2016 Liège Bastogne Liège, April 24th, WT 253 km

[Lexman]

This sunday we'll have Liège Bastogne Liège.

Who will succeed Valverde this year?

Info on the route is available here :
http://www.letour.fr/liege-bastogne-liege/2016/us/race.html

Km 78.5 - Côte de La Roche-en Ardenne2.8 kilometre-long climb at 6.2%
Km 125.0 - Côte de Saint-Roch1 kilometre-long climb at 11.2%
Km 168.5 - Côte de Wanne2.8 kilometre-long climb at 7.4%
Km 179.0 - Côte de la Haute-Levée3.6 kilometre-long climb at 5.6%
Km 192.0 - Col du Rosier4.4 kilometre-long climb at 5.9%
Km 204.5 - Col du Maquisard2 kilometre-long climb at 5%
Km 216.5 - Côte de La Redoute2 kilometre-long climb at 8.9%
Km 232.5 - Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons1.3 kilometre-long climb at 11%
Km 246.5 - Côte de Saint-Nicolas1.2 kilometre-long climb at 8.6%
Km 250.5 - Côte de la Rue Naniot0.6 kilometre-long climb at 10.5%

BUT maybe the best news for the race : we might have some bad weather coming up, even snow?

https://www.facebook.com/NoodweerBenelux/photos/a.373346252738178.85657.373327649406705/1073012556104874/?type=3&theater

Northpole air is coming from the Northsea into Belgium and the chance exists wet snow will fall...Anyway temperature at the morning will be around 3° Celsius and max 7°, so it will be a cold day on the bike with a North Western wind and with a chance of 80 % of rain, and maybe snow??

 

[SeriousSam]

Gerrans or Matthews in a sprint from a select group would be great.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Gerrans or Matthews in a sprint from a select group would be great.

Your subtle trolling is hilarious. Its the best kind. Sam for member of the year.

Cant watch the race unfortunately, hoping Giggs can't either so the replay at least will be good.

 

[Red Rick]

Interested in the new climb. I fear it will make the race even more closed, but then the chance of a sprint in Liege are also smaller

 

[jsem94]

Dan Martin? Nah.

Valverde double is almost inevitable. Alaphilippe probably gonna be the closest rival.

 

[Lexman]

Re:

Gerrans or Matthews in a sprint from a select group would be great.

they won't survive the Cote de st. Nicolas

 

[BigMac]

Tim Wellens.

No, I'm not spamming his name in every race thread of every race he enters just 'cos.

If Wellens wins, then we can be sure it was a good race. At least with a good finale.

 

[rune1107]

Don't really care who wins this one. Just hoping for some exciting Ardenner racing for once. Maybe a solo winner, like Andy in 09'

 

[Laplaz]

With low temperatures and rain it should be a good race

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

Tim Wellens.

No, I'm not spamming his name in every race thread of every race he enters just 'cos.

If Wellens wins, then we can be sure it was a good race. At least with a good finale.

Meh, with Wellens the question is less "Will he get caught?" and more "When will he get caught?".

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

Tim Wellens.

No, I'm not spamming his name in every race thread of every race he enters just 'cos.

If Wellens wins, then we can be sure it was a good race. At least with a good finale.

Meh, with Wellens the question is less "Will he get caught?" and more "When will he get caught?".

I agree, as Red Rick joked upthread. Liége is harder though and there will be less domestiques by the time he usually attacks. Maybe he can pull another Montréal (hence I also mentioned Adam Yates).

 

[infeXio]

Re: Re:

Gerrans or Matthews in a sprint from a select group would be great.

Your subtle trolling is hilarious. Its the best kind. Sam for member of the year.

Cant watch the race unfortunately, hoping Giggs can't either so the replay at least will be good.

Subtle?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Didnt even know they put a new climb in after Saint Nicolas.

 

[fauniera]

Re: Liège Bastogne Liège, April 24th, WT 253 km

I think the new finale will look like this:

Rue Naniot is lightly cobbled, of course.

 

[BigMac]

Thanks fauniera. Think an attack could stick.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Hard to look past Valverde here as well. Hopefully Nibali will lighten up the race. If I have to point to an outsider, I'd go with Brambilla as he's been looking very strong this season. Do I remember wrong or was he strong here last year as well?

 

[hrotha]

You guys can dismiss Wellens all you want, but the thing is, back in the day people who attacked when he does wouldn't actually have to go at it alone.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

You guys can dismiss Wellens all you want, but the thing is, back in the day people who attacked when he does wouldn't actually have to go at it alone.

Indeed, his only classics win came after a breakaway with another rider.

 

[Valv.Piti]

The weather could really make this race interesting, Valverde doesnt perform super well in the cold. I say an outsider wins it, preferably Wellens who is in monster shape.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

The weather could really make this race interesting, Valverde doesnt perform super well in the cold. I say an outsider wins it, preferably Wellens who is in monster shape.

Are they bringing Betancur as a back-up?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

The weather could really make this race interesting, Valverde doesnt perform super well in the cold. I say an outsider wins it, preferably Wellens who is in monster shape.

Are they bringing Betancur as a back-up?

Doesnt seem like it, he is only scheduled to F-W as far as I know, but if he does well, why not?!

 

[BeagRigh]

Wellens should go and have a pre-race chat with Nibali, Kreuziger, and Bardet... Especially of the weather is bad.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Liège Bastogne Liège, April 24th, WT 253 km

Dont underestimate Wellens, he was extremely strong in AGR (just compare his attack to Kreuziger's) and I think its very likely he would have won the race if he hadn't attack earlier. In a harder race like LBL he surely is one of the favorites.

 

[saganftw]

nah this time wellens wins because everybody will think "its just wellens,he always gets caught" and they will look at each other,after the race orica will let us know they were the strongest but nobody pulled for them,sky will try to race hard only to realize they dont have a leader in the final group,valverde second outsprinting martin to the line after his chain skips with 100m to go

 

[trucido]

Can't wait for the "I was super strong and everyone else was super weak but no one would tow me to 300 metres from the line" post-race speech.