Liège - Bastogne - Liège 2025, 27th April

[Netserk]

That still subscribes to the belief system that he would either benefit from going long range (which he did so well at last year's Ronde, lol) or that he should focus on other races. Otherwise, he can't do much else.

And in PR, he absolutely did what he should have done.

He could pull less, attack less, and use his team better.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

which he did so well at last year's Ronde, lol

You mean the Ronde where he was still half-injured after the big DDV crash?

 

[tobydawq]

You mean the Ronde where he was still half-injured after the big DDV crash?

I mean the Ronde where he was dangling 20 kms just before the peloton with Gianni Vermeersch sitting with him as a passenger.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Of course we did, but he needs to realise it's there too. He's been blowing up in all his races the last year.

He should at least get some credit for trying. Maybe not the most concerted effort but still animating the race.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I mean the Ronde where he was dangling 20 kms just before the peloton with Gianni Vermeersch sitting with him as a passenger.

Just because you attacked, you don‘t have to keep riding. Not every attack yields a good group. That doesn‘t mean you should give up on attacking early.

 

[tobydawq]

Just because you attacked, you don‘t have to keep riding. Not every attack yields a good group. That doesn‘t mean you should give up on attacking early.

Well, he said himself that he had forgotten his brain in the bus on that day so it's not a controversial take that it was daft what he did there.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Well, he said himself that he had forgotten his brain in the bus on that day so it's not a controversial take that it was daft what he did there.

Let's hope the beautiful trend of riders forgetting their brains in the bus is growing.
The contrasts are 300 meter sprints with 7 hours of Sky trains draw snoozefest as warmup - or as in yesterday, everybody just waiting to the 35k mark for Pogi to shine.
Yesterday's LBL surely needed a hillclimber version of Mad Mads.

Of course put a bit on the tip.
With the right brains and team collaborations Pogi could easily have been under pressure with a long shot. UAE is definitely degradable material, even though the dough looks like cement from above.

 

[Red Rick]

Let's hope the beautiful trend of riders forgetting their brains in the bus is growing.
The contrasts are 300 meter sprints with 7 hours of Sky trains draw snoozefest as warmup - or as in yesterday, everybody just waiting to the 35k mark for Pogi to shine.
Yesterday's LBL surely needed a hillclimber version of Mad Mads.

Of course put a bit on the tip.
With the right brains and team collaborations Pogi could easily have been under pressure with a long shot. UAE is definitely degradable material, even though the dough looks like cement from above.

Liege doesn't have the route to put pressure on before La Redoute. And frankly you need a level of multi team cooperation against UAE that's completely unrealistic.

 

[gregrowlerson]

remco really breaked to not get caught dropping on tv,lmao.never saw that in my life.

Yet more material for Netserk.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Liege doesn't have the route to put pressure on before La Redoute. And frankly you need a level of multi team cooperation against UAE that's completely unrealistic.

Apparently that was the thought of the entire peleton.
Surely the perfect weather didn't make it better.

But at least you could do serious attempts, dying with the boots on.
Ofc. not as careful calculations, but as bombardments of surprises, all other captains dare to lose everything - yeah silly, but reason why I mean the race needs brains parked in the bus.

For instance starting the bombardment already from Mont-Le-Soie, feasable for solid long pull with lieutenants and some primes, and then early serious counter consecutive Stockeu - Haute-Levée combo with Nys, Ciccone, Healy, Ala, Remco, etc. Just endless counter attacks to break the shields of UAE, and if Pogi joins, just counter attacks galore.

Yes it's with maximum risks.
But not risking, you've already lost.

 

[gregrowlerson]

58

ALAPHILIPPE Julian

Tudor Pro Cycling Team

5

5

3:03

SO CLOOOOSE

Alberto Contador may be credited with; "The second place is no good" slogan, but he tried too suspiciously hard all the time for my liking. I reckon he stole this quote from Julian Alaphilippe.

 

[Red Rick]

Apparently that was the thought of the entire peleton.
Surely the perfect weather didn't make it better.

But at least you could do serious attempts, dying with the boots on.
Ofc. not as careful calculations, but as bombardments of surprises, all other captains dare to lose everything - yeah silly, but reason why I mean the race needs brains parked in the bus.

For instance starting the bombardment already from Mont-Le-Soie, feasable for solid long pull with lieutenants and some primes, and then early serious counter consecutive Stockeu - Haute-Levée combo with Nys, Ciccone, Healy, Ala, Remco, etc. Just endless counter attacks to break the shields of UAE, and if Pogi joins, just counter attacks galore.

Yes it's with maximum risks.
But not risking, you've already lost.

For me it really starts with it's pointless to not have someone in the breakaway and it's pointless to chase it yourself.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Bizarre that it could be years before we get someone other than MVDP or Pog winning a monument.

Make Amstel the only monument.

 

[gregrowlerson]

My legs were also empty at the end. I almost couldn't get out of my couch.

That must have seemed like quite a mountain to climb. Time can create quite a groove in those comfortable seats. Someone should create a poll on how you did it. A lot of people probably reckon you're clean, but I'm going with; "Appeared to use a thumb to press a button".

 

[Brullnux]

In monuments, it's fairly reasonable to ascribe that to them.

I don't think Pedersen was defeatist, he was just too focused on beating the other two through pure strength rather than any other way (but, crucially, thought he could do that).

Re yesterday, Ciccone v Pogacar is a one-sided match up no matter the tactics. Skjelmose's crash made them a lot weaker, and Nys and Bagioli aren't really riders you use for long range efforts.

 

[gregrowlerson]

happy i went to the gym, so i could fast forward through the stream, closed it with 25km to go seen this movie too many times

Remco is that you?

 

[topcat]

Greg, the race is over. You peaked too late.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Remco is that you?

Sorry, I read this as "went to the gym with 25km to go".

 

[Netserk]

New parcours please, tired of these solo's + bunchsprints behind.

Not that we would have a different winner of course, but at least you get more interesting things behind in the final.

What do you have in mind? Maybe Saint-Nicolas wouldn't lead to as much of a waiting game without the finish in Ans?

Yet another Liège finale

41.4 km, +740 m. Bike ride in Luik, Wallonië

ridewithgps.com

 

[gregrowlerson]

Greg, the race is over. You peaked too late.

Horrible timing. The classics are over and it's doubtful I could hold this form through to week three of the Giro. I've taken lessons from Richie Porte.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

That must have seemed like quite a mountain to climb. Time can create quite a groove in those comfortable seats. Someone should create a poll on how you did it. A lot of people probably reckon you're clean, but I'm going with; "Appeared to use a thumb to press a button".

It would probably have been easier to get up if I hadn't been crouching down inside of it Van Aert style. But I think it will help me to arrive at the Grande Partenza in peak shape, and by that I mean that my body will resemble the shape of a mountain top.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

What do you have in mind? Maybe Saint-Nicolas wouldn't lead to as much of a waiting game without the finish in Ans?

Yet another Liège finale

41.4 km, +740 m. Bike ride in Luik, Wallonië

ridewithgps.com

Admit I don't remember the exact route, but the year Argentin took his rabbit-out-of-the-hat victory over Criquielion, Roche (and was it Kelly?), Saint-Nicolas was the only serious climb after La Redoute, with finish line down town. This with smaller ramps attack terrain between La Redoute and Saint-Nicolas.
However, it is possible that the terrain here was tougher than so. Yesterday Rolf Sørensen had a small story about one of his own LBL participations and Côte de la Haute-Levée even not listed in the road book as a categorized climb.
My impression was that the route of the 80ies was better for exciting races, but ofcourse they didn't have Pogi, nor superior teams with even the weakest domestique able to control deep into the race...

But maybe Tilman instead of Roche aux Faucons in your suggestion and I'm in
However ofc depends on the route up to this point.
Difficult to design Pogi out of the equation if the race is still to live up to its trademark

 

[Netserk]

I can't imagine ASO ditch Redoute nor RaF, I think that section of the finale is here to stay. A new approach to La Redoute would be most welcome, but I don't expect it happen nor do I think that the most plausible alternative would change much. But I can very well imagine that the big bunch sprints leads to the addition of a climb after RaF, and there are several options for that. I think previously used climbs are the most likely candidates, so either Colonster or Saint-Nicolas.

EDIT: @Red Rick, no need to delete your gravel suggestion. Although I did expect you to suggest Targnon first.

 

[Red Rick]

I can't imagine ASO ditch Redoute nor RaF, I think that section of the finale is here to stay. A new approach to La Redoute would be most welcome, but I don't expect it happen nor do I think that the most plausible alternative would change much. But I can very well imagine that the big bunch sprints leads to the addition of a climb after RaF, and there are several options for that.

I don't think they care at all about whether there's a bunch sprint for 4th or not.

There is basically no real way to change the race very significantly if you want to keep La Redoute and RaF, nor is there really a way to design against Pogacar dominance unless you take all the hard hills out of the finale and basically force the climbers to make a preselection basically by the Stockeau/Haute Levee/Rosier section.

Maybe after Rosier go left instead of right on the descent, deviate much more west and add cote de Lorce and then later cote Chambralles before La Redoute. Chambralles would be super close to La Redoute, and I think doing 2 such climbs in succession really will kill group formation after much more.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If you want to materially change Liège, you need to both not go through Spa and ditch Roche aux Faucons. And I don't think it matters much anyway with Pogacar around.