Tag: WorldTour

Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2016 Preview

Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège caps off the 2016 Spring Classics season with a chance for the climbers to nab a big one-day victory. Plenty of big names will make start hoping to come away with a Monumental addition to their palmares in the 102nd edition of “La Doyenne.”

The Route

Liège-Bastogne-Liège takes the peloton 253km from Liège to Bastogne and then back to the general vicinity of Liège, with the finish line actually in the town of Ans. The parcours includes 10 climbs officially, though the race ends on a climb that will almost certainly be critical to the overall victory. The last two official climbs are likely to play a big role as well. Expect attacks to fly on the 1.2km Côte de Saint-Nicolas (8.6% average grade) and the new Côte de la Rue Naniot, a short climb at just 600 meters but steep enough to break things up at 10.5%.

The Contenders

Defending champion Alejandro Valverde is hunting down a fourth career win, and he certainly looks strong enough to pull it off after winning La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday. His strong team should help keep the race under control so that he can dominate the finale with his strong finishing kick.

Etixx-QuickStep brings two of the top favorites to challenge Valverde. Dan Martin is a past winner, and he’s looking good after another Flèche Wallonne podium performance. Liège is a race that suits him very well, and the added climb will give him another chance to attack his rivals. And if Martin isn’t up for this, his teammate Julian Alaphilippe is a terrific second option, with a nice turn of speed.

Simon Gerrans‘s form is a bit of a question mark right now, but if he’s feeling strong he has a great chance to pick up a second career win here. He’s probably the fastest finisher among the top contenders for the victory.

Vincenzo Nibali finally took his first Monument win last year in Lombardy, and he could use the same combination of climbing and descending skills to make a run for the Liège win. A late attack seems practically guaranteed.

You could probably say the same about Tim Wellens. He almost always swings for the fences, and his attacking style has already earned him two Eneco Tour overall wins and the GP Montréal. He hasn’t been able to hit a home run in the Ardennes just yet, but he’s certainly got a shot. Lotto-Soudal also has Tony Gallopin and Jelle Vanendert.

Joaquím Rodríguez didn’t look to be at his best at La Flèche Wallonne but he’s almost always in the mix in this race and can’t be counted out. Neither can Rui Costa, who is made for this sort of profile. Enrico Gasparotto, Michal Kwiatkowski, Romain Bardet, Wout Poels, and Samuel Sánchez are others to keep an eye on.

VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

Winner: Alejandro Valverde
Podium: Dan Martin, Vincenzo Nibali
Other Top Contenders: Julian Alaphilippe, Joaquím Rodríguez, Simon Gerrans, Tim Wellens, Rui Costa, Michal Kwiatkowski, Enrico Gasparotto

Photo by Jean Housen (CC).

April 24, 2016
The Recon Ride Podcast: Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2016

Episode 40: Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2016 Pre-race Show

The Recon Ride dives into the route and the favorites for the final big race of the 2016 Spring Classics season – and the fourth Monument of the year – Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

[powerpress]

“La Doyenne,” the Old Lady of spring classics, brings Ardennes Week to a conclusion this Sunday. Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano preview Liège-Bastogne-Liège, one of the most climber-friendly one-day races on the calendar.

Photo by Jean Housen (CC).

April 22, 2016
La Flèche Wallonne 2016 Preview

“Ardennes Week” is in full swing. The peloton took on the Cauberg this past weekend, which can only mean it’s time for the Mur de Huy this Wednesday…

The Route

La Flèche Wallonne is surprisingly short, particularly this year, at just 196 kilometers.

There are officially 12 climbs on the menu, starting at kilometer 67 and running all the way to the finish. The first 11 will serve to wear away at the legs of the peloton, particularly the 1.3km, 8.1% Côte de Cherave, but this race is almost always decided on the final climb, the Mur de Huy.

A winding 1.3km at 9.3%, the Mur is a brutal challenge that punishes those who don’t time their jump perfectly. Experience matters on the steep slopes of the climb, which maxes out at over 25% for one small section. Things do flatten out near the finish line, meaning that the pure climbers will want to go a little earlier than those with a bit of a sprint.

The Contenders

Alejandro Valverde makes the start in pursuit of a record fourth career win at La Flèche Wallonne, and he looks like a strong candidate to pull it off. For one, the race and the final climb in particular suit him perfectly. These sorts of climbs have been Valverde’s bread and butter for years. He looks strong this season too. Meanwhile, some of the other names that come to mind for this race have yet to really show off any stellar form, making Valverde that much stronger a race favorite. Movistar also has Daniel Moreno, a former winner himself, as another card to play, and Carlos Betancur could be up there as well.

Joaquím Rodríguez probably should have won this race more than just the once, but he’s always a dangerous contender on this sort of finishing climb. It’s hard to say what kind of shape he’s in, but he’ll almost certainly be in the mix.

Form is a question mark after he pulled out of País Vasco, but rarely is Dan Martin not in shape to contest this event, one of his favorites. He has always done well here. Etixx-QuickStep also has Julian Alaphilippe, runner-up just last year. If anyone can challenge Movistar’s top-to-bottom strength, it’s the Irish-French duo leading the Belgian supersquad.

Speaking of former runners-up, don’t overlook Sergio Henao. He has been flying all season and should be able to fight with the very best on the Mur. Sky has a nice support squad to put him into position, and he has an underrated kick on this sort of finish.

Michael Albasini of Orica-GreenEdge is always one to watch at La Flèche Wallonne—he’s never won, but he’s almost always in the mix. Lotto-Soudal has several options with Tim Wellens, Tony Gallopin, and Jelle Vanendert. Look to one of the three (probably Wellens) to try something long-range. Philippe Gilbert looked out of shape at Amstel and is probably beyond the point of being considered a favorite here, but he did win the race once upon a time and so can’t be counted out. BMC teammate Samuel Sánchez may be more of a threat.

Amstel Gold Race winner Enrico Gasparotto, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Michael Woods, Rui Costa, Diego Ulissi, Warren Barguil, Wilco Kelderman, and Roman Kreuziger are others to watch.

VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

Winner: Alejandro Valverde
Podium: Sergio Henao, Joaquím Rodríguez
Other Top Contenders: Dan Martin, Julian Alaphilippe, Michael Albasini, Daniel Moreno, Rui Costa, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Tim Wellens

Photo by Stacy Clinton (CC).

April 20, 2016
Amstel Gold Race 2016 Preview

“Ardennes Week” gets underway this Sunday in the Netherlands (not actually in the Belgian Ardennes) at the Amstel Gold Race. The peloton’s punchier stars will have a shot at classics glory on a profile chock-full of short but steep climbs.

The Route

258 kilometers in total, the Amstel Gold Race parcours involves 34 small climbs, but more often than not everything comes down to the final uphill challenge of the day: the Cauberg. The riders will actually climb it four times, but the last one comes just 1.8 kilometers from the finish line, and it’s likely to be the key moment in the race.

A little over a kilometer at a little under 6%, the Cauberg isn’t actually all that hard compared to other famous cycling climbs, but at the end of a long day it does take its toll. Attacks are guaranteed—the question is whether an aggressor can hang on all the way to the line. If not, we’ll likely see a reduced sprint.

The Contenders

Michal Kwiatkowski is the defending champion, and having shown terrific form in winning E3 Harelbeke, he looks like a strong contender again in 2016. It’s hard to say whether the Amstel Gold Race will go to a lone attacker or to a speedster in a small group, but Kwiatkowski is a threat in either scenario. Sergio Henao, Wout Poels, and Ben Swift are other strong options for Sky.

Orica-GreenEdge has a powerful one-two punch in Michael Matthews and Simon Gerrans. Gerrans might be the one trying to mix it up on the climb, leaving Matthews to battle it out in a sprint if the Cauberg is not as selective.

BMC’s Philippe Gilbert is a three-time Amstel Gold Race winner, and an obvious potential protagonist. His form is a question mark, especially given his recent finger injury, but Gilbert can never be counted out in this event. Samuel Sánchez and Ben Hermans are other strong options for the team.

Rui Costa nabbed fourth here last year and he could contend again this year. He’s deceptively speedy and has a great eye for opportunities to get away, so watch out for him late in the race. Diego Ulissi gives Lampre another card to play—he’s great in a reduced sprint after a tough day.

Julian Alaphilippe and Brabantse Pijl winner Petr Vakoc make for a strong Etixx duo. Daniel Moreno could get involved for Movistar, with Alejandro Valverde sitting this race out. Lotto-Soudal looks strong with Tony Gallopin, Jelle Vanendert, and Tim Wellens. Europcar’s Bryan Coquard could struggle to hold on over the climbs but he’s a threat in a sprint.

Fabio Felline, Bauke Mollema, Wilco Kelderman, Enrico Gasparotto, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Alexis Vuillermoz, Joaquím Rodríguez, and Tom Dumoulin are others with a shot.

VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

Winner: Michal Kwiatkowski
Podium: Michael Matthews, Philippe Gilbert
Other Top Contenders: Simon Gerrans, Rui Costa, Julian Alaphilippe, Tony Gallopin, Tim Wellens, Petr Vakoc, Fabio Felline

Photo: Jakub Cerveny (CC).

April 17, 2016
The Recon Ride Podcast: Amstel Gold Race + La Flèche Wallonne 2016

Episode 39: Amstel Gold Race + La Flèche Wallonne 2016 Pre-race Show

“Ardennes Week” kicks off Sunday at the Amstel Gold Race, and continues with La Flèche Wallonne Wednesday. The podcast covers both races with a double-header pre-race show.

[powerpress]

The Recon Ride dives into two races this week: Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano take a closer look at the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne, and the punchy riders who are likely to feature as protagonists on the short steep climbs of Dutch Limburg and the Belgian Ardennes.

Photo by Ed Webster (CC).

April 15, 2016
Paris-Roubaix 2016 Preview

Paris-Roubaix kicks off Sunday in Compiègne (which is actually about an hour from Paris by car), and this year’s edition of the race should be as interesting as ever.

The Route

257.5 kilometers from start to finish, the Paris-Roubaix parcours is pancake-flat, with 27 officially rated cobbled sectors. Even the less difficult sections are perilous, but things really heat up after 160km at the Arenberg Trench, the first “five-star” sector in terms of difficulty, the tenth official section on the day. It’s a narrow, 2.4km stretch of “road” that runs through a dense forest. The surface is brutal, and even a specialist can have it all go wrong bouncing around on the cobbles. Unfortunately, things don’t get a whole lot easier after that.

After eight more difficult stretches of cobbles comes Mons-en-Pévele, 3km long, another particularly nastry stretch. The riders will have less than 50km to go when they arrive, so you can expect attacks to fly from the more aggressive types.

If the race isn’t broken up by then, it almost certainly will be by the time the riders are through with the Carrefour de l’Arbre, the last major obstacle on the profile before an easier final three cobbled sectors. The Carrefour is a make or break 2.1km section that is tough enough to blow any group to pieces.

15 kilometers later those who have survived the trek over some of the most uncomfortable roads in cycling will arrive at the Roubaix velodrome to finish the race. It’s often the sight of a small sprint, though solo wins and larger sprint are possibilities as well.

The Contenders

2015 champ John Degenkolb won’t be defending his title due to injuries suffered in a training crash, but the startlist is still full of classics firepower.

Fabian Cancellara is in the hunt for his fourth career Paris-Roubaix victory Sunday in his last ever appearance at the race. The form he showed last weekend at the Tour of Flanders makes that seem like a real possibility. Roubaix suits his huge engine perfectly. With a solid team around him, Cancellara can mark early attacks right up to the point where he launches his own. His biggest challenge will be shedding the many contenders who might be potentially speedier in a sprint finish.

Peter Sagan fits the bill. He’s got the “when will you win a Monument?” monkey off his back now, and he’s on blazing form. However, Paris-Roubaix doesn’t suit him nearly as well as De Ronde. One of the things that sets him apart as a rider is his ability to leave other one-day specialists behind on short climbs and then seal the deal with his masterful descending abilities. He won’t be able to put those skills on display here. It won’t be as easy for the punchy world champ to leave his rivals behind on this profile.

Sep Vanmarcke, on the other hand, will appreciate the flatter parcours, at least when it comes to facing off against Sagan. He has looked very strong the past few races and has improved dramatically as a sprinter since he took runner-up honors in Roubaix in 2013. That makes him dangerous.

Alexander Kristoff can go toe to toe against anyone on this startlist in a sprint. He looked sharp in Flanders, and although he’s never had as much success in Paris-Roubaix, he can’t be counted out. He’ll need everything to go his way in a race notorious for doling out punctures, mechanicals, and even fan collisions at the worst possible moments, but if he can hang with the lead group he’s a big threat in the velodrome.

Etixx-QuickStep’s Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, and Tom Boonen form a powerful lead trio that can boast several Roubaix wins and podium performances. Four-time winner Boonen has looked decent so far this year but Stybar and Terpstra are probably better bets. I particularly like Terpstra’s chances — I wouldn’t be surprised to see a small group enter the last 10km together and he has already shown that he has the power to make his rivals pay if they hesitate even for a moment when he launches a late solo move.

Lars Boom, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Jurgen Roelandts, Tiesj Benoot, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Jens Keukeleire, and Daniel Oss are others to watch.

VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

Winner: Fabian Cancellara
Podium: Sep Vanmarcke, Peter Sagan
Other Top Contenders: Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, Alexander Kristoff, Tom Boonen, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Lars Boom, Luke Rowe

Photo by Dane Cash.

April 10, 2016