Liège - Bastogne - Liège 2025, 27th April

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You fell into the trap I see a lot on forums: thinking that the forum is one single entity. It's multiple people having different opinions. So yes, there are probably people complaining there was no attack. And there are also people complaining when there ís a long-range solo. Those are usually not the same people though.
Im the one who is complaining for both, if and when it's done by the same person almost every big race around the year. Without accidents(hopefully not) the only excitment for Sunday is, that if Remco can follow Poggies attack and I don't give big odds for that. So yes it has made many races boring in regards for the end result. It still has entertaiment value in the views, the fans and listening some(times) nice stories as a sort of backround entertainment. The biggest part of watching any sport has sadly been often missing, PR&AGR&Brabantse&Sanremo where refreshing changes for the competivity and now i see there has been quite many good ones also this spring😅😉so not all hope is lost!
 
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Im the one who is complaining for both, if and when it's done by the same person almost every big race around the year. Without accidents(hopefully not) the only excitment for Sunday is, that if Remco can follow Poggies attack and I don't give big odds for that. So yes it has made many races boring in regards for the end result. It still has entertaiment value in the views, the fans and listening some(times) nice stories as a sort of backround entertainment. The biggest part of watching any sport has sadly been often missing, PR&AGR&Brabantse&Sanremo where refreshing changes for the competivity and now i see there has been quite many good ones also this spring😅😉so not all hope is lost!
Fair enough in this particular case, I admit.
I'd like for an outsider to win LBL but I really feel that of all the spring-classics, this is the least the likely one for that to happen.
 
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Im the one who is complaining for both, if and when it's done by the same person almost every big race around the year.
I've checked your comment history and saw you like Remco... I hope you became his fan only after he turned out to be the underdog when Master Pog shows up... because I can't image you enjoyed his early cycling days very much, because he made Master Pogs solos look interesting as huck even by your standards... tbh I wish for Master Pog to do a crazy 200km solo in Liege and then Gianneti should run towards him after finish with angle cutter in his hand and cut his bike in half in front on cameras only for a piece of paper to fall out, where it's written: resistance is futile, bow to Master Pog.
 
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I've checked your comment history and saw you like Remco... I hope you became his fan only after he turned out to be the underdog when Master Pog shows up... because I can't image you enjoyed his early cycling days very much, because he made Master Pogs solos look interesting as huck even by your standards... tbh I wish for Master Pog to do a crazy 200km solo in Liege and then Gianneti should run towards him after finish with angle cutter in his hand and cut his bike in half in front on cameras only for a piece of paper to fall out, where it's written: resistance is futile, bow to Master Pog.
Nah Remco has never done anything similar to the monsta. Barely won the weakest GT once, some big races(San Remcox3!!) and TTs, no way he could even dream of beating the big boys like MDVP in their speciality and then go dominating the biggest two GTs. He was destined to be one of the best since 16y and considering the injuries his done well, but not alien level. Youre a bit silly here🙈
 
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The case for Remco tomorrow.

Already in his first races Remco has shown a very high level and shape is improvning. Climbing legs should be quite good after altitude camp in Sierra Nevada.

Pog has had a long and tough spring campaign and should therefore be a bit fatigued.
He probably has one or two extra kilos on him because he needed them in the cobbles monuments. LBL has 4300 meters of elevation gain, so an extra kilo or two will have affect.

Last year Pog he prepared for the Giro-Tour double and did Catalunya ahead of LBL, not RVV, PR, etc. The different preperation this year should mean his climbing shape probably are not as sharp as last year at this time. LBL is not AGR, climbs are longer and steeper.

Soudal Quick-Step will make it a hard race. Because of a hard race and factors mentioned above Pog will be quite fatigued in the end and will therefore not be able to drop Remco, or Remco will claw back any gap Pog's creates on climbs.

Remco will be a bit fresher in the final and will therefore have more sting in his sprint than Pog. So conclusion is he beats Pog in the sprint and wins LBL.

And don't forget, Remco is also a two time winner of LBL. Both times in dominant fashion. In other words a race that suits him really well!

Reasoning above is of course based on several assumptions than can be questioned.

So, the case for Remco, anything to it you think?
 
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The boys are on a recon

GpZ_Ff5W8AAK8xE


GpZ_Ff3WEAAgTAd



Even now the crowds are already big along the road

View: https://x.com/IgorTominec/status/1915716436762206448


View: https://x.com/Arcalis1997/status/1915856101800579394
 
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So, the case for Remco, anything to it you think?
How many times can you remember him winning because of flawless tactics, when he wasn't able to brute force his opponents into submission and was not clearly the strongest? I can't think of any.

How many times can you remember he lost a race when he was strong enough to be competitive but lacked tactics? I can think of a few (Catalunya '23, Suisse '23, Paris Nice '24...).

Don't assume his team car to have a clear plan that could not already have been thought out by a toddler.
 
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Remco should go on Desnie if he believes the myth that he can tire out Pogacar with a long mano o mano.
Some people here really believe that so let's see the myth busted tomorrow.
Some, me, believe it might be his best chance of winning, which doesn't mean he will.

Maybe there is a better strategy, but it's not clear which that one is.

Attack on La Redoute if Pog doesn't, and ride with him to RdF and hope to follow Pog on the climb. Well, seeing Pog on Huy this wednesday I'm not optimistic Remco can follow. But maybe he can reel in Pog afterwards? Well, it's about 10k to the finish from the top of RaF, with one more lesser steep climb then it's pretty much downhill to the finish. And I can't see Remco taking any time on the descent.

How about Pog attacking on La Redoute and let him dangle out there, tire himself out and hope to catch him just before RaF?

And on and on, there are many scenarios, but no one stands out as the obvious one. If the assumption that Pog is a bit tired after a long spring campaign then a long drawn out battle might be Remco's best chance. Or it might not. :)
 
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you missed the olympics ?
Nope it was an amazing race. I missed though that it was a big boys cobbled classic, it was a track for allround rouleurs . MDVP etc. was clearly out of top shape too. And im sure you didn't miss the main point of the message. Nice try for cherry picking.

But let's keep this thread rather on LBL, it's still a possibility we have a great race like in Amstel.
 
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If the assumption that Pog is a bit tired after a long spring campaign then a long drawn out battle might be Remco's best chance. Or it might not. :)
There is always a possibility and after Amstel I thought it might be like that, but then again in Fleche he was back in full steam again. Mur is of course a completely different kind of effort than LBL. Anyway not very optimistic for outsiders chances, cause the last time Pog wasn't in top shape and fighting for the win, was almost two years ago in The Tour. Or do I forget some race? Mostly super dominating every race he decides to enter.
 
There is always a possibility and after Amstel I thought it might be like that, but then again in Fleche he was back in full steam again. Mur is of course a completely different kind of effort than LBL. Anyway not very optimistic for outsiders chances, cause the last time Pog wasn't in top shape and fighting for the win, was almost two years ago in The Tour. Or do I forget some race? Mostly super dominating every race he decides to enter.
Flèche is a 3 minute effort, the weather was in his advantage. He did climb a lot slower than he did 2 years ago. But it doesn't tell us much about how good Pog is at this point because the situation and conditions were so different. If he is on a downward curve, then he could be pushed. If he is back to RVV form and Amstel was just a bad day, then nobody will drop him anywhere and he will either finish solo or win the sprint in case someone is able to follow him.
 
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Speaking about Pogacar vs Evenepoel on flats it is really race dependent. When analysed in isolation Remco is obviously aero superior but i.e. in Lombardy Pog murdered everyone on flat because of his superior w/kg engine (and less accumulated fatigue). Liege favours w/kg as well (but maybe to a smaller extent) plus Pog might be in worse form this time so we will see. I am curious myself.
 
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