a small group was not an option today. This is why the race finished with a sprint with 10 riders. Teuns-Martinez-Vlasov would probably have been the podium without the wind. And what to say about external factors, without them podium was Pog - Rog - Alaf.

No.
Roglic is way overrated this year and not the same. Team is trying to figure out what is going on with him, Pog was dead just a few days ago and Ala is not the same this year. So the only one that I give the benefit of the doubt is Pog. And that is a big if. But the other 2 give me a break. And a big one.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Remco is insane, but the other favorites are incredibly disapointing. Quinten Hermans was still following...

Well spotted, it was quite significant in the end.

 

[Rackham]

Great win by Evenepoel.

But someone should seriously have jumped on his wheel. IMO it was a failure from the other leaders to read the race at that time, i.e. after the crash had reduced the peloton there just weren't the legs in that group to chase down Remco on the sort of terrain he relishes.

Landa being the rider attempting to chase Evenepoel on the flat says it all really (I think I saw Sam Oomen doing a turn as well). Nope, the race was gone at that point unless Evenepoel exploded.

It should be a good life lesson for the peloton: don't ride defensive because you'll lose.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Congrats to Evenepoel on his great victory, first monument. The Bullet Man strikes! He attacked very hard at the end of a climb where gradients were shallower (his speciallity maybe?). He quickly gained about 30 seconds (doing some crazy watts for a few minutes) and then TT-ed his way to the finish like a bullet.

Like a bullet? A lot of guys here must be feeling like Bon Jovi now.

Shot through the heart.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If so, I don't think small hills after Redoute are superior to another climb after RaF. And I think Redoute dominates Lorcé more than RaF dominates Redoute.

Lorcé obviously isn't the climb where climbs prior to Redoute are intended to be made in that design, but, Targnon being unpassable, a climb like that prior to Redoute is unavoidable unless you take a rolling route avoiding main roads as much as possible from the last steep climb (most probably Chevron) before it when approaching from the south or east. Both of those options are fine, imo.

Disagree on small hills after Redoute versus Colonster after RaF. Firstly Forges isn't that much easier, secondly Redoute won't open up equally big gaps in that position and therefore wouldn't dominate the race as much, and finally a Redoute finale has more flat and rolling terrain than a RaF finale after the final big climb so more places where a move can be made. And setting race dynamics aside, Redoute has a lot more history in the race.

 

[OlavEH]

It would be different, because you have both the uncategorised hill to Hornay and Forges after Redoute rather than a mostly downhill route, plus the central section around Stavelot is both harder and closer to the finish. You could detour a bit into Liège, adding more easy climbs like the Amstel does with Bemelerberg, but I do think Redoute should be the final hard climb, the only question is whether you prioritise a longer finale after it, or try to facilitate attacks before it - this was obviously an attempt at the latter.

Colonster after RaF basically means admitting defeat and having the race be a two-climb affair every year. Would still be better than what we have now but certainly not the best you can get out of a redesign, even if you don't believe action prior to Redoute/RaF/whichever is your final hard hill is possible.

I don't think RaF - Colonoster or Redoute-Hornay-Forges would be much different. Both versions would push the decisive attack 5-10 km further out, and give some more variation. And that even if the version with Redoute as the decisive climb included more steep climbs between Stockeau and Redoute. The last of these would still come at least 20-25 km before Redoute, and I'm pretty sure that almost all versions would have a peloton of several dozen riders entering Redoute.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Great win by Evenepoel.

But someone should seriously have jumped on his wheel. IMO it was a failure from the other leaders to read the race at that time, i.e. after the crash had reduced the peloton there just weren't the legs in that group to chase down Remco on the sort of terrain he relishes.

Landa being the rider attempting to chase Evenepoel on the flat says it all really (I think I saw Sam Oomen doing a turn as well). Nope, the race was gone at that point unless Evenepoel exploded.

It should be a good life lesson for the peloton: don't ride defensive because you'll lose.

They couldn't. You really think they let a double WCC TT medalist go if they were able to follow? Last years winner of San Sebastian tried following him and had to let go after 20 seconds. Powless was as strong as the others since he still finished in the top 10 after that effort.

Van Aert said nobody could go any faster and that the pace in the chase was really high. Especially considering the headwind.

 

[Amazinmets87]

LBL is the all-rounder/GC rider monument. Not the climbers monument. Look at who has won here in the history.

It is post 2017. Look at the winners from '03 to '17

 

[Leinster]

It is post 2017. Look at the winners from '03 to '17

Like who, Gerrans?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

would be much different. Both versions would push the decisive attack 5-10 km further out, and give some more variation. And that even if the version with Redoute as the decisive climb included more steep climbs between Stockeau and Redoute. The last of these would still come at least 20-25 km before Redoute, and I'm pretty sure that almost all versions would have a peloton of several dozen riders entering Redoute.

Which isn't all that different from the distance between Taaienberg and Kwaremont in Ronde, or perhaps more comparably Sormano to Civiglio in Lombardia. I don't see why Liège would be that different.

 

[Netserk]

Lorcé obviously isn't the climb where climbs prior to Redoute are intended to be made in that design, but, Targnon being unpassable, a climb like that prior to Redoute is unavoidable unless you take a rolling route avoiding main roads as much as possible from the last steep climb (most probably Chevron) before it when approaching from the south or east. Both of those options are fine, imo.

I know, but with the pessimistic/realistic outlook that racing won't happen before Redoute (as I underlined), you at least have Redoute before RaF, but nothing similar before Redoute, making it even more locked. So you have to make a design that goes all-in on Redoute and has the pay-off with easier climbs afterwards. That is a major re-design, whereas Colonster is a very minor change (that would still allow for dangerous moves on and after Redoute). Personally, I'd prefer a major re-design too, but I don't think that's on the cards (and I'm in more than two minds about what design I'd prefer).

 

[Lequack]

Father with his two kids

 

[OlavEH]

Which isn't all that different from the distance between Taaienberg and Kwaremont in Ronde, or perhaps more comparably Sormano to Civiglio in Lombardia. I don't see why Liège would be that different.

Kwaremont is coupled with Paterberg in the Ronde and the climbs are Il Lombardia is fewer and tougher. I'm 90 % sure that a route like that in a far majority of the editions would end with a big group entering Redoute and not with a significantly reduced peloton of perhaps only 20-30 riders at most.

The most ideal route would be two big climbs in short sucession with the top of the last one at least 30 km from the finish, followed by 2 or 3 smaller climbs like Hornay, Forges, etc. But there aren't two big climbs directly coupled in a suitable distance from Liege. And having these climbs 60+ kms from the finish doesn't make much of a difference. It's too far.

 

[Breezy1985]

Not sure if it was mentioned but its certainly worthy of mention again but what an amazing human moment from Bardet to go for Ala and not his bike after that crash

 

[OlavEH]

Perhaps not the optimal route between Stockeau and Redoute, but the last 50 km of this edition would be interesting. Lorce and Niaster would come closer to Redoute than Rosier and Desnie, and the riders would have to attack on Redoute almost 30 km from the finish.

Error :: Cronoescalada - Cronoescalada

www.cronoescalada.com

Edit: Removing Embourg would make the route 3 km shorter and put Forges as the last climb something like 11 km from the finish.

 

[Netserk]

Perhaps not the optimal route between Stockeau and Redoute, but the last 50 km of this edition would be interesting. Lorce and Niaster would come closer to Redoute than Rosier and Desnie, and the riders would have to attack on Redoute almost 30 km from the finish.

Error :: Cronoescalada - Cronoescalada

www.cronoescalada.com

Edit: Removing Embourg would make the route 3 km shorter and put Forges as the last climb something like 11 km from the finish.

You can't use Stockeu like that.

If you want Redoute farther from the finish: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39185027

 

[Fantastico]

They couldn't. You really think they let a double WCC TT medalist go if they were able to follow? Last years winner of San Sebastian tried following him and had to let go after 20 seconds. Powless was as strong as the others since he still finished in the top 10 after that effort.

Van Aert said nobody could go any faster and that the pace in the chase was really high. Especially considering the headwind.

Just rewatched the race. Great effort by Evenepoel, well-deserved winner.

But overall a pretty boring race. The chasers should have worked together after RaF, they had already halved the gap. Instead - as always - they attacked and looked at each other, first to let van Aert get back and then to lose the sprint against him. That's just dumb. It has shown ten thousand times that you will not get a soloist back that way, especially not Evenepoel. I am a Valverde fan, but did he put his nose in the wind for one single second?