Cycling: "The Oldest" is looking for a new winner on Sunday. At Liège - Bastogne - Liège, there are 256 kilometers of ups and downs. In the end, only a strong climber or puncher can triumph. Who has the best cards?
256 kilometers from Liège to Bastogne and back
Liège – Bastogne – Liège is the fourth monument of the 2019 season and generally the oldest one-day race still held in the world. At this year's Doyenne, eleven climbs spread over 256,0 kilometers have to be mastered. Of particular importance is the Côte de La Redoute 37,0 kilometers before the finish line. Many Liège – Bastogne – Liège events have already been pre-determined here. German-speaking professionals were also allowed to be entered in the list of winners. That was 1930 Herman Buse successful, 1979 Dietrich Thurau. However, it was mainly the Swiss who were able to put their stamp on the tough one-day race. With Ferdy Kuebler 1951 & 1952, Joseph Fuchs 1981, Mauro Gianetti 1995, Pascal Richard 1996 and Oscar Camenzind In 2001, the Confederates celebrated six times. This year, however, the German-speaking professionals are not among the top favourites.
Liege - Bastogne - Liege 2019: All 11 climbs
- Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne (181,0 km to go / 2,8 km at 6,2%)
- Côte de Saint-Roch (135,0 km to go / 1,0 km at 11,2%)
- Côte de Mont-le-Soie (95,0 km before the finish / 1,7 km at 7,9%)
- Côte de Wanne (86,5 km before the finish / 3,6 km at 5,1%)
- Côte de Stockeu (80,0 km before the finish / 1,0 km at 12,5%)
- Côte de la Haute-Levée (74,5 km to go / 3,6 km at 5,6%)
- Col du Rosier (61,5 km to go / 4,4 km at 5,9%)
- Col du Maquisard (49,0 km before the finish / 2,5 km at 5,0%)
- Côte de La Redoute (37,0 km before the finish / 2,0 km at 8,9%)
- Côte des Forges (25,0 km before the finish / 1,3 km at 7,8%)
- Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (15,0 km before the finish / 1,3 km at 11,0%)
Velomotion prognosis: Schachmann crowns his strong spring
Maximilian schachmann (Bora – hansgrohe) took part in Liège – Bastogne – Liège for the first time last year. The German was #35 but had to work for his captains. This time it looks different. Schachmann will enter the race as captain as he is in excellent form and Peter Sagan is not on the list. Already at Amstel Gold Race and at Walloon Arrow he made people sit up and take notice with rank #5. A doyenne shaped by tactics could now meet him. Its biggest competitors are likely Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick Step) and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) be. The Frenchman and the Dane were already the strongest drivers in the field at the two previous Ardennes classics. However, it cannot be ruled out that there will be disagreements between the two again. In addition, chess man in the person of Davide formolo fall back on a strong helper. If he chooses the right moment for his attack, he could actually win his first monument here and crown his strong spring.
☆ ☆ ☆ Maximilian Schachmann (Bora – hansgrohe)
* * Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana)
* Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky), Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)
Liege - Bastogne - Liege live on TV on Eurosport
At 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, the pros get on their bikes. A finish is expected between 16:15 p.m. and 17:15 p.m. It goes without saying that the fans can follow Liège – Bastogne – Liège live on television again this year. Eurosport 14 broadcasts from 00:1 p.m the oldest one-day classic still held. Eurosport 45 will present a 2-minute summary at 19:30 p.m. In the days that followed, the doyenne can be seen again and again on Eurosport in relive mode.
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