Sunday 26 April 2009 at 23h24
As I announced Wednesday in my article about the Flèche Wallonne, the third of the tryptic of classics, the Doyenne took place today: Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
This race was won by the young Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank).
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The favourites
Last year's winner, Alejandro Valverde was one of the favourites for today's race. When he celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday the people in the crowd of the team presentation sang him a Happy birthday to you when Daniel Mangeas announced his birthday.On his team's blog he said two days before the race: Everyone knows, since I keep saying it, that Liège-Bastogne-Liège is 'my' race and the more I ride on the roads of LBL the more I appreciate them. I hope they will bring me luck again this year, as they did the last three years.
I'm not yet at 100% of my performance, but I hope that my motivation will be sufficient to get the little bit more I need to be in top form. It would be great to end this week with a third win in Liège!
Unfortunately for him, he didn't succeed in that ...
![Cadel Evans Cadel Evans](/images/blog/liege-bastogne-liege/2009/cadel_evans.jpg)
With 25 teams at the start, there were many riders willing to win the last classic of this season!
The description of the race
The start of the race was at about 10.15AM on the Place Saint-Lambert in Liège.Eleven climbs were to be taken in the 261 kilometers which seperated Liège via Bastogne from Ans: the Côte de Ny (1,8 km @ 5,7%), the Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne (2,8 km @ 4,9%), the Côte de Saint-Roch (0,8 km @ 12%), the Côte de Wanne (2,7 km @ 7%), the Côte de Stockeu (1,1 km @ 10,5%), the Côte de la Haute Levée (3,4 km @ 6%), the Côte du Rosier (4 km @ 5,9%), the Côte de la Vecquée (3,1 km @ 5,9%), the heavy Côte de La Redoute (2,1 km @ 8,4%), the Côte de la Roche aux Faucons (1,5 km @ 9,9%) and finally the Côte de Saint-Nicolas (1 km @ 11,1%) at 5,5 kilometers from the finish.
![Cyril Gautier Cyril Gautier](/images/blog/liege-bastogne-liege/2009/cyril_gautier.jpg)
![Chris Anker Sørensen Chris Anker Sørensen](http://www.velowire.com/images/blog/flechewallonne/2009/chris_anker_sorensen.jpg)
At the foot of the Côte de la Redoute the 4 leading riders only had a 28 seconds gap on the peloton and 24 on their 3 followers.
Once they were taken back a new group of 7 riders was formed: Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank), Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Hubert Dupont (AG2R La Mondiale) Alexandr Kolobnev (Saxo Bank), José Serpa (Serramenti Diquigiovanni) and Robert Gesink (Rabobank). A bit later they were suddenly jumped over by the Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert (Silence Lotto) who continues alone in the Côte de Sprimont.
![Andy Schleck Andy Schleck](/images/blog/liege-bastogne-liege/2009/andy_schleck.jpg)
![Cuvée Frank & Andy Schleck Cuvée Frank & Andy Schleck](/images/blog/liege-bastogne-liege/2009/cuvee_schleck.jpg)
He not only stayed ahead, Andy Schleck increased the gap and his team mates controlled the other riders to give him the chance to get even more time ahead. At the foot of the last climb the gap was up to 1'30" and the rider from Luxembourg finally crossed the finish line alone with a gap of one minute and 20 seconds. The Cuvée Frank et Andy Schleck (photo) which wasn't used at the World Championships in Varese has definitively been opened today!
After an attempt by Cadel Evans, the Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez of the Caisse d'Epargne team decided to defend the interests of his team by going for the second place. A bit later Davide Rebellin took the third place before Philippe Gilbert and the Amstel Gold Race winner, Sergei Ivanov.
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The images
Below you can find a video of the last few kilometers and Bjarne Riis' congratulating Andy Schleck. Too bad the brother hug is not included in this ...The man who's standing in the car following Andy Schleck when he crosses the finish line is Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam where the Tour de France will start in 2010.
And here's a video which shows the atmosphere at the finish and the cérémonie protocolaire:
The next important cycling event
After the classics season the next important cyling event now is the Giro d'Italia, the 100-year old Giro, which will take place from Saturday 9 till Sunday 31 May 2009. door Thomas VergouwenVond u dit artikel interessant? Laat het uw vrienden op Facebook weten door op de buttons hieronder te klikken!
2 comments | 4918 views
this publication is published in: Cycling general (except Tour de France)
bonjour
j ai suis vit cette course comme toute les course cycliste sur le satellite très belle course
Comme a l ordinaire j étais devant ma télé , dommage pour VALVERDE...!!
comme quoi il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l ours avant de l avoir tué!!!!
Ils ont bien rusés les freres SHLECK, pendant que le cadet filait le grand frere freinait le peloton , enfin c est ce que j ai ressentie devant mon écran , les favoris était derriere Franck Schleck et personne n attaquait , pendant ce temps le petit frere a prit des mns d avance ...et trop tard pour les autres de remonter jusqu a lui dans les derniers kms