Liege Bastogne Liege-7 hour monument, Sunday, April 21, 2024

[AmRacer]

If Remco can win solo, Poggi can too.

 

[hayneplane]

Let’s make Desnie great. It seems close enough to the finish and steep enough to be a decisive launching pad for Pogacar after his team have smashed their way up the Rosier which is more suitable for domestique to set a hot pace.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Sporza had an interesting article about the long-term impact of hypothermia. Potentially it could mean that Skjelmose, Hirschi etc. haven't recovered fully yet.

I think they're exaggerating. They weren't on the North Pole. I wouldn't be surprised if Skjelmose did well tomorrow.

 

[Nick2413]

If anybody beats Pogacar, my guess it will be someone from his team. Ulissi or Hirschi. They’re the only ones he won’t race against if they get up the road. But still highly unlikely overall and they’d have to be best of the rest. I put Van der Poel top 5-10 but only podium if it’s a sizable group.

 

[Danskebjerge]

I think they're exaggerating. They weren't on the North Pole. I wouldn't be surprised if Skjelmose did well tomorrow.

The geography doesn't mean anything here, but I guess you are aware of that.

If you're so cold that you can't move, it's pretty serious.

Some riders have said that their entire season was influenced by riding a race in wet and cold conditions. Like Magnus Cort in the Giro when the weather was bad for several days, and he gave his all on one of those stages.

 

[Peyroteo94]

If anybody beats Pogacar, my guess it will be someone from his team. Ulissi or Hirschi. They’re the only ones he won’t race against if they get up the road. But still highly unlikely overall and they’d have to be best of the rest. I put Van der Poel top 5-10 but only podium if it’s a sizable group.

Pog don't give presents to his teammates. He is not WVA.

 

[Netserk]

Pog don't give presents to his teammates. He is not WVA.

I think Adam Yates's stage win and yellow jersey was somewhat of a gift last year. It had been better for Pogi if he had pulled the group and let it come down to a sprint.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I think Adam Yates's stage win and yellow jersey was somewhat of a gift last year. It had been better for Pogi if he had pulled the group and let it come down to a sprint.

He also tried hard to give a present to Almeida in Catalunya. But it's Liege, a monument that eluded him the last couple of years (for non-sporting reasons) so he'll do everything to smash it this time.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Such a great song

Ironically, he died in April, and it was snowing (over here at least).

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So how many times will a certain Brit say WTF after the race?

 

[Cookster15]

The Hitch would be turning in his grave.

. I hope you are joking? The Hitch was a legend here.

 

[Cookster15]

Dark horse is Tom Pidcock.

 

[Netserk]

. I hope you are joking? The Hitch was a legend here.

Manner of speak only, he is still online.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

. I hope you are joking? The Hitch was a legend here.

Had identical worries, reading.
I see last post was a Q about Cov-19 impact, just going into home confinement. And last online activity some 1½ years ago.
But just like Floricita. Made the time count here, and suddenly persona non grata.

Will never forget The Hitch's special Giro 2011 Stage 14 OP (OP split in 4-5 sub posts. A pity uploaded pics are not available anymore. Added several dimensions to a monster OP for a century monster of a stage, that, regretfully, was spoiled...)

 

[Poursuivant]

MVDP won’t top ten

 

[jono]

MVDP won’t top ten

If he fails to top 10 tomorrow it will be only the second time from 18 Monument participations. His worst result is 13th (MSR 2020).

 

[Pantani_lives]

The last rider who won LBL and the Giro in the same year was Danilo Di Luca in 2007. Tadej Pogacar will try to do the same. His strategy seems predictable: let the team work until La Redoute to set up a solo attack. Or he might wait until La Roche aux Faucons to drop his last companion. If necessary he can also win a small group sprint like three years ago.

The last French winner of La Doyenne is still Bernard Hinault in 1980 in wintry weather. Today's bad weather might inspire Grégoire, Madouas, Gaudu, Martin, Vauquelin, Cosnefroy or Bardet for a similar heroic act.

The last Belgian winner is Remco Evenepoel in 2023. It could have been an exciting duel, but it wasn't to be. Now Belgium is hoping for a stunt by Teuns, Van Gils or Vansevenant. Benoot could dedicate it to his new-born daughter Loes.

Other candidates? Pidcock or Williams can become the first British winner. Skjelmose can prove that a Dane can deal with the cold. MvdP can become the first rider since Eddy Merckx in 1975 to win three monuments in one year. Simon Yates, Vlasov, Bernal and Buitrago are elite climbers, but it would be a surprise if any of them could beat the Slovenian with the hair tufts.

 

[rokovski]

Dark horse is Tom Pidcock.

He will be crying horse again 😢🐴

View: https://youtu.be/IF3KxWJp2DQ?si=R_p4kfuqpwRiZRof

 

[KZD]

This is the race were Pogačar has been having more bad luck. Without the unfortunate events of 2022 and 2023, and that sprint 2020, he would already be at least a 2 time winner and possibly even a 3 or 4 time winner. Still, he has a win in 2021 and I think that bad luck will give him a lot of motivation to take another one and this year with the Giro coming its more important than ever not to crash.

Pogačar is obviously the biggest favourite so the next question is where will he attack? I don't think he will wait too long as shorter efforts could suit riders like Pidcock, Van der Poel or even Williams so I expect him to go either at La Redoute like Remco last year or even at Desiné. This way, if he builds a gap he won't have to take so many risks on the descents as I don't expect him to lose on time on the flats either.

The only three riders that I could possibly see challenging Pogačar for the win here are Pidcock, who was second last year and is in good shape as his Amstel win showed, Van der Poel would I think will be dropped like a stone but he is a big one-day race champion like Tadej so we can't rule him totally out and Williams who was the strongest in Flèche and even though this is a different sort of test, I think he is built for this Ardennes races.

Other riders that could possibly do well are Buitrago, Teuns, Skjelmose and Bernal who I think can do really well here as he already showed in Lombardia that he has the engine to finish on a monument podium and usually handles the bad weather well. Just hope for no crashes as we already lost former winners Remco and Roglič even before the race started.

 

[Nick2413]

Interested in seeing how the FW riders fare, not to beat a dead horse but there will probably be some lingering effects on many of them.

 

[TrekCyclist]

About 50km from Liege: about 3°C currently, 30min ago there was some snow.
Hope everybody has his legwarmers with him, and full gloves

 

[Lequack]

About 50km from Liege: about 3°C currently, 30min ago there was some snow.
Hope everybody has his legwarmers with him, and full gloves

https://twitter.com/x/status/1781949577756574088

View: https://twitter.com/MeteoExpress/status/1781949577756574088

 

[Peyroteo94]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1781949577756574088

View: https://twitter.com/MeteoExpress/status/1781949577756574088

Pure carnage today. Pogi will do a 60 km solo starting in Rosier

 

[Kwaremonster]

I don't think this parcours suits pogacar as much for a long range attack as strade bianche..

 

[ppanther92]

If he fails to top 10 tomorrow it will be only the second time from 18 Monument participations. His worst result is 13th (MSR 2020).

Wow

But yeah, LBL 6th and Lomardia 10th in the only starts.