Liège - Bastogne - Liège 2025, 27th April

[Leinster]

Uno-X will become Team 7-Eleven for the race.

Team 7‑Eleven is back — for one epic day at Liège‑Bastogne‑Liège — Uno-X Mobility

Cycling fans, get ready for a blast from the past: Team 7‑Eleven is returning to the pro peloton, forty years after its Monument debut.

www.unoxteam.com

So cool.

I was shocked when I saw how common 7-Eleven was in Sweden. This matchup just makes so much sense!

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

So cool.

I was shocked when I saw how common 7-Eleven was in Sweden. This matchup just makes so much sense!

Sweden?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I've observed that American goods/stores in Europe are of much better quality than American goods/stores in the US.

 

[Sciatic]

That's my team!!!

Those first few Giro participations were something else

 

[Pantani_lives]

That's what I call full retro. My initial thought was it was from about 1988. Then I noticed the helmets, bike, socks and sunglasses .

I also thought it was a photo from the eighties, until I realized that Magnus Cort didn't have a moustache yet back then.

 

[E_F_]

I've observed that American goods/stores in Europe are of much better quality than American goods/stores in the US.

Different regulations + different customer expectations.

 

[YavorD]

I find a bit of similarity in the dynamic between the top favourites for Liege and RvV. With Pogacar in Liege being Mathieu from RvV and Evenepoel being Pogacar in RvV

Evenepoel, as Pogacar in RvV, if he wants to win, should make the race as hard as possible and preferably drop Pogacar, otherwise he'll probably be beaten in a sprint.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Similarities are not the same at all. Pogacar was the favorite in RVV against MvdP even if you didnt think so or not he still was, and he is the favorite here almost as much like he was in Strade, it’s night and day—not the same.

If anything, it’s more comparable to MvdP vs Pogacar in Roubaix, where Pogacar must drop MvdP on terrain where MvdP excels, such as the flat cobbles (like Pogacar’s strength on climbs against Remco). If he doesn’t, he lose in the sprint (maybe). It’s not equal to RVV, but the dynamics are closer to the two in Roubaix.

Yup. A harder race benefits the best climber. This is why a harder race favored Pogacar in RVV but I think a harder doesn't benefit Remco compared to Pogacar because he is not a better climber.

 

[YavorD]

Yup. A harder race benefits the best climber. This is why a harder race favored Pogacar in RVV but I think a harder doesn't benefit Remco compared to Pogacar because he is not a better climber.

Well, in an easy race Evenepoel can't hope to drop Pogacar on Redoute or RaF. Quite the opposite, he'll probably be dropped (he may or he may not come back) and even if he isn't dropped, the chances of him winning a "fresh" sprint aren't big.

If anything, making the race as hard as possible gives him a hope that Pogacar may feel the long spring campaign and be weaker towards the end of the race.

 

[E_F_]

Well, in an easy race Evenepoel can't hope to drop Pogacar on Redoute or RaF. Quite the opposite, he'll probably be dropped (he may or he may not come back) and even if he isn't dropped, the chances of him winning a "fresh" sprint aren't big.

If anything, making the race as hard as possible gives him a hope that Pogacar may feel the long spring campaign and be weaker towards the end of the race.

I think an easy race makes it more likely that Remco reels Pog back.

 

[YavorD]

I think an easy race makes it more likely that Remco reels Pog back.

Yeah, I don't disagree with that, but even if Evenepoel reels Pogacar back, after an easy race and not a long solo, Pogacar is probably gonna beat him in a sprint rather easily. Although, I have to admit Evenepoel's last 2 sprints were impressive).

A hard race nullifies (to an extent) Pog's major advantage (for Redoute and RaF) - his kick and gives Evenepoel a slight chance to drop him and a better chance to win a sprint.


To me, everything comes down to whether Evenepoel backs himself in a sprint against Pogacar. If he does - sprint it is.
If he doesn't, he has to try and drop Pogacar and that is unlikely to happen after an easy race.

 

[Bertram Wooster]

It will be sunny and warm on Sunday.

 

[E_F_]

It will be sunny and warm on Sunday.

Well that should make an entertaining race less unlikely!

 

[Berniece]

Added some climbs to the OP so we have a reference during the race if necessary

 

[Cycling111]

I find a bit of similarity in the dynamic between the top favourites for Liege and RvV. With Pogacar in Liege being Mathieu from RvV and Evenepoel being Pogacar in RvV

Evenepoel, as Pogacar in RvV, if he wants to win, should make the race as hard as possible and preferably drop Pogacar, otherwise he'll probably be beaten in a sprint.

Pogacar has won2/3 Flanders against VDP , and in 1/3, VDP cound´t drop a debutant Pogacar on a cobbled Monument.

Putting Pogacar behind in Flanders today makes no sense.

 

[Cycling111]

LBL has Pogi vs Remco curse. Due to external factors there have been no battle over the last 4 years (they won two apiece). Will this year finally snap this bad streak or will sth happen again?

I remember when Liège finished in Ans. Valverde won most of the time there.
Pogacar would´ve been more of a favorite with that route.
The current route is more open to surprises. Perhaps that's why they changed it.

Now Sporza wants to change FW too.

Valverde is lucky not to have lived the current era, all the favorable routes for him would be changing

"Ik ben die aankomst kotsbeu": moet de Muur van Hoei verdwijnen uit de Waalse Pijl? | sporza

Net zoals de voorbije jaren hield de Muur van Hoei de Waalse Pijl in een wurggreep. Koers kregen we pas in de laatste kilometer. "Zonder finish op de Muur zouden we toch een veel interessantere wedstrijd krijgen", klinkt het in Wielerclub Wattage.

sporza.be

 

[Red Rick]

Belgian pundits watch Belgian riders get crushed and instantly want a route change, what a surprise.

 

[Tim Cahill]

A nice jaunt around the motorways of Wallonia for Jasper Phillipsen and Tim Merlier should do the trick, maybe they could ride the Mur through the neutral zone as an Homage to the races history.

 

[Berniece]

Belgian pundits watch Belgian riders get crushed and instantly want a route change, what a surprise.

Everyone was complaining about how boring Fleche was in its thread. Has nothing to do with being Belgian.

 

[Red Rick]

Everyone was complaining about how boring Fleche was in its thread. Has nothing to do with being Belgian.

It's a problem of stupid expectations. Fleche isn't broken, people just need to appreciate it for what it is.

 

[Cycling111]

Everyone was complaining about how boring Fleche was in its thread. Has nothing to do with being Belgian.

For many years, they also complained that MSR was very boring. And no one is asking for a route change.

And this year has been exciting, but even if it had been boring, they wouldn't want it. We know why

 

[Berniece]

For many years, they also complained that MSR was very boring. And no one is asking for a route change.

Oh no? Go to the Pogacar thread, they can't wait to add La Manie again.

It's a problem of stupid expectations. Fleche isn't broken, people just need to appreciate it for what it is.

That can be said about everything, ever. Just don't change anything, just manage your expectations... Let's not try to improve the race, just accept that it's boring.

 

[Netserk]

It's a problem of stupid expectations. Fleche isn't broken, people just need to appreciate it for what it is.

It's broken when Cherave is in the race.

 

[Red Rick]

Oh no? Go to the Pogacar thread, they can't wait to add La Manie again.


That can be said about everything, ever. Just don't change anything, just manage your expectations... Let's not try to improve the race, just accept that it's boring.

It adds something quite unique to the cycling calendar, and changing the route away from the Mur de Huy finish would just make it into an Temu version of something it's not. Sanremo doesn't need to be changed even though it's nearly always a wait for the Poggio. And in the same way, Fleche Wallone doesn't need to be changed.

If anything, Fleche benefitted for me from the AGR and Liege changing their parcours so that it became the only true puncheur fest in the Ardennes.

 

[James M]

Are Belgians genuinely pondering and asking for the Mur to be removed? That's like suggesting the cobbles in Roubaix should be removed...