97th Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2011

[luckyboy]

Katusha did well in the Ardennes

Leopard podiumed in all monuments

Have to wonder what exactly were the expectations?

Cmon people expected Cancellara to win something. I think Leopard would've liked to win something too.

Katusha have had a disappointing Ardennes again. Ivanov, Rodriguez, Kolobnev, Di Luca are a team you'd expect more from than a few seconds. Forgot about AGR, they did pretty well there. Rodriguez seems to specialise in just missing out. Pozzato wasn't up to much on the cobbles.

Granted BMC have had bad luck with injuries. Ballan has been poor again. Same with Cunego for Lampre.

Quick Step were extremely unlucky in Roubaix, which was the race that saved Garmin's awful classics campaign.

 

[roundabout]

In dutch we have a word for that... results journalism... not looking at what was possible or even trying everything you can, but just look to the results..

meh

Ok, Cancellara overachieved at Sanremo

Underachieved (if only through perhaps being overly aggressive once and having a bad team the other time) twice trying everything he could.

And at Liege it's 50-50. Sure they should have played it differently but they at least (initially) tried to take the race to Gilbert from as far as possible and to be honest after Amstel and Fleche 2-3 is more than I thought they would do.

Still hardly deserve to be mentioned as losers.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He peaked completely wrong. But ok, he'll get it once...
I think the plan for the Tour is ok, height training camp, dauphine, height training camp, tour.

He should be in optimal condition for july

yeah I am not gonna read too much into the past few weeks. Like I said hopefully the break then training/warm up race will get him there.

 

[Christian]

This is (honestly) not to wind anyone up but I think Rabobank didn't have a very good spring either ... congrats to Tjallingi though

 

[luckyboy]

Forgotten all about Rabobank and Sky.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Just in time for Il Giro!
Dude... Uran in 5th! and not even in form!

Well done Phil! enjoy this year cuz next year this guy will have something to say... 8 months and counting...

I will not say anything about the Schlecks but just 1 thing..........

uran non-form based on....?

Anyway, Phil already owned valv. at lbl last year (ok he won 3rd in a sprint, but destroyed evans and valv on the climb) and has only got stronger.

Also phil just won the 3 ardennes. + the last non-cobbled hilly classic GlB
The only person who should be feared is gilbert.

----

anyway say what you will of the schlecks. there tactics might have sucked, they might have tried to go, but they just took 2nd and 3rd in the most important ardennes. Hardly a fail. I'm guessing movistar (best place 27th), Katusha (11th) Rabobank (13th) Lampre (16th) etc would gladly take a 2nd and 3rd. But yeah... what a massive fail.

ps; dont get me wrong, a.schleck is probably my least favorite rider... one of them anyway. there's a few in leopard

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

This is (honestly) not to wind anyone up but I think Rabobank didn't have a very good spring either ... congrats to Tjallingi though

meh standard rabo.

they generally fail here.

They held their own on the cobbles tho. omloop, 5th @ flanders, 3rd @ PR.
Ardennes was a big fail.

 

[peloton]

It was a strange race really

Gilbert obviously on a different level to everyone else, the Schlecks on a different level to anyone but Gilbert, and everyone in the race seemed resigned to pecking order before the finale. Everyone knew Andy would attack on the penultimate climb. When he did it was Frank who dragged Gilbert up to him (not that Gilbert would have had any trouble on that score but it looks odd). It looked like nobody else even tried to go with the three of them.

This.

I was stunned that there were no reactions from any other riders, it looked like everyone just sat after they went.
Bizarre.

 

[boomcie]

Hello everybody. I did enjoy the race. Phil too strong.

@Bavarianrider, a pitty Martin didn't do well.
But still, here we go again:

 

[superconfex]

"what'd you'd like to do after 300km of racing and what you CAN do are sometimes two different things"

Think is applies to Andy and Frank

 

[boomcie]

Also, D_T > Belgian Flag. > Hilarious.

 

[luckyboy]

Based on what we have seen from dopers coming back, it takes them a while to get back to where they were before the bans. I can't see Valv.Piti doing too great in the Ardennes next year.

 

[superconfex]

Based on what we have seen from dopers coming back, it takes them a while to get back to where they were before the bans. I can't see Valv.Piti doing too great in the Ardennes next year.

Vino didn't do too bad

 

[Anonymous]

Let's see what Gilbert thought of the Schleck's tactics:

Picture of the year!

 

[luckyboy]

He won a few small stages and did ok in Lombardia, didn't do much in the Vuelta before he withdrew.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Hello everybody. I did enjoy the race. Phil too strong.

@Bavarianrider, a pitty Martin didn't do well.
But still, here we go again:

LOL epic.
Dekker Tiësto

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Anyway, Phil already owned valv. at lbl last year (ok he won 3rd in a sprint, but destroyed evans and valv on the climb) and has only got stronger.

Also phil just won the 3 ardennes. + the last non-cobbled hilly classic GlB
The only person who should be feared is gilbert.

don't recall Ryaguas saying Valverde should be feared, just that he'd have something to say. I expect he would have something to say. Valverde would either have tried something or contested the sprint. Certainly he'd have done more from a small group than the Schlecks did. Whether he could actually beat Gilbert, that's a much more difficult thing to do.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok, so say Andy attacks then what? Gilbert just follows him. Frank attacks? No problem, Gilbert follow him or just drops them. The Schlecks were done and tactics were not going to change the result. Saying they should have used different tactics is akin to saying they should ride faster.

And riding like men instead of cruising in would still have garnered them 2nd and 3rd...plus, the deprived me of seeing them get dropped earlier...though getting dropped in the last K was still kinda' sweet.

 

[Flamin]

Lol @ everyone calling the Schlecks dumb, idiots etc. after a fantastic performance. Maybe not a perfect tactical race, but show some respect for what these phenomenal athletes achieved.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Also, D_T > Belgian Flag. > Hilarious.

Not as hilarious as you with the Rabobank avatar not too long ago

 

[Ryaguas]

Cant wait to see the TOTO of this week!
Will be EPIC!!!! hahahaahah

 

[roundabout]

I suppose if Piti rides a full schedule right from TDU he might get himself into enough form to be a threat in the Ardennes.

 

[roundabout]

don't recall Ryaguas saying Valverde should be feared, just that he'd have something to say. I expect he would have something to say. Valverde would either have tried something or contested the sprint. Certainly he'd have done more from a small group than the Schlecks did. Whether he could actually beat Gilbert, that's a much more difficult thing to do.

Tried? Are you mistaking Valverde with someone else by any chance?

 

[jens_attacks]

because it's important to know when these amazing athletes write history:

average speed of the last 20 LBL editions:

2011-41.067 km/h
2010-39.065 km/h
2009-39.692 km/h
2008-38.76 km/h
2007-39,56 km/h
2006-41,202 km/h
2005-40,09 km/h
2004-40,8 km/h
2003-39,889 km/h
2002-38,726 km/h
2001-38,447 km/h
2000-40,769 km/h
1999-41,079 km/h
1998-40,077 km/h
1997-35,771 km/h
1996-37,748 km/h
1995-39,381 km/h
1994-36,907 km/h
1993-36,072 km/h
1992-35,882 km/h
1991-36,828 km/h

yep this one was probably the third fastest in history.phil and schlecks were flying.still feeling bad for poor vino...

 

[boomcie]

Not as hilarious as you with the Rabobank avatar not too long ago

Yeah, that wasn't my proudest moment . But if you're not willing to take risks, why do an avatar bet right?

Everybody enjoy the aftermath, I'm off for a swim.