97th Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2011

[Libertine Seguros]

The Ronse area isn't as hard as the Liège area, plus the field is stronger in LBL and the racing is different in a one-day classic to a stage race.

Here's Tony's comprehensive results in hilly one-day races:

2006:
6th, World Championships U23 (Valkenburg)

2007:
39th, Rund um die Hainleite (won by Greg van Avermaet ahead of Krauss and Martens)
40th, World Championships U23 (Stüttgart)

2008:
97th, GP di Lugano
146th, Amstel Gold Race

2009:
11th, Trofeo Bunyola (Challenge Mallorca)(won by Antonio Colóm)
98th, Amstel Gold Race
66th, La Flèche Wallonne
DNF, Liège-Bastogne-Liège
DNF, World Championships (Mendrisio)

2010:
106th, Amstel Gold Race
51st, La Flèche Wallonne
71st, Liège-Bastogne-Liège
DNF, World Championships (Geelong)

2011:
20th, Trofeo Inca (Challenge Mallorca)(won by Hermans from a three-man break)
89th, La Flèche Wallonne.

Gotta say, Bavarianrider, it's not looking good for your avatar.

 

[roundabout]

Top-10 may be a bit much, but i think he can do top-30 (not that it really matters). Albasini while being in breaks in Pais Vasco didn't seem particularly impressive yet THR said that he would be their man in the classics. Lo and behold he finishes 12th in the Fleche. What i mean is that Aldag and co seem to have a pretty good idea of their riders form

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Keep in mind that Tony dominated teh Ardennes satge at Enecom Tour last year

Together with the awesome, brilliant ardennes specialist that is Koos Moerenhout

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Together with the awesome, brilliant ardennes specialist that is Koos Moerenhout

ahead of a group of 30 including such noted Ardennes riders as Allan Davis, Gorka Izagirre, Frédéric Guesdon and Frank Høj.

 

[dlwssonic]

ahead of a group of 30 including such noted Ardennes riders as Allan Davis, Gorka Izagirre, Frédéric Guesdon and Frank Høj.

Hey they are great ardennes specialist! They are threats to gilbert on lbl!

 

[theyoungest]

As Lanark already pointed out, that stage wasn't even in the (Walloon) Ardennes. The real Ardennes stage, which included the Mur de Huy, was won by an even bigger Ardennes specialist, Andre Greipel.

 

[dlwssonic]

Hey guys gotta watch out for svein tuft got 5th in the super ardennes eneco tour!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No but seriously, a very good Tony Martin can ride top 10, but to put him on the same level as Andy and Fränk Schleck as bavarianrider did is hilarious.

 

[Descender]

Lol, I thought Paul Martens was Dutch anyway He does speak Dutch pretty fluently.

Not a huge feat considering Dutch is basically simplified German.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I'll make an avatar bet

If Gilbert manages to win. I'll take a Belgian flag avatar till the Tour de France (evans/gesink bet starts then)

 

[El Pistolero]

I'll make an avatar bet

If Gilbert manages to win. I'll take a Belgian flag avatar till the Tour de France (evans/gesink bet starts then)

Hey, I remember saying in a bet that if Gilbert won AGR you would need to write "Gesink can't time trial" in your sig, but don't know if you saw or agreed to it(could have been another Dutchie that started the bet thing in the AGR thread )

I take that bet. And if @the tour Gesink gets podium I'll take your avatar of choice.

 

[Descender]

No, but Dutch is not simplified German. The languages differ too much for that.

I said it basically is, and I stand by what I said.

Anyway, this is not a linguistics forum.

Last night I dreamed Samu wins tomorrow. Wouldn't that be something.

 

[hrotha]

I said it basically is, and I stand by what I said.

Anyway, this is not a linguistics forum.

Last night I dreamed Samu wins tomorrow. Wouldn't that be something.

Last night I dreamed Geraint Thomas was a mix between a chav and a stereotypical Hollywood flaming homosexual, that doesn't mean much. (By the way, yes, I actually dreamed this).

You could argue Dutch is simplified Low German or something, although diachronically that would be a stretch, but German? Hell no.

 

[boomcie]

I'll make an avatar bet

If Gilbert manages to win. I'll take a Belgian flag avatar till the Tour de France (evans/gesink bet starts then)

Damn it, now I'm gonna be really nervous for tomorrow

Brave bet D_T. Props.

 

[Cobrinha]

Hi new user here at CyclingNews but have been browsing a while. This is more a betting related question but I figured I would get more responses here. I am considering a pretty big each way bet on Andy Schleck for tomorrow so even if Schleck doesn't win as long as he podiums I will make a decent profit. Anybody think he is worth a shot? If not who is? Anybody besides Philippe Gilbert at each way looks good value.

 

[El Pistolero]

Hi new user here at CyclingNews but have been browsing a while. This is more a betting related question but I figured I would get more responses here. I am considering a pretty big each way bet on Andy Schleck for tomorrow so even if Schleck doesn't win as long as he podiums I will make a decent profit. Anybody think he is worth a shot? If not who is? Anybody besides Philippe Gilbert at each way looks good value.

Apparently he got allergic to pollen @FW so I don't know... It's going to be 24 degrees on sunday...

 

[Cobrinha]

Apparently he got allergic to pollen @FW so I don't know... It's going to be 24 degrees on sunday...

That sounds more like Vino territory then. Obviously he will want to defend his LBL crown anyway but the conditions suit him plus even though he is current champ, Gilbert is probably the marked man.

 

[palmerq]

Come on now, leave the dutch language for another thread, and keep this one about the race.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Come on now, leave the dutch language for another thread, and keep this one about the race.

Daar hebben ze hier anders volledig schijt aan, on-topic blijven.


Anyway, Vino ftw.

 

[ferryman]

Hi new user here at CyclingNews but have been browsing a while. This is more a betting related question but I figured I would get more responses here. I am considering a pretty big each way bet on Andy Schleck for tomorrow so even if Schleck doesn't win as long as he podiums I will make a decent profit. Anybody think he is worth a shot? If not who is? Anybody besides Philippe Gilbert at each way looks good value.

Scroll down a bit on the main page and you will find the cycling betting thread. You will be more likely to get a response in there.

 

[Barrus]

Daar hebben ze hier anders volledig schijt aan, on-topic blijven.


Anyway, Vino ftw.

And keep your potty mouth with you

But seriously I really hope Vino, Kolobnev or Ivanov wins. Although I would also be happy if Gilbert wins

 

[El Pistolero]

My friendship with Gilbert will play a role - Vinokourov(talking about LBL 2011)

Hmm

 

[FabulousCandelabra]

why would anyone think tony martin could win here? isn't he more like a cancellara type of beefy time trialer? i'd think he'd have too much of a penalty hauling himself up those climbs with the climbers like frank and andy.

 

[Cobblestoned]

why would anyone think tony martin could win here? isn't he more like a cancellara type of beefy time trialer? i'd think he'd have too much of a penalty hauling himself up those climbs with the climbers like frank and andy.

No one ? said Tony is now capable to win this, or that he would ever be capable to ever win that.
I don't think he will ever win that - but not because of Tonys abilities, just because of other riders that suit such courses much better. The group of riders able to win that, called favorites, is really small anyway.

T.Martin only said that his goal is a Top10 and he will give it all, without having any pressure from team, and he said that he would like to win LBL one day. I mean, who doesn't want that ?

Personally I think Top 10 is possible for him and a good first goal. Of course much things have to come together then. But his form is looking good, he is little bit fresher than others and has never been what you could call a bad climber, while LBL "climbs" suit him even better than all that shorter and most times steeper climbs in Amstel or FW.

I mean, if he did say that his goal is Top20 - this would somehow be a joke and not a really motivating or pushing goal.

For me it is closer to say he can Top10 on a good day - than saying that he can no way achieve that.

Anyway, our usual kids and glashalfempty-people will have a "i told you so ha ha"-party, when Tony doesn't reach his goal or when he will be dropped somewhere, even when he ends up on 11th.

 

[Cobblestoned]

My friendship with Gilbert will play a role - Vinokourov(talking about LBL 2011)

Hmm

Vino is very clever. I hope for Flip that he won't let himself beeing fooled. No gifts.