2017 Liège-Bastogne-Liège - April 23rd - 258k

[frisenfruitig]

The guys at Sporza always play pre-race interviews with Spanish or Italian riders without any subtitles and afterwards the pundits translate it to Dutch. They could just tell us what they said instead of having us listen to some gibberish, I don't get this *** lol

 

[TomLPC]

I wish peter was here

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re:

The guys at Sporza always play pre-race interviews with Spanish or Italian riders without any subtitles and afterwards the pundits translate it to Dutch. They could just tell us what they said instead of having us listen to some gibberish, I don't get this **** lol

They're waiting for the translators who tell them, maybe?

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Wuyts is on a roll today

"The field in LBL is getting weaker every year"

Meaning: Belgians are unlikely to win today

I don't know the guy but he does have a point. Where are all the GT stars on the monument that suit them the most (besides maybe Lombardia)? Contador, Quintana, Nibali, Froome, Pinot, Porte, Chavez all missing out...

I think that says more about how one-dimensional most of the top GC riders are nowdays, rather than the quality of the field. I don't think any of those names would make the startlist significantly stronger - none of them would be among the favourites for the race.

I think the field is quite strong this year, with Kwiatkowski returning to form (and Sky in general very strong), Martin looking good, some good climbers (Bardet, Yates), some good sprinters (GVA, Albasini), then strong allrounders like Dumoulin, Uran and Izagirre. I think the problem is mostly illusory because everyone looks relatively weak in comparison with Valverde. But I think everyone in the early 2000s or most other time periods would look weak compared with Valverde in current form; it's the fact that he is so strong, rather than the rest of the starlist being especially weak.

That's because they never peak for them. Contador gave one decent shot at the Ardennes in his whole career and was among the best riders in both races he did. Nibali has been 2nd in LBL. Froome has been 2nd on the Mur. Quintana was just fine in the San Fermo stage in TA.

Sure, they can't come here at 80% and be near the front on the RaF, but they can be a big factor if they're good enough to race agressively.

The Schlecks were the last pure climbers to peak for LBL every year, and they did great in it.

I don't think it's that simple. Most top GC riders nowdays don't have the anaerobic endurance for races like this. Nibali perhaps does if he peaked for it, but Froome and Contador (post-ban) have shown nothing to suggest they could win a big one day race. Quintana is a bit of an unknown because he hasn't really tried and wouldn't be leader anyway, but imo he'd struggle as well. They are just names though; there is nothing to suggest they would make the startlist stronger - they are way too one-dimensional for a race like this.

 

[Red Rick]

Ok. How long before the breakaway starts getting dangerous?

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

The guys at Sporza always play pre-race interviews with Spanish or Italian riders without any subtitles and afterwards the pundits translate it to Dutch. They could just tell us what they said instead of having us listen to some gibberish, I don't get this **** lol

They're waiting for the translators who tell them, maybe?

It's, actually a good journalists' manner. Let the viewers hear it in original, who understands - he appreciates, who doesn't - gets translation and opportunity to learn the language.

 

[Ikbengodniet]

Re: Re:

Wuyts is on a roll today

"The field in LBL is getting weaker every year"

Meaning: Belgians are unlikely to win today

I don't know the guy but he does have a point. Where are all the GT stars on the monument that suit them the most (besides maybe Lombardia)? Contador, Quintana, Nibali, Froome, Pinot, Porte, Chavez all missing out...

Yeah. I'm starting to think the Ardennes are a bit too late in the spring in your typical buildup to the GTs. For some riders you don't even know if they can do it because they've never even tried.

That said, LBL is almost impossible to combine with riding the Giro.

LBL was combined with the Giro by quite a lot of riders in the past. I think Nibali rode it before the Giro a few times, Valverde rode LBL last year before getting 3rd in the giro, Vino won LBL in 2010 before he went to Italy and Dan Martin crashed on the last corner of LBL 2014 and on one of the first ones in the Giro of the same year. These are only the first four example that come to my mind and I'm sure there are many other ones one could find.

Valverde was saying last year he couldn't be at his best in the Ardennes because of riding the Giro.

Nibali's best result in LBL was the year he wasn't riding the Giro.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Re: Re:

The guys at Sporza always play pre-race interviews with Spanish or Italian riders without any subtitles and afterwards the pundits translate it to Dutch. They could just tell us what they said instead of having us listen to some gibberish, I don't get this **** lol

They're waiting for the translators who tell them, maybe?

These are interviews from before the race. I don't know if the pundits themselves translate it on the spot or if they have translations ready but either way just playing these interviews in Spanish or Italian doesn't make any sense does it?

 

[Velolover2]

Still 6 minutes for the break.

Would like to see some more attacks before Redoute.

 

[Ikbengodniet]

Absolutely no danger at all the break will survive with the climbs still coming.

 

[Red Rick]

Froome was 2nd on the Mur de Huy. Contador rode LBL in 2013 and was in an attack over the Redoute, even though it was his worst year in a decade. Bardet has challenged for a number of years now. Nibali won that hilly stage of the 2014 Tour. The length of the climbs in LBL is just enough for purer climbers to challenge the punchers. It's a lot of 3-5 minute efforts.

The problem is not that they can't do it. The problem is that most don't want to peak for a week in which they may not ever get results because gaps are so small and the field is so deep.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Ok. How long before the breakaway starts getting dangerous?

I think it is dangerous

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

The guys at Sporza always play pre-race interviews with Spanish or Italian riders without any subtitles and afterwards the pundits translate it to Dutch. They could just tell us what they said instead of having us listen to some gibberish, I don't get this **** lol

They're waiting for the translators who tell them, maybe?

It's, actually a good journalists' manner. Let the viewers hear it in original, who understands - he appreciates, who doesn't - gets translation and opportunity to learn the language.

"Bala, hables slower por favor?"

Nah I'm kidding. I quite like it.

 

[Red Rick]

Bananito _O_

 

[Scarponi]

Carlos

 

[Gigs_98]

Does anyone have a stream? The race isn't shown by German Eurosport, I don't find any yt links and tiz cycling seems to be down.

 

[Velolover2]

Yates bro attack?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Pierre Latour goes.

 

[Red Rick]

Does anyone have a stream? The race isn't shown by German Eurosport, I don't find any yt links and tiz cycling seems to be down.

http://live.robinwidget.org/streamvideo8/cycling-vs-liege-bastogne-liege-live-stream-195030.html

 

[Sylvester]

Machado and De Clercq to drop the others on La Redoute? Seems likely.

 

[Flamin]

Orica missed that move. They have to chase.

 

[Red Rick]

Meanwhile, I think the break could well last until the Saint Nicolas

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Froome was 2nd on the Mur de Huy. Contador rode LBL in 2013 and was in an attack over the Redoute, even though it was his worst year in a decade. Bardet has challenged for a number of years now. Nibali won that hilly stage of the 2014 Tour. The length of the climbs in LBL is just enough for purer climbers to challenge the punchers. It's a lot of 3-5 minute efforts.

The problem is not that they can't do it. The problem is that most don't want to peak for a week in which they may not ever get results because gaps are so small and the field is so deep.

A Tour de France stage just isn't comparable to a one day race though. The specialists aren't there in top form, and fatigue from previous days plays much more of a role. The stages tend to be a lot more aerobic than the constant anaerobic demands of a classic. Re. Contador in 2013 - of course some climbers can get a gap on an isolated climb, but they can't do it repeatedly and then solo to the line after 250km - and none of them can sprint. So they're not realistic contenders.

We saw it in the Olympics last year - which the GC riders there did peak for. A lot of people tipping the likes of Froome and even Porte (!); but they faded and the top 5 was ultimately filled by riders with decent one-day pedigree.

There's just no evidence to suggest that Froome or Contador at their peak nowdays could seriously challenge for a win at LBL. Froome, in particular, would just be using up a place of a much more talented one day racer at Sky.

 

[DFA123]

Betancur in the Rojas role.

 

[Flamin]

Oh yeah, Sky missed it too, oops