Spectating at Liege Bastogne Liege 2011

MrTapir
MrTapir Posts: 1,206
edited April 2011 in Pro race
Me and my girlfriend are going to Belgium and planning to watch LBL. Does anyone know of good places to spectate? Are there any places similar to the one in that picture of Cancellara attacking Boonen up a big cobbled hill?

ANy tips/advice would be most helpful.

Rich

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    MrTapir wrote:
    Me and my girlfriend are going to Belgium and planning to watch LBL. Does anyone know of good places to spectate? Are there any places similar to the one in that picture of Cancellara attacking Boonen up a big cobbled hill?

    ANy tips/advice would be most helpful.

    Rich

    This is of no use whatsoever, but the picture referenced is the Tour of Flanders, not LBL...
    _
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    MrTapir wrote:
    Me and my girlfriend are going to Belgium and planning to watch LBL. Does anyone know of good places to spectate? Are there any places similar to the one in that picture of Cancellara attacking Boonen up a big cobbled hill?

    ANy tips/advice would be most helpful.

    Rich

    This is of no use whatsoever, but the picture referenced is the Tour of Flanders, not LBL...

    Yes i realise, guess i didnt make it clear but I just meant places where there's a hill and lots of screaming Belgians. But along the LBL course. Aren't there plenty of hills in the latter part of the race?

    I seem to remember last years race near to the end, Evans was with Vino and Kolobnev and maybe some others grimacing up a hill...
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    The best hill for screaming Belgians on the L-B-L route is La Redoute, which is just outside Remouchamps.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    The equivalent place would be on the Cote de la Redoute, near Aywaille/Remouchamps. Still, nothing compares with the spectator passion during the Ronde van Vlaanderen. And anyway, at De Ronde it's screaming Flemish, not screaming Belgians ;)
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    Hi,

    Assuming the route is the same as last year the last real climb is the Cote de St Nicholas. It's in Ans, about 4km from the finish and is 1km long at an average of 11% so if there's a group coming in together there might be a break there.

    Last year's parcours: http://www.letour.fr/2010/LBL/LIVE/us/le_parcours.html

    The climb's a short distance from Liege Guillemins rail station. I'm planning to watch there.

    Best,
    Steve
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    FJS wrote:
    The equivalent place would be on the Cote de la Redoute, near Aywaille/Remouchamps. Still, nothing compares with the spectator passion during the Ronde van Vlaanderen. And anyway, at De Ronde it's screaming Flemish, not screaming Belgians ;)
    This is the place for you (that I now avoid) because it fills all your requirements and you need to get there early as now the mobile homes are there the day before.
    It's next to the Motorway, so take the exit to Awaille and down the slip road along side the early part of the La Redoute climb and turn Left at the bottom to Remouchamps, where as you cross the river turn left again and you on the course.
    This will bring you back under that slip road and as you bear right you start the Redoute climb along side the slip road. (there is a barrier between the roads)
    Climb this straight bit to a bend near the motorway area where you can park your vehicle and walk or ride the rest of the steepest sections.
    This section is now like the TDF and because of the big crowds I avoid them both but I was a regular up there 15+ years ago. (I even heard a mouthy young Texan at that time)
    I need to move on to other sightings and you won't be able to do that.
    Remember to be early. Good Luck.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    The L-B-L route is a figure-8 so no reason why you can't see it a couple of times - I would avoid both LaRedoute and particularly the finish - its in a suburb,. Find yourself a nice bar and watch it from there. I'd head down to perhaps LaRoche en Ardennes and then back up to Stavelot - there are some great places in the Ardennes and spending a day near Liege won't do it justice
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    pottssteve wrote:
    Hi,

    Assuming the route is the same as last year the last real climb is the Cote de St Nicholas. It's in Ans, about 4km from the finish and is 1km long at an average of 11% so if there's a group coming in together there might be a break there.

    Last year's parcours: http://www.letour.fr/2010/LBL/LIVE/us/le_parcours.html

    The climb's a short distance from Liege Guillemins rail station. I'm planning to watch there.

    Best,
    Steve

    Is that the climb that Vino dropped Kolobnev on last year? and there's a left hand turn at the top or something... Sounds like the best place to watch for us as we are staying in the centre of Liege.

    Cheers for the info all
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    Is that the climb that Vino dropped Kolobnev on last year?

    Youtube says yes!

    Liege is widely regarded as a dump, by the way. There are nicer places to stay within easy reach of the race..


    Steve
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Err, no. Vinokourov dropped Kolobnev on the final unclassified climb up to Ans. The Cote de St Nicholas is the one before that. I would agree with what everyone has already said about Liege, it is a bit of a dump. I'm sure there are far nicer places to stay just outside of the city, but if a hotel is already booked?

    Also I wouldn't worry about trying to stand in the exact spot where an attack might take place. If that's what you want to see, your better off watching it on the TV. I'd aim to be where there is the best atmosphere which probably has more to do with specators that the riders, La Redoute is far better for that than the final climb up to Ans.

    And don't be afraid to head out of Liege to see more of the race, the course is quite good for that. When I went in 2003 I was with a tour company and we saw the race at the start, the Côte de Saint Roch, the Col du Stockeu, La Redoute and the finish in Ans. OK, it's a trip they do each year, so they know where they're going, but they used coach, shouldn't be too hard to do something similar in a car!
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Err, no. Vinokourov dropped Kolobnev on the final unclassified climb up to Ans. The Cote de St Nicholas is the one before that. I would agree with what everyone has already said about Liege, it is a bit of a dump. I'm sure there are far nicer places to stay just outside of the city, but if a hotel is already booked?

    Also I wouldn't worry about trying to stand in the exact spot where an attack might take place. If that's what you want to see, your better off watching it on the TV. I'd aim to be where there is the best atmosphere which probably has more to do with specators that the riders, La Redoute is far better for that than the final climb up to Ans.

    And don't be afraid to head out of Liege to see more of the race, the course is quite good for that. When I went in 2003 I was with a tour company and we saw the race at the start, the Côte de Saint Roch, the Col du Stockeu, La Redoute and the finish in Ans. OK, it's a trip they do each year, so they know where they're going, but they used coach, shouldn't be too hard to do something similar in a car!

    Agreed - my mistake.

    Out of interest, does anyone know of any nice cafes in that area, preferably with wireless internet? (I know this is a long shot!).

    Cheers,
    Steve
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    Dragging this back up since its next week and Im getting my maps ready!

    Found this route http://www.routeyou.com/route/view/296953/cycle-route-liege-bastogne-liege-2011.en

    It says its 2011 route but it looks a bit different to the official one on the letour website, does anyone know if its the same or just last years? Is there another that is intricate than the official rather poor map?
  • Sun Dodger
    Sun Dodger Posts: 393
    Nice thing is a motoway runs the entire length of the course, so it's possible to take in the start, then if you make a quick getaway see the race on it's way south around Remouchamps, then La Roche and Houfalize. At this point in the past, I've gone on to La Redoute and watched the big screen there, but no reason you couldn't get a few more sightingsa in if you were well enough organised.

    Enjoy anyway - i'ts a great one to watch, and the locals will be going mad for Phil G.:)
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    Sun Dodger wrote:
    Nice thing is a motoway runs the entire length of the course, so it's possible to take in the start, then if you make a quick getaway see the race on it's way south around Remouchamps, then La Roche and Houfalize. At this point in the past, I've gone on to La Redoute and watched the big screen there, but no reason you couldn't get a few more sightingsa in if you were well enough organised.

    Enjoy anyway - i'ts a great one to watch, and the locals will be going mad for Phil G.:)

    Ah we'll be limited to public transport unfortunately. I was thinking of getting the train to Aywaille, watching them all ride past, going to a bar for some of it and then watching again at cote de saint nicolas or somehere on the way back, then trying to find a bar in time for the finish

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