Liège-Bastogne-Liège: October 4th, 2020

[Gigs_98]

As it is now the showdown lasts less than 5 km. Still better than the Ans sprint, but any move before RaF is dead I'm afraid (although it has to be said that we will have optimal conditions this Sunday for action before that, but I doubt it will be different to the action before Poggio).

I don't necessarily disagree with you but I do think we should wait a year or two before coming to conclusions. The new route has been raced once so we don't really know yet how the average race on this route goes. Wasn't the first Ronde editions with the new finale also pretty much the worst the new route has seen and it got better the following years? I don't think attacking on La Redoute on this parcours is always gonna be doomed. If enough strong riders attack there, why not. The question is rather if enough riders are willing to go for a move like that.

 

[Red Rick]

Rather remove RaF and risk once in a while to have a bunch sprint. At least we would then see them go mental on Redoute!

Stockeau or get the *** out

 

[Red Rick]

I don't necessarily disagree with you but I do think we should wait a year or two before coming to conclusions. The new route has been raced once so we don't really know yet how the average race on this route goes. Wasn't the first Ronde editions with the new finale also pretty much the worst the new route has seen and it got better the following years? I don't think attacking on La Redoute on this parcours is always gonna be doomed. If enough strong riders attack there, why not. The question is rather if enough riders are willing to go for a move like that.

I fear it's a fundamental difference between Flemish bergs and Walloon côtes that on the bergs a 30s advantage can be enough to get over the Kwaremont/Pater if you've already attacked, whereas if you're at your max before the RAF you just drop a minute there.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Where's Froome?

In Liège.

 

[TomLPC]

This is why Froome put on a bit of weight

He's been sandbagging, workin' on his sprint

 

[topcat]

This is why Froome put on a bit of weight

He's been sandbagging, workin' on his sprint

He'll never make it to Bastogne

 

[movingtarget]

Richie Porte will win this bike race.

Probably not but a top 10 wouldn't surprise. His rides at the Worlds and at Fleche were surprisingly good and the Tour form seems to be holding. It's his last race of the season so a good performance wouldn't surprise. Lack of a sprint kills his chances to podium. He should attack long range and get some TT practice !

 

[danielovichdk2]

Would love to see Richie win. But Hirschi, Woods and Jungels will battle for this one. I think.

The tailwind on the return will make it ideal for groups to get away just before they get out of bastogne. And with a lillte rain and fair amount of wind things will go crazy around the return for liege.

Will be a great race. Enjoy

 

[SHAD0W93]

Where's Froome?

With the rest of the DNFs.

 

[rghysens]

Would love to see Richie win. But Hirschi, Woods and Jungels will battle for this one. I think.

The tailwind on the return will make it ideal for groups to get away just before they get out of bastogne. And with a lillte rain and fair amount of wind things will go crazy around the return for liege.

Will be a great race. Enjoy

I can understand Hirschi and Woods, but Jungels?

 

[Salvarani]

Ala, Kwiatkowski and Hirschi.

Then Schachmann, Woods, Dumoulin, Roglic, Pog, Yates, Landa and Barguil as second favorites for me.

Both D. Martin and G. Martin might be up there too.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

The way I see it, Hirschi is the stand-out favourite. The only weakness he has is inexperience.

5 stars: Hirschi
4 stars: Alaphilippe, Kwiatkowski
3 stars: Schachmann, Roglic, Woods, MVdP
2 stars: Caruso, Dumoulin, Pogacar, Barguil
1 star: Uran, Valgren, Porte, Dan Martin, Yates

 

[TomLPC]

I've just looked at the schedule

The home of cycling seems to be showing the giro instead

Am I right in saying there is nowhere sans online stream in England i can watch this monument?

Edit: Theyre showing the fking superbikes instead!!! HOME OF SUPERBIKES.

 

[SarahtheDane]

Hoping danes will do better today than yesterday.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I've just looked at the schedule

The home of cycling seems to be showing the giro instead

Am I right in saying there is nowhere sans online stream in England i can watch this monument?

Edit: Theyre showing the fking superbikes instead!!! HOME OF SUPERBIKES.

Anyone who has spent any significant time on this forum knows that the home of cycling IS the giro

I'll trade you Australia's live coverage of one day of LBL, for England's live coverage of twenty-one days of the Giro!

P.S. I believe those SUPERBIKES have motors. Take it to the clinic

 

[TomLPC]

Anyone who has spent any significant time on this forum knows that the home of cycling IS the giro

I'll trade you Australia's live coverage of one day of LBL, for England's live coverage of twenty-one days of the Giro!

P.S. I believe those SUPERBIKES have motors. Take it to the clinic

On most days I'd rather have the Giro as Liege isn't really my cup of tea and there's a few footy games on as well, but it's a bit of a last 10k stage today and this doesn't bode well for Flanders or especially Roubaix as there's a Giro-Vuelta whopper on that Sunday. Plus you'll be taking that back when Richie lights things up.

The Brits tend not to give much of a toss outside the tour and the track, it's got a bit better in recent years but I vividly recall them eschewing big Vuelta mountain stages for pancake flat 200km ToB snoozefests, even with yo-yo vueltafroome riding.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yeah you thought that and then he was like the 10th best rider on freaking Muro di Sormano.
LBL is absolutely within his possibilities if he's in top shape. I doubt he will 100% recover from today's effort though.

Let me rephrase that. A little too much to win it.

VDP himself when he says a race is too hard, he means a race is too hard to win. He doesn't think in terms of placing top 10.

 

[SafeBet]

Deignan alone in front in the LBL Femmes.
She dropped all the other attackers on Redoute and now leads by almost a minute. Peloton further behind.

16 km to go. RAF soon.

 

[RedheadDane]

On Danish TV they're talking about how the men and women have to share the coverage; with the women starting crazy early, so they can be done before the men start, because they're showing full-coverage of the men's race.
However, is that necessary? Surely they can show the finale - and preferably a bit more than just 30 Ks - of the women's race, while the men are in the early phases of their race. Of course if there's a route-issue then it's a different talk.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Allez Grace! Anyone but Lizzie!

 

[RedheadDane]

For a moment there, it looked like Brown was using the Zwift "invisibility" feature. Which, considering that this is a real-life race, would have been mightily impressive.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

On Danish TV they're talking about how the men and women have to share the coverage; with the women starting crazy early, so they can be done before the men start, because they're showing full-coverage of the men's race.
However, is that necessary? Surely they can show the finale - and preferably a bit more than just 30 Ks - of the women's race, while the men are in the early phases of their race. Of course if there's a route-issue then it's a different talk.

In this race and FW it should definitely be possible to "skip" some of the men's coverage

 

[BlueRoads]

On Danish TV they're talking about how the men and women have to share the coverage; with the women starting crazy early, so they can be done before the men start, because they're showing full-coverage of the men's race.
However, is that necessary? Surely they can show the finale - and preferably a bit more than just 30 Ks - of the women's race, while the men are in the early phases of their race. Of course if there's a route-issue then it's a different talk.

That's how they do it on the Eurosport player. Showing the women's race until 13.00, then the men.

 

[RedheadDane]

That's how they do it on the Eurosport player. Showing the women's race until 13.00, then the men.

I think they'll be done some time before 13:00. Even I can ride 10 Ks in (just under) an hour.

 

[Red Rick]

In this race and FW it should definitely be possible to "skip" some of the men's coverage

Fleche Wallone could really do junior men/women, u23 men/women, and elite men/women all in one frigging broadcast.