102nd Liege - Bastogne - Liege (1.UWT) - Sunday 24th April 2016

MPFGLB

So to the 4th monument of the year ..

http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1456229152.jpeg



Major factor on Sunday may be the weather which is promised cold with maybe even sleet or snow


Major Contenders: Valverde, Dan Martin, Allaphiliipe, Gerrans, Gasperotto, Samuel Sanchez, Froome, Nibali , Kwaitowski , Poels, Bardet, Porte, Gallopin , Welllens, Gesink, Rui Costa, Ulissi, Fuglsang,Barguil, Kreuziger, Valgren

Startlist here : http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Liege_Bastogne_Liege_2016_Startlist

Previews: http://www.ciclismointernacional.com/liege-bastogne-liege-2016-preview/

TV Schedule : Eurosport 1pm (GMT)

Questions for your consideration

- Will the race be a damp squib
- Will Valverde walk it
- Both Dan Martin & Allaphillipe are saying the want to win but surely one needs to be sarcrificed for the team in the finale
- Can Purito answer the call
- So without Matthews spoiling his party can Gerrans do it again
- Does his exclusion definitely mean Matthews will leave OGE
- Who is the SKY true leader ...
- Can Froome do anything
- Can Kwait do anything
- Is it foolhardy given the promised conditions for Froome to even ride this race
- Was Nibali saving himself at Trentino for LBL or was he just not in form yet
- Will Wellans attack fro m the same distance as Amstel and FW
- Will Kreuziger attack fro m the same distance as Amstel and FW
- Will there be visions of pandas eveywhere and will Dan Martin win - hope so

at1withmyself

Dan has a special Panda themed paint job for tomorrow so hopefully it brings him luck:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/product-news/pro-bike-dan-martins-emerald-panda-specialized-s-works-tarmac-222154

dragratchet

at1withmyself wrote: »

Dan has a special Panda themed paint job for tomorrow so hopefully it brings him luck:

i know the dan martin/ panda back story but does he really want to possibly be known as the emerald panda, you cant get lazier than a panda... well a sloth, but still panda's hardly strike the fear of god into anything other than bamboo.

JK.BMC

Feck it so..

WELLENS for the victory.
Froome and Nibali to abandon.
No pandas will be harmed during the event

Pudsy33

at1withmyself wrote: »

Dan has a special Panda themed paint job for tomorrow so hopefully it brings him luck:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/product-news/pro-bike-dan-martins-emerald-panda-specialized-s-works-tarmac-222154

Love it shamrocks on the fork too

Pudsy33

JK.BMC wrote: »

Feck it so..

WELLENS for the victory.
Froome and Nibali to abandon.
No pandas will be harmed during the event

I did say last week a Wellens break would eventually stick, and I reckon he has a decent shot tomorrow. The new climb might not inscentivise a long rang attack though

pelevin

Dan Martin to win & then to recite word-perfectly the entire 1916 Proclamation in his immediate post-race interview.

MPFGLB

I forgot to add a note about the introduction of the cobbles section (penultimate climb)

Its 600m of steep cobbles and if it rains (as it looks it will) then it could put paid to alot of the favourites...its comes in the section of the race where there are usually only the team favouries left with a few others ... a few Kilometres to go

I think its going to make a difference

TheBlaaMan

That last climb is only 600m long but averages 10.5%, over cobbles, and it may be wet.........

I can t see how this would favour Dan, but Nibali might go well.

The weather looks pretty grim for tomorrow, with a fair bit of rain likely in the mid-section around Bastogne but also towards the end of the race, I think the earlier concern about snow may be wide of the mark - hope so, tbh.

Liege



Bastogne

dastardly00

Conditions not looking too good....
Adam Yates is well covered up

dastardly00

And they're off!
The riders roll out of the Place St Lambert and the 102nd Liège-Bastogne-Liège is underway. They've got a 6.8km neutral zone to negotiate before the flag drops and racing can begin in earnest.

TheBlaaMan

https://twitter.com/DanMartin86/status/723602500473884672

MPFGLB

Its snowing out there on the route ...so it looks like this race is far from plain sailing

I expect a few surprises ...

MPFGLB

https://twitter.com/TeamSky/status/724160340662079488

Lusk_Doyle

pelevin wrote: »

Dan Martin to win & then to recite word-perfectly the entire 1916 Proclamation in his immediate post-race interview.

In his thick brummie accent!

MPFGLB

Valverde has said he will climb off if the weather is extreme

Well it looks exttreme to me ....but then I 'm not Valverde (last time i looked anyways)

MPFGLB

https://twitter.com/TeamDiData/status/724163052535422976

MPFGLB

De Gendt in the break...he can do long and hard stages

happytramp

Andy Hampsten has this in the bag.

MPFGLB

Looks like they are shortening the race because of the weather ...

MPFGLB

There gonna deviate at around km 40...to miss soem of the snow covered climbs

neris

Just seen some photos on twitter of the weather, manky and ****e. So much for spring

MPFGLB

Richie Porte said before the race that his goal is to finish
Chris Froome I'd say will not finish
Why do these riders ride these races ? And take places from others in the team who can finish and may even get a result

pelevin

Nibali seems to have thrived in awful weather conditions before. He's one rider if he has the legs, which is a reasonably big 'if', would probably welcome these conditions which eliminate mentally & physically so many others.

ThisRegard

MPFGLB wrote: »

There gonna deviate at around km 40...to miss soem of the snow covered climbs

Eurosport coverage doesn't start until 1 or 1.30, you'd be wondering if there'll be anything to cover by then.

MPFGLB

Break has about 9 minutes now

With the riders in the break the peloton have their work cut out

MPFGLB

ThisRegard wrote: »

Eurosport coverage doesn't start until 1 or 1.30, you'd be wondering if there'll be anything to cover by then.

They could have put it on earlier ...Tour of Turkey ..yawn

Lusk_Doyle

MPFGLB wrote: »

They could ahve put it on earlier ...Tour of Turkey ..yawn

There's your famous 'hatred' of the Polish again. Niemiec gets into a solo break and you say it's boring!

MPFGLB

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

There's your famous 'hatred' of the Polish again. Niemiec gets into a solo break and you say it's boring!

Tour of Turkey my 2nd least favourite race after Tour of Poland

I am watching it and wonder seriously about safety ....

MPFGLB

And just as I write about safety a tourist rider joins the peloton in Turkey

MPFGLB

I have never seen so many bottles lobed in my life #tourofturkey

MPFGLB

Spectators everywhere including on the road at Turkey...well not spectators more like non interested bystanders

neris

MPFGLB wrote: »

Tour of Turkey my 2nd least favourite race after Tour of Poland

I am watching it and wonder seriously about safety ....

What about the tour of uzbekistan

MPFGLB

neris wrote: »

What about the tour of uzbekistan

That is moving ahead ....don't you know


Edit : Ooops wrong race .... Anyway I don't like it

MPFGLB

Well there you have it ...Tour of Turkey sown up after stage 1

Bet Rebellin is not happy

MPFGLB

https://twitter.com/BMCProTeam/status/724209324000722944

pelevin

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

In his thick brummie accent!

That would only add to the glory of it all.

Darkglasses

Just switched it on. First race I'm watching properly this year, due to never ending internet problems.

Inquitus

Looks pretty fécking miserable at the minute!

DominoDub

Sean Kelly say's " A sure it's only a little bit of a Blizzard !"

dastardly00

Just tuned in now myself.

Darkglasses

Who'd be a pro cyclist

dastardly00

Any major abandonments to note?

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

Any major abandonments to note?

Well it depends on who you believe

But officially no


(great to know I have been talking to myself all day)

dastardly00

MPFGLB wrote: »

Well it depends on who you believe

But officially no


(great to know I have been talking to myself all day)

Sorry I meant any of the the main favourites.

MPFGLB

No favourite abandons announced

MPFGLB

See Adam Yates & Tommy V training for the Tour de Yorkshire

dastardly00

Tony Gallopin (Lotto) and Arthur Vichot (FDJ) have abandoned.

bazermc

Wonder has froome abandoned?. Afraid of breaking a nail before the tour.

fishfoodie

bazermc wrote: »

Wonder has froome abandoned?. Afraid of breaking a nail before the tour.

not really a day for his infamous bike handling skills

Inquitus

bazermc wrote: »

Wonder has froome abandoned?. Afraid of breaking a nail before the tour.

No he's still knocking about.