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

[Escarabajo]

It's just not the right word. I feel it's safe to say Rogla was never ever overrated.

P.S. Even if i would agree he had some issues this year. He still won PN, beaten future LBL winner in an ITT and has blow up Ineos on Krabelin while being injured.

You are still accommodating my answer. I would not put him as the main favorite if he had ridden this race. He would have been among several.
The reason I write this is because people are trying to undermine, put an asterisk or sub-estimate Remco's victory. And that is not right.

 

[Cagalitroso]

I dont know if Remco is going to be even as 10% as good as his more annoying fans claim, but he deserves this victory 100%, nobody gave him anything.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I dont know if Remco is going to be even as 10% as good as his more annoying fans claim, but he deserves this victory 100%, nobody gave him anything.

I think today he was about 100% as good as what his fans have claimed. Youngest LBL winner since 1968, and not by waiting and outsprinting a group of rivals. Biggest time gap since 1994.

 

[Netserk]

Biggest time gap since 1994.

2009.

 

[red_flanders]

Went mountain biking this morning so missed the live race. Caught up this afternoon, and was super stoked! Overall thoughts:

• Incredibly explosive and sustained attack in a spot where he quickly ran out of climb, yet made it stick anyway.
• Attacking from the front = panache. Guys just could not hold the wheel, pure and simple.
• Feel like maybe the headwind was to his advantage in the finale, what with his aero profile he might have gained a lot of time just because he's so efficient.
• That said, climbed Roche like a boss. Won like a boss. Saved AVQS's spring.

Awesome ride! Fun to watch.

 

[Wvv]

The day after, and still enjoying.

Remco's raid was a lot of things, but above all a masterpiece of strength and talent. He combined the qualities we already knew (high tempo cruising and aerodynamics) with the ones he needed to adopt in order to conquer these kind of races (acceleration, endurance and tactical craft). This doesn't say a lot yet about GC ambitions, but imagine what we would've told about any other 22 year old winning La Doyenne.

Van Aert 2nd in Roubaix and 3rd in Liège. A phenomenal comeback after Covid, no matter how hard the infection was. He is granted a big win this year, something like a green or rainbow jersey. And big kudos to Intermarché-Wanty again and certainly Quinten Hermans, about who I previously warned to not underestimate him. He can win nice races in the future.

 

[Red Rick]

The day after, and still enjoying.

Remco's raid was a lot of things, but above all a masterpiece of strength and talent. He combined the qualities we already knew (high tempo cruising and aerodynamics) with the ones he needed to adopt in order to conquer these kind of races (acceleration, endurance and tactical craft). This doesn't say a lot yet about GC ambitions, but imagine what we would've told about any other 22 year old winning La Doyenne.

Van Aert 2nd in Roubaix and 3rd in Liège. A phenomenal comeback after Covid, no matter how hard the infection was. He is granted a big win this year, something like a green or rainbow jersey. And big kudos to Intermarché-Wanty again and certainly Quinten Hermans, about who I previously warned to not underestimate him. He can win nice races in the future.

Green jersey isn't bigger than *** he has already won this year

 

[Velolover2]

In retrospect, RaF became the worthless climb this year because all the favorites were empty at that point. The new route isn't that bad after all. I actually like the design of the Faucons: Very steep -> little descent -> less steep part.

And that's the best thing about the Remco attack: He will have to do the same thing next year. Pog will definitely respond which could open up the race much earlier than RaF.

Add Wout and MVDP who like to go from distance + Ala (who has hopefully recovered and is back at his best) and you have an open race.

Someone like Roglic would prefer a hard RaF instead so it's likely that Jumbo will take up the chase.

 

[AlfaLum]

In retrospect, RaF became the worthless climb this year because all the favorites were empty at that point. The new route isn't that bad after all. I actually like the design of the Faucons: Very steep -> little descent -> less steep part.

And that's the best thing about the Remco attack: He will have to do the same thing next year. Pog will definitely respond which could open up the race much earlier than RaF.

Add Wout and MVDP who like to go from distance + Ala (who has hopefully recovered and is back at his best) and you have an open race.

Someone like Roglic would prefer a hard RaF instead so it's likely that Jumbo will take up the chase.

I don’t think all of the favorites where empty at the RAF if you saw how many attacks they had left on the outlier.

I think they where just too afraid of eachother there to be the first one to go all out from the bottom there. Which I think also made sense, because a lot of them where closely matched.

For me the best thing about the race yesterday is that Evenepoel has managed to make the Redoute significant once again. Next year the other favorites will be more wary of such an attack and will not leave the likes of Powless at the wheel of Evenepoel there anymore. Which makes the Redoute a place where everybody will have to put in a big effort from now on.

Evenepoel was just incredible yesterday. The way he is always able to hold of an entire pack of chasers is amazing. You just cannot give this guy ant gap, because if you do you will only see him after the finish line. That is an unseen skill in this sport, and it will make the racing more and more interesting for the next few years.

 

[OlavEH]

I don’t think all of the favorites where empty at the RAF if you saw how many attacks they had left on the outlier.

I think they where just too afraid of eachother there to be the first one to go all out from the bottom there. Which I think also made sense, because a lot of them where closely matched.

For me the best thing about the race yesterday is that Evenepoel has managed to make the Redoute significant once again. Next year the other favorites will be more wary of such an attack and will not leave the likes of Powless at the wheel of Evenepoel there anymore. Which makes the Redoute a place where everybody will have to put in a big effort from now on.

Evenepoel was just incredible yesterday. The way he is always able to hold of an entire pack of chasers is amazing. You just cannot give this guy ant gap, because if you do you will only see him after the finish line. That is an unseen skill in this sport, and it will make the racing more and more interesting for the next few years.

The race yesterday had needed a Pogacar or a Alpahillipe in peak form to attack on RaF (or earlier) and blow things apart. Remcos effort were great, but the rest of the favorites were pretty hesitant and too passive. Glad Remco won this when none of the very top names were present and in top form.

 

[Velolover2]

I don’t think all of the favorites where empty at the RAF if you saw how many attacks they had left on the outlier.

I think they where just too afraid of eachother there to be the first one to go all out from the bottom there. Which I think also made sense, because a lot of them where closely matched.

For me the best thing about the race yesterday is that Evenepoel has managed to make the Redoute significant once again. Next year the other favorites will be more wary of such an attack and will not leave the likes of Powless at the wheel of Evenepoel there anymore. Which makes the Redoute a place where everybody will have to put in a big effort from now on.

Evenepoel was just incredible yesterday. The way he is always able to hold of an entire pack of chasers is amazing. You just cannot give this guy ant gap, because if you do you will only see him after the finish line. That is an unseen skill in this sport, and it will make the racing more and more interesting for the next few years.

Exactly. And I have the feeling that the route through the highway and hated Col Du Roiser will be out after that dreadful mass crash. These are not even sharp hills but more like the medium mountains you see in the peloton enjoying in reduced bunch sprint stages.

If you gut Haute, Roiser and Desnie, you could have a scenario like in Flanders and Roubaix: Being in the early break can give you a top 10.

My problem was never RaF or Redoute. It is the part between Stockeu and Redoute that is designed to eat breakaways and discourage riders from attacking from the peloton.

 

[Wvv]

Green jersey isn't bigger than *** he has already won this year

Debatable.

For something like a green jersey in the Tour, it depends on how it's won. You can imagine Wout won't do it by merely mass sprint results. Also, a Belgian rider winning green is much more rare than a Belgian rider winning a cobbled classic race, so for him and us as Belgians it would be a meaningful prize.

 

[Extinction]

This more than deserves a worthy mentioning. I have always admired the introspective and intelligent frenchmen, now I will be pulling for him during every single race in which he participates. From today's la Gazzetta dello Sport:

"And then there is Romain Bardaet...There are masterpieces signed with the legs (read Evenopoel), others that arrive from the heart. The one realized by the frenchmen gives us faith back in humanity in a certainly difficult historical moment...Romain Bardet, the angel that arrived roadside....fresh victor of the Tour of the Alpes e soon to be protagonist of the Giro d'Italia. He realizes that his countryman is helpless in the woods and alone. The race no longer has any sense. In a split second he leaps down the ravine...and gives the first aid to Alaphilippe. A dramatic scene that became awesome, as Romain remained with Julian until the ambulance arrived. A deed that is worthy of victory in the race. Bardet: 'It was a nightmare for me. When I saw Juilian over there, it was an emotional shock for me. It was an emergency situation. He could neither move nor breath. He was conscious, but he was unable to speak. I really hope he will be ok.' Two broken ribs, a fractured scapola and a collapsed lung, thus Alaphilippe spent the night in hospital. And perhaps he even dreamt of being nurtured by his friend Romain."

 

[wheresmybrakes]

You are still accommodating my answer. I would not put him as the main favorite if he had ridden this race. He would have been among several.
The reason I write this is because people are trying to undermine, put an asterisk or sub-estimate Remco's victory. And that is not right.

You can only beat what is in front of you. People put a big asterisk against Tao's Giro win, it's not his fault the top contenders fell away and was left with lower tier riders to beat.

 

[Bolder]

The reason I write this is because people are trying to undermine, put an asterisk or sub-estimate Remco's victory. And that is not right.

I don't see this sentiment at all, at least on this thread.

I think CN forum members understand that there's always going to be some favorite who doesn't show up, or isn't in optimal shape. By the same token, there's also always going to be an underdog who overdelivers.

I didn't see a particularly weak field or performances yesterday. There was an unfortunate crash and the usual dithering among the chase group.

 

[hayneplane]

The day after, and still enjoying.

Remco's raid was a lot of things, but above all a masterpiece of strength and talent. He combined the qualities we already knew (high tempo cruising and aerodynamics) with the ones he needed to adopt in order to conquer these kind of races (acceleration, endurance and tactical craft). This doesn't say a lot yet about GC ambitions, but imagine what we would've told about any other 22 year old winning La Doyenne.

Van Aert 2nd in Roubaix and 3rd in Liège. A phenomenal comeback after Covid, no matter how hard the infection was. He is granted a big win this year, something like a green or rainbow jersey. And big kudos to Intermarché-Wanty again and certainly Quinten Hermans, about who I previously warned to not underestimate him. He can win nice races in the future.

Good comments and worth regaining some perspective about developing as without Pogacar as a reference people would be raving about the future 3 week potential of a guy who just won a hilly monument at 22 and a bit.

Even then we should acknowledge that Remco has actually won a monument at a younger age than Pogacar and is on the trajectory to be great even if the crash will always create that doubt whether he would have been even better and got big results sooner.

 

[Big Doopie]

Remcos effort were great, but the rest of the favorites were pretty hesitant and too passive. Glad Remco won this when none of the very top names were present and in top form.

Lol.

Watch his attack. Every single rider tries to react, sprinting after him. They simply are unable to sustain the effort.

He then TTs 30kms against teams into a headwind and pulls out 48 seconds.

Right and no one else was in top shape for a monument. Only Remco. And he was the only one trying as well. Do you actually hear yourself…?

What am I thinking? You are right. Carapaz didn’t really try to follow Pog at last years TDF. And all the other riders weren’t trying. And none of them was in top shape. Lol!!

 

[Extinction]

Lol.

Watch his attack. Every single rider tries to react, sprinting after him. They simply are unable to sustain the effort.

He then TTs 30kms against teams into a headwind and pulls out 48 seconds.

Right and no one else was in top shape for a monument. Only Remco. And he was the only one trying as well. Do you actually hear yourself…?

What am I thinking? You are right. Carapaz didn’t really try to follow Pog at last years TDF. And all the other riders weren’t trying. And none of them was in top shape. Lol!!

The perfect response to a nonsense post. It would have taken even a Pogacar at his best to follow.

 

[OlavEH]

Watch his attack. Every single rider tries to react, sprinting after him. They simply are unable to sustain the effort.

He then TTs 30kms against teams into a headwind and pulls out 48 seconds.

Right and no one else was in top shape for a monument. Only Remco. And he was the only one trying as well. Do you actually hear yourself…?

What am I thinking? You are right. Carapaz didn’t really try to follow Pog at last years TDF. And all the other riders weren’t trying. And none of them was in top shape. Lol!!

Pog wasn't there. Van Aert was clearly not in top shape. Ala crashed out and was probably not in top shape either. And with respect to the other guys like Teuns, Woods, Vlasov, Higuita, Powless, etc., These guys are not on the same level as the three (or VdP and Roglici in peak shape) mentioned here. Remco was better than the others and deserved the win.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I wish we could have seen peak Evenepoel vs Cancellara. That would be an adventure. Or T. Martin.

 

[OlavEH]

The perfect response to a nonsense post. It would have taken even a Pogacar at his best to follow.

Hehe, Pog at his best would have blasted Remco in the climb at RaF. Remcos effort yesterday was great, but we lacked probably the 4 or 5 hilly climbers with the highest potential in peak shape. The guys sprinting for 2nd are really not on the same level.

 

[Netserk]

Watch his attack. Every single rider tries to react, sprinting after him.

Maybe you should watch it? Powless tries, Cosnefroy has seconds thoughts almost immediately afterwards, only Fuglsang takes up the chase after that, way too late.

It was a super impressive attack, and the approach on Redoute was excellent. Making sure that he was in prime position at the bottom, then climbing it at a modest and steady pace, making it crowded and with mostly secondary riders near the front.

It would have taken Martinez or Higuita or of similar calibre to follow his attack over the top of the climb.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Green jersey isn't bigger than *** he has already won this year

I don’t think it should be bigger than winning Omloop or E3, but I think it factually is a bigger deal than winning those races. Who won the minor cobbled classics is usually more or less forgotten by the end of Spring. Green at the Tour comes with an order of magnitude more attention and fame.

 

[Big Doopie]

Pog wasn't there. Van Aert was clearly not in top shape. Ala crashed out and was probably not in top shape either. And with respect to the other guys like Teuns, Woods, Vlasov, Higuita, Powless, etc., These guys are not on the same level as the three (or VdP and Roglici in peak shape) mentioned here. Remco was better than the others and deserved the win.

Haha!

Rog crashed out of last years TDF.
Bernal wasn’t there.
G Thomas was diminished by his crash.

On the podium was a first time rider who did not even have the support of his team and a rider who can barely TT.

Does anyone question Pog’s win?

The haters will hate.

 

[Extinction]

Pog wasn't there. Van Aert was clearly not in top shape. Ala crashed out and was probably not in top shape either. And with respect to the other guys like Teuns, Woods, Vlasov, Higuita, Powless, etc., These guys are not on the same level as the three (or VdP and Roglici in peak shape) mentioned here. Remco was better than the others and deserved the win.

Well, on that note, we haven't seen a Remco in top shape either since his crash in Lombardia. And it is never a gaurantee that in any given race the top guns will each be riding on all 4 cylinders. So what you are saying can apply to a great number of races. It's like speculating over what would have happened had this Remco been there last year. We simply can't know. What is the point. What is undoubtedly clear, however, is that Eveneopoel's performance, nay feat, yesterday was that of a real champion (like Pogacar's victory last year). So let's just look forward to eventual heavyweight battles between them and WvA, MVdP, TP, PR etc. in the future.