Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2023, one day monument, April 23 (men's)

[Rackham]

I read about bad weather as well, but the current forecast shows nothing but a tailwind for the whole 2nd half of the race.

There's a risk of rain late on, but it doesn't really look bad to me. Temperatures are also mild.

BBC says light rain in Liège tomorrow afternoon:

Liège - BBC Weather

Seems some rain is likely based on that forecast.

 

[Valanga]

Lies!

He said he is close to a 100%, maybe even 105%.

You see, he wants you to think he is a dumbass, but herein lies the stroke of genius! First of all, he says he is close to a 100. This is possible. Maybe even 105. This seems absurd but is actually also possible. Because he says maybe, so also maybe not! Furthermore, 100 IS close to 105, so again, no lies!
This is simply top tier mental warfare. Pogacar no doubt has also heard this statement and has likely not been able to sleep trying to figure out what Evenepoel meant exactly.

In any case, strong VDB vibes here! Remco probably also wanted to say he was going to attack at Saint Nicolas, just before realising there is no Saint Nicolas anymore. :⁠-⁠(

 

[search]

BBC says light rain in Liège tomorrow afternoon:

Liège - BBC Weather

Seems some rain is likely based on that forecast.

yeah, but would "light rain" count as "bad weather", at 15°C, and with the wind blowing from a favourable direction?

 

[search]

the team said he was sick after Itzulia. The way he looked like this week, it would probably only be another DNF anyway.

Not sure Bora will be able to field a full team - today they had four riders at the recon. Vlasov will join them, not sure who else. Maybe Zwiehoff, who was at home for the birth of his child - or Hindley, if he recovers in time.

in the end, Higuita and Hindley both will start tomorrow (or are on Bora's lineup at least):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649719763981959169

View: https://twitter.com/BORAhansgrohe/status/1649719763981959169

 

[Berniece]

If weather is really gonna be bad I have a hard time seeing Evenepoel take down Pogacar tbh. But it doesn't look too terrible.

Big, big tailwind forecasted.

I would think the harder the race the higher the chance for Remco to win

 

[houtdffan]

“If he doesn't win on Sunday, it's not good enough" - Patrick Lefevere on Remco Evenepoel Liege-Bastogne-Liege hopes

Due to Soudal - Quick-Step's lacklustre spring Classics seas

cyclinguptodate.com

Lefevre really putting the pressure on Remco to win

 

[Monsi]

I would think the harder the race the higher the chance for Remco to win

But the same also applies to Pogacar. The harder the race, the higher chance of Pogacar also winning.

 

[DNP-Old]

“If he doesn't win on Sunday, it's not good enough" - Patrick Lefevere on Remco Evenepoel Liege-Bastogne-Liege hopes

Due to Soudal - Quick-Step's lacklustre spring Classics seas

cyclinguptodate.com

Lefevre really putting the pressure on Remco to win

Lefevere isn't putting him under any pressure at all. What a stupid headline.

 

[Poursuivant]

Remco’s best chance has to be a long range attack when Pog is not positioned ideally and can’t react because he has shown time and again, once he is gone, he is gone.

I think Pogacar will be wise to it and complete the treble.

 

[Squire]

Emil Axelgaard is quite unsure about the outcome of this race. He has named 60 riders amongst his star favorites, including Sam Oomen, who probably hasn’t finishes top 20 in about 3 years. Lol.

And if you actually read the analysis, you'd know that he, as everybody else, considers a Pog/Remco duel for the win as the overwhelmingly likely scenario, almost to the point of excluding other scenarios.

 

[Riek s]

Unless Pog will ride like Rog, e.g. attach his front fork to Remco's back wheel, i don't see any reason why Remco wouldn't be able to drop Pog.
Its not like he hasn't done that before, or that Pog was never dropped by anyone else before. (Same is true the other way around as well). Who would have thought Pog would be dropped in MSR?

 

[theyoungest]

Unless Pog will ride like Rog, e.g. attach his front fork to Remco's back wheel, i don't see any reason why Remco wouldn't be able to drop Pog. Its not like he hasn't done that before, or that Pog was never dropped by anyone else before.

When has Evenepoel dropped Pogacar? From his wheel, I mean, not when Pogacar was way back in the peloton or whatever.

 

[Riek s]

When has Evenepoel dropped Pogacar? From his wheel, I mean, not when Pogacar was way back in the peloton or whatever.

EC 2021

 

[houtdffan]

Tadej Pogacar: ‘In Liège I won’t be just watching Remco’

‘I definitely want to do this Classics program again in the future.’

www.cyclingnews.com

Pog not confident he can beat Remco in a sprint

Pogačar won Liège back in 2021 by outpowering four other riders in the finishing straight, of course, but against Evenepoel, he said, he did not know would be strongest in a sprint.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

And if you actually read the analysis, you'd know that he, as everybody else, considers a Pog/Remco duel for the win as the overwhelmingly likely scenario, almost to the point of excluding other scenarios.

Then why does he give Landa the same amount of stars? Is he obligated by contract to use a pyramid? Even if it makes no sense?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Tadej Pogacar: ‘In Liège I won’t be just watching Remco’

‘I definitely want to do this Classics program again in the future.’

www.cyclingnews.com

Pog not confident he can beat Remco in a sprint

[i/]Pogačar won Liège back in 2021 by outpowering four other riders in the finishing straight, of course, but against Evenepoel, he said, he did not know would be strongest in a sprint. [/i]

Ok, this is meaningless.

 

[houtdffan]

Ok, this is meaningless.

It shows there is a little doubt in Pog's mind

Saw another interview, albeit google translated so it may not be accurate, where Remco said he knows how to beat Pog

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

It shows there is a little doubt in Pog's mind

Saw another interview, albeit google translated so it may not be accurate, where Remco said he knows how to beat Pog

It's mainly being respectful and humble (false modesty or not). There is a chance Evenepoel can beat him in the sprint. But a minor one. Just like Van Aert can lose a sprint to Gaudu. Nothing is for certain, so he won't look like an arrogant ass now and possibly a fool later.

 

[Squire]

Then why does he give Landa the same amount of stars? Is he obligated by contract to use a pyramid? Even if it makes no sense?

The amount of riders 'per star' is the same all the time I think. Just a standard system to summarize who he has discussed. He also ranks by winning potential and not what he thinks is the likely top 5 or whatever.

The star rating is the least interesting about his articles anyway. The actual analysis is usually top notch. Don't know about anyone doing anything similar on such a scale. He's not the greatest writer, repeating his common phrases a lot, but I guess churning out these massive articles before every race doesn't lend itself to great creativity.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The amount of riders 'per star' is the same all the time I think. Just a standard system to summarize who he has discussed. He also ranks by winning potential and not what he thinks is the likely top 5 or whatever.

The star rating is the least interesting about his articles anyway. The actual analysis is usually top notch. Don't know about anyone doing anything similar on such a scale. He's not the greatest writer, repeating his common phrases a lot, but I guess churning out these massive articles before every race doesn't lend itself to great creativity.

That's a bit the problem for me. I have to run them through a translator, and reading these massive previews that way is simply not worth it. I try to scan the article for info that i might find interesting, but it's not pleasant. Also, how hard can it be to just say "pyramid star rating makes no sense, let's not use it". It's not like it is physically impossible to say there is only one 5 star, one 4 star and two 3 star riders. Or even three 5 star riders, no 4 star rider, and twenty 3 star riders. It makes no sense if you have to award riders too many stars than they're worth, or give others too few stars. If you can't accurately put riders in the scheme, then simply don't use it.

 

[Extinction]

Why is it that CN must report that the triple AGR-FW-LBL, in an article about the men's race in reference to Pog, has been won only by so-and-so woman and so-and-so men, when the women and men don't race together? They are separate things and should be reported in separate articles related to like things, as the race in question is the men's not the women's.

 

[Lequack]

6 years anniversary since he left us, the great Michele Scarponi.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649742773912829956

View: https://twitter.com/LiegeBastogneL/status/1649742773912829956

 

[Blanco]

Tadej Pogacar: ‘In Liège I won’t be just watching Remco’

‘I definitely want to do this Classics program again in the future.’

www.cyclingnews.com

Pog not confident he can beat Remco in a sprint

Pogačar won Liège back in 2021 by outpowering four other riders in the finishing straight, of course, but against Evenepoel, he said, he did not know would be strongest in a sprint.

He didn't know in 2021 either, but he was the strongest(fastest).

 

[Valv.Piti]

Why is it that CN must report that the triple AGR-FW-LBL, in an article about the men's race in reference to Pog, has been won only by so-and-so woman and so-and-so men, when the women and men don't race together? They are separate things and should be reported in separate articles related to like things, as the race in question is the men's not the women's.

Because they are trying too hard be inclusive and such. Its quite boring, they are very different sports

 

[Lequack]

Setback for Pogacar: sick Ulissi drops out for Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Tegenvaller voor Pogacar: zieke Ulissi haakt af voor Luik-Bastenaken-Luik

Tadej Pogačar kan zondag in Luik-Bastenaken-Luik niet rekenen op de steun van Diego Ulissi. De Italiaan is ziek en moet passen voor de monumentale klassieker. De Nieuw-Zeelander Michael Vink is zijn vervanger.Ulissi was een van de belangrijkste pionnen in de selectie van UAE Emirates voor L

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