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Wout Poels wins snowy Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Wout Poels won Sky’s first ever Monument and the Netherlands’ first Liège-Bastogne-Liège since 1988 on Sunday. Poels, who triumphed in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana stage race earlier this season, outdueled Orica-GreenEdge’s Swiss Michael Albasini in Ans.


Riders were well-wrapped against the cold and rain, which soon became snow. Just after the start, word came that the route from kilometre 45 to 75 would be removed because of excessive white stuff. Riders would take a detour to cut out the dangerous section, only shortening the race by five-kilometres. This would take the riders right to foot of the first climb, the Côte de La Roche-en Ardenne.


Meanwhile, a strong octet of fugitives had roared up the road, quickly taking an 8:30 lead on the Movistar-led peloton. There were several abandons as the nasty weather continued in spurts. With 75-km to go and the lead down to 4:00, conditions worsened.


With 62-km remaining and the gap at 3:00, Direct Energie sparked a bridging move but Frenchman Thomas Voeckler struggled to make the junction.

The race became really grippy in the final 40-km, starting with the Côte de La Redoute at kilometre 216 of 248, a climb that used to be more decisive in the race when it was closer to the finish. Before its slopes, the breakaway had fragmented. Only Thomas De Gendt (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal), Alessandro De Marchi (Italy/BMC), Vegard Stake Laengen (Norway/IAM Cycling) and Nicolas Edet (France/Cofidis) remained in front at the foot of La Redoute with 1:30 on the soggy pack.

With 17% gradients, La Redoute was sure to split the quartet. Edet and De Marchi separated themselves. There were 16-km until the next climb, the Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons, 1.3-km at 11%. De Gendt came back to the leading duo with 32-km remaining and all the other breakaways and bridgers sopped up.

After Rafal Majka (Poland/Tinkoff) crashed and the sun came out, the escape was pulled back with 24-km remaining. Etixx-QuickStep and Lotto-Soudal took over the pace making leading to the Falcon Rock climb. No attacks were launched as the race headed towards its final three clambers.

Movistar’s new Colombian, Carlos Betancur, who had opted for shorts only, attacked before the Côte de Saint-Nicolas, 1.2-km at 8.6%, but Etixx nullified the surge. Other teams tested the Etixx squad as Saint-Nicolas loomed with 7-km remaining.

The 30-riders left in the peloton watched each other warily on the Saint-Nicolas. Then Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) rushed up the slope, launching Diego Rosa (Italy/Astana) and Ilnur Zakarin (Russia/Katusha) to tip over the top.

Saint-Nicolas used to be the last climb, but this year the organizers inserted the Côte de la Rue de Naniot. The cobbled climb is 600-metre of 10.5% and comes with 3.2-km to go. Rosa and Zakarin were brought back before the Naniot.

Albasini led the way up the Naniot, thinning the pack considerably and putting champion Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) into difficulty. Rui Costa (Portugal/Lampre), Sammy Sanchez (Spain/BMC) and Poels latched onto Albasini before the descent leading to the uphill finish in Ans.

Albasini powered up the climb after the red kite. Then Poels surged and the others had to latch on. Poels also lead out the sprint and Albasini couldn’t go around him. Costa took the final podium place and Valverde came in 15th.

Ryder Hesjedal was top Canadian at 60th. Michael Woods of Cannondale, riding his first Monument, was one of 46-riders who did not finish.

2016 Liège-Bastogne-Liège
1) Wout Poels (The Netherlands/Sky) 6:24:29
2) Michael Albasini (Switzerland/Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
3) Rui Costa (Portugal/Lampre) s.t.
60) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Trek-Segafredo) +3:00
97) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +7:18

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