Monday Musette – Liège-Bastogne-Liège Wrap-Up

by Whit

Yesterday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège brought the first major portion of the season to a bittersweet close with a win for Alexandre Vinokourov. Vino’s win begs several questions, the answers to which depend upon your perspective. Was yesterday’s result a victory for redemption—proof that even the most tarnished riders can earn a chance for atonement in the sport’s biggest races? Or, was the race nothing more than confirmation that cheaters really do rule the sport—more spit in the eyes of those naive enough to think progress really has been made?Controversy aside, it will be interesting to see how many of yesterday’s top-10 finishers...Continue Reading

Liège-Bastogne-Liège Preview

by Whit

The Spring Classics come to a close this weekend with the 96th edition of La Doyenne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Covering 10 of the Belgian Ardennes’ most legendary ascents, this year’s event looks certain to be an exciting and memorable finale to the first major phase of the 2010 season. This year’s start list features several men capable of taking the win, including a handful of riders we might be watching come July in this year’s Tour de France. For now, here’s a run-down of the top men to watch this Sunday.All photos by Tim Van Wichelen5-Côte Favorites The last Belgian to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège...Continue Reading

Flèche Wallonne Wrap-up

by Whit

If you’re a frequent visitor to Pavé, you might have noticed a rather interesting conversation taking place via the comments to my Flèche Wallonne Preview. Apparently Cadel Evans’ rainbow jersey was not enough to convince many of you that a renaissance might beckon for the temperamental Australian. Unfortunately it’s not always possible for me to respond to reader comments from work, so I was forced to suffer the slings and arrows of your discontent from the sidelines—until Evans won, that is.Here’s what else we noticed:1. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve never been a big fan of Cadel Evans either. But...Continue Reading

Flèche Wallone Preview

by Whit

Like many of this year’s spring classics, tomorrow’s Flèche Wallone has changed its parcours in an effort to create a more exciting finale in a race that traditionally has ended with a “field sprint” up the Mur de Huy. With pitches topping-out at 25%, the iconic Mur tests the riders’ legs 3 times—with the final ascent constituting the race’s final kilometer. Beginning in Charleroi, the race makes a beeline for Huy, where it then begins the first of two laps in the Ardennes. The first tour covers 100 kilometers and 6 climbs before ending with a second ascent of the...Continue Reading

Monday Musette – Amstel Gold Race Wrap-Up

by Whit

Phillippe Gilbert finally took a victory in a major spring classic, winning yesterday’s Amstel Gold Race with an impressive surge up the final ascent of the Cauberg. It was an exciting finish to a rather quiet race, as the favorites seemed content to wait until the final to begin testing their legs. Here’s what I noticed:1. Credit Gilbert for another aggressive performance in a major classic. Gilbert covered, attacked, chased, and still had something left at the end to take the win. I’ll admit I was a bit surprised to see him pull it off—I feared he went on the...Continue Reading