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Will Gilbert complete the "ardennes triple" by winning liege?

Will Gilbert complete the "ardennes triple" by winning liege?

  • Not sure

    Votes: 0 0.0%

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  • Poll closed .
El Pistolero said:
I voted no :p

It's going to be hard. Just look at Cancellara this year.

too be honest i don't think people will pull a cancellara on gilbert. because the ardennes are full of tommeke/canc type of guys who want to win themselves and i bet the shlecks and the spanish armada guys prefer to lose to gilbert while trying to win themselves then letting the win go to a non favourite
 
I hope Leopard send Jens into the break at about 90k. Then look at Gilbert and say, bring this back yourself mate. I will be very upset if any of the other teams help Gilbert out. Just like Spartacus was forced to on cobbles, Gilbert, having owned everyone in some style, should be made to (though he does actually have a team to help him) get the victory himself.
 
I think he'll do it.

Last year he was beaten by good teamwork by Vino and Contador, and Gilbert and not having strong teammates wen it mattered.

On the other hand, both Gilbert, and his domestiques, look in outstanding form, and are ready and capable to do damage.

Also, who's going to beat him? The Schlecks are good but not great, and the Spanish mountain goats (Sanchez, Anton, Rodriguez) have learned that they can no longer drop Gilbert at will when the gradient rises over 10%.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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The Hitch said:
I hope Leopard send Jens into the break at about 90k. Then look at Gilbert and say, bring this back yourself mate. I will be very upset if any of the other teams help Gilbert out. Just like Spartacus was forced to on cobbles, Gilbert, having owned everyone in some style, should be made to (though he does actually have a team to help him) get the victory himself.

Why else would they have Voigt in their team? :D

Voigt would be a cool winner, but he'll need someone like Vino with him to stay away at the end. And no one will let Vino go that soon. Who can you think of that would make a good pair with Voigt for the breakaway?
 
The Hitch said:
I hope Leopard send Jens into the break at about 90k. Then look at Gilbert and say, bring this back yourself mate. I will be very upset if any of the other teams help Gilbert out. Just like Spartacus was forced to on cobbles, Gilbert, having owned everyone in some style, should be made to (though he does actually have a team to help him) get the victory himself.

Wasn't that Saxo's exact tactic last year? :p
 
No.

He will have to beat Vino, the Schlecks, Samu, Katusha.

Of course I will not be surprised if he wins, but the odds are stacked against him.

Even if they don't treat him with the same contempt as "they" did Cancellara, it will still be tough.
 
May 12, 2010
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Yep, he'll succeed Trebellin. I don't expect any Cancellara-scenario's (and I think the difference in power between Gilbert and the competition is bigger than it was between Cancellara and his competitors this year). The final of a race like LBL is quite short, nothing happens before the Roche-aux-Foucons, and it's only 20km from there, after that, there is not as much room for tactical games like in Paris-Roubaix, it's more a matter of strength, and they can't beat Gilbert there.

If they want to have a chance, they should make it a long and hard race, but that requires sacrificing your team, they'll be too scared to do that.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Ferminal said:
No.

He will have to beat Vino, the Schlecks, Samu, Katusha.

Of course I will not be surprised if he wins, but the odds are stacked against him.

Even if they don't treat him with the same contempt as "they" did Cancellara, it will still be tough.

To be fair, he did do that twice already.
 
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Lanark said:
Yep, he'll succeed Trebellin. I don't expect any Cancellara-scenario's (and I think the difference in power between Gilbert and the competition is bigger than it was between Cancellara and his competitors this year). The final of a race like LBL is quite short, nothing happens before the Roche-aux-Foucons, and it's only 20km from there, after that, there is not as much room for tactical games like in Paris-Roubaix, it's more a matter of strength, and they can't beat Gilbert there.

If they want to have a chance, they should make it a long and hard race, but that requires sacrificing your team, they'll be too scared to do that.

That favors Gilbert :p
 
El Pistolero said:
To be fair, he did do that twice already.

Well, they are rather different races.

The favourites were not attacking from 40km out in AGR/Fleche.

In L-B-L you can guarantee that there will be attacks by the favourites at least by the Redoute, which is 35-40km to go. Gilbert will have to follow, chase himself and make some tough calls in the process. Even if he is the strongest it's not an easy win.

At least that is how they should ride it, if they let Gilbert get an easy ride to the St Nick then they deserve to lose.

I think I'm just repeating what I said the other day, I'm going down if he wins :p
 
I don't think he will win but hope that he does.

He has been incredibly impressive thus far all season. I think that to win three Ardennes in the week is very very hard and you need everything to fall into place.

I think he will be assisted by the fact VDB 2 and Vanderent are looking in very good shape and if they are able to stay in the peleton until the Roche aux Facons then he will likely be the winner.

If however Katusha and Schlecks isolate him before that point then he it may prove too difficult to contain those favourites. If however he is in a lead group come Ans then its game over for the others.
 
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Ferminal said:
Well, they are rather different races.

The favourites were not attacking from 40km out in AGR/Fleche.

In L-B-L you can guarantee that there will be attacks by the favourites at least by the Redoute, which is 35-40km to go. Gilbert will have to follow, chase himself and make some tough calls in the process. Even if he is the strongest it's not an easy win.

At least that is how they should ride it, if they let Gilbert get an easy ride to the St Nick then they deserve to lose.

I think I'm just repeating what I said the other day, I'm going down if he wins :p

Nah, I'm not expecting him to win either :p

But with Valverde and Tintin gone no one will be able to outsprint him in Ans. That's definitely in his favor. He can afford to ride defensively in LBL now. Last year and the year before he couldn't afford that.
 

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