liege-bastogne-liege Stories - Podium Cafe
Monuments to Grand Tours: Prudhomme & Change
Chris wrote something yesterday that just rang true that I think needs repeating: On that last point, this is a big development. Alberto Contador will be the overwhelming favorite, but the only way to make it interesting would be to drum up another young, powerful rider with most or all of the...
Accountability Monday: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Edition
This is always fun. And a good reminder of how seriously you should take my predictions (Girbecco says: "not seriously!"). Excerpts from my predictions in quote... 1. Damiano Cunego, Lampre there's a recent streak of LBL podium finishers who started slowly at Amstel and peaked by the time they...
Liege-Bastogne-Liege... Post-Race Thread
Andy Schleck, welcome to greatness. Andy Schleck Joaquim Rodriguez Davide Rebellin Philippe Gilbert Serguei Ivanov Simon Gerrans Damiano Cunego Benoit Vaugrenard Alexandr Kolobnev Samuel Sanchez Adding... The big winners today are: Andy Schleck and anyone remotely associated...
Making It Over the Finish Line
Today I rode my first time trial in a few years, another step in my return to (frightfully mediocre) racing. I was pretty excited at the start, and there was something of a side/headwind on the way out, so I fought my usual cautious tendencies and tried to let go a bit. In my years as a racer I've...
Youtubery: 2008 LBL
Ten minute highlight package of the last 35km, with Basque commentary (I think). One point to take from this: if they put the line in the same place, it's a pretty short distance from the last corner, which makes for an abbreviated sprint. This might give Andy Schleck or another one of the...
QOTD
My poll below may be distracting, but let's not overlook the theme of the weekend, as put so well by Michele Bartoli: I think Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flanders and Roubaix are the three most important races; if you win one of these you are part of cycling's story.
LBL: Ranking the Favorites!
The headline of this post pretty much says it all, so I won't futz around. Just one caveat: I didn't have Serguei Ivanov listed in any discussion of Amstel Gold. So take this with the appropriate lump of salt. 1. Damiano Cunego, Lampre He failed in the finale on the Mur, but I don't regard this...
A Little Cycling History
For you veteran tifosi and Cafe-niks, this might be a thoroughly repetitive exercise, but I thought of a few aspects to Liège-Bastogne-Liège that places it in perspective. Did you know? that Liège-Bastogne-Liège (ca. 1892) misses out by one year for the title of the...
Why La Doyenne Is Different
If you look at the other Big Classics Week, it's quite easy to tell one race from another. Yes, the similarities outnumber the differences, but each race has its own Classics plague as its signature. Tour of Flanders: sharp little climbs. Gent-Wevelgem: wind. Paris-Roubaix: ___ [It'll come to...
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