Liège - Bastogne - Liège 2025, 27th April

[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.

 

[Lequack]

All cycling coverage should be in Spanish

https://twitter.com/x/status/1916550369284440161

View: https://x.com/mario_sabato/status/1916550369284440161

 

[E_F_]

I still think the race might be better off without Redoute and RaF...