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

[jaylew]

The grandaddy of them all, La Doyenne. Will we get another first time winner? Is this finally Kwiatkowski's year or will Balaverde go for #4? Hopefully we'll get better weather than last year.

Teams (Key riders incomplete until we know who's racing - feel free to post additions below)
Lotto Soudal (Wellens)
Trek - Segafredo (Felline, Pantano)
BMC Racing Team (Van Avermaet, Teuns, Sanchez)
Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Astana Pro Team (Fuglsang)
Team Sky (Kwiatkowski, Henao, Rosa)
Quick-Step Floors (Martin, Vakoc)
Bahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team (Visconti, Gasparotto, Izaguirre)
Movistar Team (Valverde, Moreno)
UAE Team Emirates (Costa, Ulissi, Meintjes)
Team Katusha - Alpecin (Taaramae)
AG2R La Mondiale (Bardet, Pozzovivo)
Team Sunweb (Dumoulin, Barguil)
Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team (Uran, Formolo, Woods)
Bora - Hansgrohe (Majka, McCarthy)
Dimension Data (Haas)
ORICA-Scott (Albasini, Yates x2, Gerrans, Kreuziger)
FDJ (Vichot, Molard)
WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
Direct Energie (Calmejane)
Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij (Weening)
Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise
Wanty - Groupe Gobert
Aqua Blue Sport (Nordhaug)

>>Full Startlist<<

Climbs
Km 70.0 - Côte de La Roche en Ardenne 2.8 km at 6.2%
Km 116.0 - Côte de Saint-Roch 1 km at 11.2%
Km 168.0 - Côte de Pont 1 km at 10.5%
Km 172.0 - Côte de Bellevaux 1.1 km at 6.8%
Km 180.0 - Côte de la Ferme Libert 1.2 km at 12.1%
Km 198.0 - Col du Rosier 4.4 km at 5.9%
Km 211.0 - Col du Maquisard 2.5 km at 5%
Km 222.5 - Côte de La Redoute 2 km at 8.9%
Km 239.0 - Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons 1.3 km at 11%
Km 252.5 - Côte de Saint-Nicolas 1.2 km at 8.6%

Previous winners
2016 POELS Wout
2015 VALVERDE Alejandro
2014 GERRANS Simon
2013 MARTIN Daniel
2012 IGLINSKIY Maxim
2011 GILBERT Philippe
2010 VINOKOUROV Alexandre
2009 SCHLECK Andy
2008 VALVERDE Alejandro
2007 DI LUCA Danilo
2006 VALVERDE Alejandro

2016 Results
1.POELS Wout
2.ALBASINI Michael
3.COSTA Rui
4.SÁNCHEZ Samuel
5.ZAKARIN Ilnur
6.BARGUIL Warren
7.KREUZIGER Roman
8.RODRÍGUEZ Joaquim
9.MOLLEMA Bauke
10.ROSA Diego

 

[jaylew]

Unfortunately no Alaphillippe, Gilbert, or Poels. Weather caused a rather weird edition last year but I haven't really looked at this year's forecast.

 

[RedheadDane]

I'd hoped Valgren could have a decent showing - top-20, maybe lower top-10 - but obviously that's not gonna happen now.

 

[silvergrenade]

Kwiato FTW!!

 

[jsem94]

Please just let us see some good action. Bala ftw though.

 

[WheelofGear]

Hard to see past Bala. If they want to beat Valverde, they'll have to surprise him from further out than Côte de Saint-Nicolas or the final climb in Ans. Some of the riders are happy with getting 4th or 8th.

Gilbert is clearly missing.

 

[Don Alejandro]

Re:

Unfortunately no Alaphillippe, Gilbert, or Poels. Weather caused a rather weird edition last year but I haven't really looked at this year's forecast.

10-12 degrees, very small Chance for Rain. Should be okay.

 

[drc]

This one is for Kwiatkowski.

 

[Velolover2]

Needs a route change like Amstel. Make Côte de La Redoute the centerpiece again and award riders who attack from far out.

 

[Hyman]

It depends on how hard they ride.

If they make it hard. Valverde is the clear favourite. Because no climber can match him in a sprint.If a group of 30 arrive to Ans like in the previous years. Then Albasini,Gerrans, Kiwi, have their chances.

The hardest the race is, the better for Valverde, yet he seems content to sprint against a bunch of 20.

 

[tobydawq]

Gerrans has absolutely no chance.

 

[Hyman]

Re:

Hard to see past Bala. If they want to beat Valverde, they'll have to surprise him from further out than Côte de Saint-Nicolas or the final climb in Ans. Some of the riders are happy with getting 4th or 8th.

Gilbert is clearly missing.

Lots of riders can beat Valverde in Ans if the group is not really selected. Last year there were 50 riders past St Nicholas. Valverde is not the favourite in that situation.

Problem is nobody will want to work with him. Same problem than Sagan. If he goes solo with Henao, Martin, Uran for eg... he wont find any collaboration. Its not easy to act in those situations.

 

[Hyman]

Re:

Gerrans has absolutely no chance.

Well he can wheelsuck to Ans if the tempo is low and in a sprint he is as fast as the fastest.

 

[hrotha]

Re: Re:

Gerrans has absolutely no chance.

Well he can wheelsuck to Ans if the tempo is low and in a sprint he is as fast as the fastest.

Not the current Gerrans.

 

[Velolover2]

Albasini is a great outsider. He is one of these riders who both can win from breaks and reduced sprints.

 

[King Boonen]

Barguil all the way

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

Needs a route change like Amstel. Make Côte de La Redoute the centerpiece again and award riders who attack from far out.

They should just remove Ans finish, and make it a flat finish 5-10km after Saint Nicholas. We should get serious attacks on Redoute and Roche aux Faucons then

As for the present race concerns: If Valverde is not under attack and huge pressure before St.Nicholas, he is probably going to win this. Kwiatkowski must attack earlier, maybe the best spot is right after RaF. He or Henao must strike there, to put pressure on Bala and his team. Movistar is good, but not great. If the race is hard, with lots of attacks, they could run out of men, and if Valverde has to chase himself on St.Nicholas, or even before, he becomes vulnerable, and that is a chance for Kwiat or Martin or somebody strong enough.

 

[WheelofGear]

Re: Re:

Hard to see past Bala. If they want to beat Valverde, they'll have to surprise him from further out than Côte de Saint-Nicolas or the final climb in Ans. Some of the riders are happy with getting 4th or 8th.

Gilbert is clearly missing.

Lots of riders can beat Valverde in Ans if the group is not really selected. Last year there were 50 riders past St Nicholas. Valverde is not the favourite in that situation.

Problem is nobody will want to work with him. Same problem than Sagan. If he goes solo with Henao, Martin, Uran for eg... he wont find any collaboration. Its not easy to act in those situations.

Movistar should be able to reduce the peloton to less than 20 riders for Valverde to sprint against. Only real treat should be Kwiatkowski in such a group. A 50/50.

It's much harder for Movistar to control the race if some of the favorites decide to attack early on and Valverde misses the move.

 

[portugal11]

The best classicomano will win... of course i'm talking about rui costa!!

 

[yaco]

I understand the cobbled climb which made the race in 2016 has been removed - I expect an aggressive race in the last 50kms, as two or three teams have multiple riders who could feature in the finish - So they can play cards and send riders up the road - I can see a small group of 5 or less contending for the finish.

 

[Red Rick]

Liege is the only Ardennes race where a little more diesel climbers can have a big impact by racing agressively. LBL isn't a walk in the park like FW. Valverde is the big favorite, but he's very far from a lock.

 

[Squire]

No Hermans for BMC. Judging by Fleche, Teuns might be their leader. I have a feeling GVA is running out of gas.

Curious to see the Yates bros, and Dumoulin will no doubt try a futile and wasteful attack.

As a Valverde fan, I am prepared to be disappointed, but I have to admit there's even more pre-race dominance than usual this year. That might be his downfall though, as other people have alluded to.

 

[Breh]

Re: Re:

Hard to see past Bala. If they want to beat Valverde, they'll have to surprise him from further out than Côte de Saint-Nicolas or the final climb in Ans. Some of the riders are happy with getting 4th or 8th.

Gilbert is clearly missing.

Problem is nobody will want to work with him. Same problem than Sagan. If he goes solo with Henao, Martin, Uran for eg... he wont find any collaboration. Its not easy to act in those situations.

Looking back at FW, the entire peloton looked like a domestique to Valverde. I'm sure some teams are happy to get him in a good position on the last climb.

 

[Valv.Piti]

One can't really expect a worse race than the last many years. I have decently high expectations for an okayish race (important moves on Faucons) after this season, but Gilbert missing this one could mean a pretty boring race. Im still not gonna change my plans of taking a long bike ride and watch the coverage from the start tho like every Sunday for the biggest races.

I think Kwito will win, I obiviously hope Valverde wins and not only that, but in dominating fashion to the obnoxious poster (who apparently isn't banned yet) that everyone know who is can shut the *** up for a moment. Dark horse, Tom Doumolin.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

I think Kwito will win, I obiviously hope Valverde wins and not only that, but in dominating fashion to the obnoxious poster (who apparently isn't banned yet) that everyone know who is can shut the **** up for a moment. Dark horse, Tom Doumolin.

Well, Valverde victories haven't exactly been shutting him up recently...

And given the fact that Gilbert and Alaphilippe will not be present, you know what will happen if Valverde wins.