2013 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 21/04/13 257km

[Orbit501]

What's Froome done in any hilly race that make you think LBL suits him? He'll probably be working for Henao in LBL, that would be the smart thing to do.

Apparently they have 5 "options" for this race

I'm with you, I'd be looking mainly at one basket to throw all the eggs in and that basket would have Henao written all over it.

 

[Orbit501]

Kwiatkowski?

That's the one.

 

[williamp78]

Apparently they have 5 "options" for this race

I'm with you, I'd be looking mainly at one basket to throw all the eggs in and that basket would have Henao written all over it.

In the GTs its always been everything behind one rider. The classics the spread their bets. Their results would certainly seem to suggest that the former is more effective.

Henao should be the designated leader here with perhaps one rider given a free role as a back up. The other 6 should be domestiques

 

[iZnoGouD]

Froome is stronger than Henao

 

[Netserk]

If you wanna discuss bets, then do it in the other forum.

 

[Afrank]

Apparently they have 5 "options" for this race

I'm with you, I'd be looking mainly at one basket to throw all the eggs in and that basket would have Henao written all over it.

Yep, they have Froome, Henao, Uran, Porte, maybe Locke as a far outside bet.
Can't see Froome or Porte doing much though IMO, Locke won't even finish near the front group, that leaves Uran and Henao, and Henao has the form, so he should be leader.

 

[iZnoGouD]

I really can't see why u rate henao higher than Froome

 

[williamp78]

Yep, they have Froome, Henao, Uran, Porte, maybe Locke as a far outside bet.
Can't see Froome or Porte doing much though IMO, Locke won't even finish near the front group, that leaves Uran and Henao, and Henao has the form, so he should be leader.

Locke has tweeted that he's acting 100% as a domestique tomorrow

https://twitter.com/J_T_Locke

 

[Orbit501]

I really can't see why u rate henao higher than Froome

Because Henao clearly has superb Classics form right now and even has a half decent sprint on him too.

 

[manafana]

JTL has the class, but its a big step up to a world tour team.

TGBM can go well i think.

 

[Afrank]

I really can't see why u rate henao higher than Froome

Because he is in great form right now, was 6th in AGR and 2nd in FW, and because the Ardennes are a target of his this season. And there isn't really a clear cut favorite for the race that is at a much higher level than everyone else (like Gilbert 2011), that benefits him.

I don't see why you rate Froome higher than him. I ask again, what's Froome done in any hilly race that says he is more of a potential winner than Henao?

 

[serfla]

I really can't see why u rate henao higher than Froome

Although not appointed to me, I hope you and AFrank won't mind.
Froome is tactically very weak rider, and LBL's composition isn't exactly his cup of tea. He doesn't have the experience, too.
Strategy and experience make 50% of every successful Classic attempt. The other half is form and compatibility.
In Froome's case we can only agree about the form, and even that is only a presumption.

 

[iZnoGouD]

He can get to Sain-Nicolas fresher than anybody else and he fares well on climb like that too

 

[Roderick]

If he's still there at Saint-Nicolas, the dawg will get destroyed by guys like Valverde or Gilbert(if he got a decent form)

 

[iZnoGouD]

I wouldn't be so sure about that, i can see him destroying everyone

 

[Afrank]

He can get to Sain-Nicolas fresher than anybody else and he fares well on climb like that too

Why would he be fresher than everybody else? Marginal Gains? Have Sky figured out a new way of riding so there riders only do half the amount of work as everyone else?

 

[iZnoGouD]

Because he has a big engine

 

[iZnoGouD]

What would have to happen tomorrow for Pieter Weening to win?

 

[Afrank]

Will take more than a big engine to survive the climbs of Liege (climbs he has never shown much skill on) to win the race.

The only way I see Froome winning is if he breaks away early in order to force the other teams to work; and those teams either screw up by not getting organized or refuse to work. Don't think they would take that risk though.

 

[iZnoGouD]

You all be surprised, Froome will easily podium

 

[serfla]

You all be surprised, Froome will easily podium

Won't win?!

 

[iZnoGouD]

I want either Costa or Weening to win

 

[serfla]

I want either Costa or Weening to win

I'm afraid you should have spent your money on tires.

 

[polarbear70]

Hello . First post. Will be interesting to see how Froome does.
But I would be surprised in his first attempt at a podium place.
Sky didn't perform in these courses at all yet so why should they start now?
Are they still not waiting a first win in the 'Monuments'?

 

[Jancouver]

Apparently they have 5 "options" for this race

I'm with you, I'd be looking mainly at one basket to throw all the eggs in and that basket would have Henao written all over it.

Too many chiefs and not enough Indians ...