Rigoberto Urán claimed a top-five finish for Team Sky as the Ardennes Classics reached a gripping climax at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Gilbert rides into the history books
Rigoberto Urán claimed a top-five finish for Team Sky at Liege-Bastogne-Liege after Philippe Gilbert had outsprinted the Schleck brothers to make it a hat-trick of Ardennes Classics successes.
Urán was narrowly pipped to the line by Astana’s Roman Kreuziger at the front of a three-man chase group who had crossed the line 24 seconds adrift of the triumphant Gilbert and his equally high-profile rivals Frank and Andy Schleck.
Simon Gerrans meanwhile, was only a further 19 seconds adrift in 12th place overall.
Fast start
Continuing the trend throughout the Classics this year, the action had taken place in near-perfect conditions and was fierce from the off with 10 riders moving clear inside the opening 10km.
That group were over three minutes ahead as they crested the Côte de Saint-Roch, and their lead had remained largely intact as they hit the Côte de Wanne.
Behind, Gilbert’s Omega Pharma-Lotto team had taken it upon themselves to monitor the early pace of the peloton, but it was only when Leopard-Trek stepped in to lend a hand that the break’s advantage began to tumble.
Sensing an opportunity, Lars-Petter Nordhaug and Jonny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) both attacked on the Cote de Stockeu, but their move was quickly cancelled out, and it was only on the Haute-Levee that a new bunch of 10 riders also worked themselves free.
Up ahead, four riders from the front group had fallen off the pace, and the remnants from that would be caught by their pursuers on the slopes of the Masquisard to form an elite 14-man bunch.
Their numbers had halved by the time they hit La Redoute, and when the Schlecks and Gilbert jumped from the head of the peloton on the Côte de la Roche aux Faucons, only Enrico Gasparotto (Astana), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Jerome Pineau (Quick-Step) could stay with them over the top.
Gasparotto and Pineau were unable to hang on for much longer, and despite his best efforts, Van Avermaet also fell back soon after they had pressed on to the Côte de Saint-Nicolas.
Despite their numerical advantage, the Schlecks failed to attack Gilbert on that sharp final rise, and when the trio turned on to the long closing straight, the Belgian made them pay by producing one of his trademark digs to leave them trailing as he became only the second rider in history after Davide Rebellin to complete a clean sweep in the season's Ardennes Classics.
Solid display
Back in the team car, sports director Marcus Ljungqvist was able to reflect on another solid performance and felt the race had rounded off a hugely-productive week for his riders.
He told us: “It was another good performance today and Rigoberto finishing fifth was definitely pleasing to see. Simon was also just outside the top 10 and Thomas [Löfkvist] not much further behind him, so I thought the team rode really well and we had numbers there towards the end.
“With Omega Pharma-Lotto and Leopard-Trek controlling things it meant we could preserve our energy a bit early on, but Steve [Cummings] worked hard to get those guys all near the front in the final 50km, and it was just unfortunate that Lars-Petter Nordhaug and Kjell Carlström both crashed just before those main moves came.
“Lars-Petter was feeling especially good, and even before his crash he had been active off the front before that second group went clear. Everyone tried to follow the game plan we set for them, and we’re all happy to see Rigoberto make the top five.
“If you compare last year to this, there have been definite improvements in every race, and on the whole I think we’ve had a really good week. It started well with Simon getting his third place at the Amstel Gold Race, and then we rode super strong at Fleche Wallonne, and had another good go today.
“Credit has got to go to Gilbert though, he’s in the form of his life at the moment and deserved all three wins.”
