Who will win Liège-Bastogne-Liège?

[SafeBet]

Question 2 who has been by far the better rider this season? I would say its Sanchez.

Though of course im not being objective.

so could.someone else please tell me who has been the better rider this season as i.am not objective enough to make a rational decision on that.

Samu has been better than Mollema this year, and it's not even close.
But Samu better Nibbles, I'd say it's debatable.

Though I agree with you on Samu having a better resume for this kind of races.

 

[The Hitch]

I don't really agree. Sanchez is imo made for these kind of races.
It's a shame he doesn't race L-B-L that often.
Mollema and Nibali will probably be up there, allthough Nibali hasn't really shown his face yet, but L-B-L suits him most of the 3 Ardennes races.

Ofcourse The Hitch jumps on everyone that doesn't rate Sanchez very high as well

Just like many others do when their favourite rider doesn't get the recognition they think he/she should get.

What is it with this forum and this obsession with telling everyone their opinion is biased?.
Can't it just be that I suggested Sanchez should be higher because he has been one of.the top two or three riders this year and probably the top one to start.

Is that too simple? would that not make any sence ?
ps im picking contador to win the vuelta. might want to chalk that one up to me being a contador fan too

 

[The Hitch]

Samu has been better than Mollema this year, and it's not even close.
But Samu better Nibbles, I'd say it's debatable.

Though I agree with you on Samu having a better resume for this kind of races.

Oops. meant to write better rather than by far. as the i "would" that comes after should suggest.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Samuel Sanchez, Igor Antón, Egoi Martínez, Rubén Pérez, Mikel Nieve, Jorge Azanza, Romain Sicard and Gorka Izagirre.
Sanchez finished tenth both in 2009 and 2011.

 

[dlwssonic]

Gilbert's time to shine

 

[barmaher]

Rodriguez looks good, but the finish line isn't ideal for him.

Plenty of riders will beat him in a sprint and I don't see him solo to the finish.

I agree with this.

I think the winner will be from this group of riders:

Cunego
Gilbert
Frandy
Voeckler
Van den Broeck
Kreuziger
Kiserlovski
Hesjedal

And for the hell of it, I am going to say that van den Broeck will win from Voeckler and Cunego.

That'd be an interesting podium.

It actually seems like a race full of possibles this year. And I think it will be the best classic of the season.

 

[theyoungest]

I agree with this.

I think the winner will be from this group of riders:

Cunego
Gilbert
Frandy
Voeckler
Van den Broeck
Kreuziger
Kiserlovski
Hesjedal

And for the hell of it, I am going to say that van den Broeck will win from Voeckler and Cunego.

That'd be an interesting podium.

It actually seems like a race full of possibles this year. And I think it will be the best classic of the season.

Van den Broeck will win a sprint against Voeckler and Cunego

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Gilbert's time to shine

You have been saying that almost every race... but, yeah.... even a broke a$$ clock is right once in awhile...so you could turn out to be right.

 

[dlwssonic]

You have been saying that almost every race... but, yeah.... even a broke a$$ clock is right once in awhile...so you could turn out to be right.

No... But yeah at first I didn't expect the sickness to hinder him for so long. But this time he really looks much better, he has got a great chance to win.
Will everything about Gilbert's early failures be forgotten if he manages to win LBL?

 

[El Pistolero]

You have been saying that almost every race... but, yeah.... even a broke a$$ clock is right once in awhile...so you could turn out to be right.

2. Damiano Cunego

 

[Panda Claws]

Gilbert does have the advantage that practically no-one is going to beat him in a sprint there. So I think he'll win.

 

[CasperVg]

Won't be Van den Broeck, he'll just find another way to crash out of the race. He fell today during recon ride as well.

 

[Azabael]

Won't be Van den Broeck, he'll just find another way to crash out of the race. He fell today during recon ride as well.

And he certainly won't outsprint cunego and voeckler, unless he attended Vino's masterclass on.. say, 'business'.

 

[Camulos]

Sanchéz or Gilbert to take this.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I don't think I ever vote for who I'll think will win in these threads; I end up voting for who I want to win.

 

[Azabael]

Vanendert > gilbert > Voeckler

I reckon it will be one of them to take the win home.

 

[ooh_25mm]

three days ago I thought Cunego was looking good but there is no way he will recover from today's efforts at Trentino, not to mention the travel back to LBL.

I am surprised and disappointed he didnt withdrawal yesterday, weird. Perhaps this is about WT points.

Someone from Astana will win. Is Vino starting?

 

[Camulos]

I wonder how De Gendt will fare in this race, any thoughts?

 

[skidmark]

Cu-ne-go! Cu-ne-go!

I've got him all the way. It would be crazy if Voeckler could win, and it's even crazier that, even after his last 2 years, I kind of believe he could do it. It just seems so weird to be talking about Voeckler as a winner of LBL.

Samu and Gilbert will certainly be dangerous if they can hang, and I think Samu would have a better chance of sticking with someone like Cunego than Gilbert in current form. Gilbert has shown some improvement in explosiveness, but his burst was too short in Amstel and Fleche. This is Liege we're talking about.

Anyway,

1. Cunego
2-10 who knows, but some of F.Schleck, Kreuziger, Nibali, Samu, Vanendert, Gilbert, Voeckler, Rodriguez.

 

[cineteq]

Wtf Sanchez with other. You mad.

Personally i would have Samu 3rd or 4th behind Gilbert - huge favourite, and maybe Vandendert or Cunego.

You're right, it should have been Vino/Other

Edit I see you put Nibali, Voeckler and Mollema ahead of Sanchez.

GT winner Nibali makes sense but not Mollema or Voeckler. Plus you have to wonder how Sanchez is doing since he just decided to do the race.

 

[Trofinios]

Fränk Schleck.

If Andy and Horner are in shape I believe they could do great damage on the climbs near the end and set up Fränk for a good chance to win.

 

[The Hitch]

You're right, it should have been Vino/Other

GT winner Nibali makes sense but not Mollema or Voeckler. Plus you have to wonder how Sanchez is doing since he just decided to do the race.

Yeah Nibali won a gt, but hes not a better gt rider than Sanchez.

Unless you want to believe that say Arroyo is a better gt rider than Gesink because he has podiumed a gt.

Which is totaly irrelevant anyway since this is not a gt but a hilly classic and Samuel Sanchez is clearly the better classics rider.

 

[Panda Claws]

Gilbert seemed better in FW than he was there in 2010. In 2010 he was also the strongest in LBL.

EDIT: Something interesting I found. Gilbert claimed that his WC Geelong 2010 form was better than his LBL 2011 one.

 

[cineteq]

Yeah Nibali won a gt, but hes not a better gt rider than Sanchez. Which is totaly irrelevant anyway since this is not a gt but a hilly classic and Samuel Sanchez is clearly the better classics rider.

Very debatable, they have similar qualities, but I give Le Squalo the edge since he's more cerebral and more consistant.

Btw, if Nibali finishes ahead of Sanchez on Sunday will the score be settled?

 

[The Hitch]

Very debatable, they have similar qualities, but I give Le Squalo the edge since he's more cerebral and more consistant.

Btw, if Nibali finishes ahead of Sanchez on Sunday will the score be settled?

Not unless he wins. If he comes 6th and Sanchez 20th or DNF or whatever that doesnt mean Nibali had a better chance at winning.

Unless you are talking about their hilly classics ability. If Nibali wins by blowing everyone away then yes he probably will have a right to claim that he is a better hilly classics rider than Sanchez. But if he merely podiums, then thats not going to close the gap.