Liege-Bastogne-Liege

13

Comments

  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    Hi folks,

    Sorry to resurrect an old thread but my club are just making plans for this next April.
    I've only got on board after realising there was a medium route. I expect to be persuaded into doing the full route though!

    Looking for any tips anyone might have?
    Is it a route for carbon wheels etc?
    Should I swap my 26 for a 29.... I ride a compact anyway.

    We'll be flying into Brussels and staying in Liege. Is a hire car the best way to go saying as we'll have the bike boxes.

    One of the guys says registration opens in Jan? Anything to increase our choices or just be waiting for it to open?

    Any info gratefully recieved :D

    Cheers
  • wheeledwidewebb
    wheeledwidewebb Posts: 254
    I can tell you that Redoute is mighty steep and coming at the end, I would not personally tackle it witha 26. But we are all different.

    Entry doesn't seem to get sold out straight away anyway, so I don't think you will have a problem getting in to the event, hotel bookings are in short supply though.
  • Cheshire Cat
    Cheshire Cat Posts: 309
    I did it last year on 36/25 as my lowest gear, carbon wheels are fine; don't fret over registration, they take entries on the day if you are so inclined.
    “Faster, Faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” Hunter S Thompson
  • Ankles50
    Ankles50 Posts: 53
    Weather was really good this year, I think if it was wet I'd be more reluctant to roll on carbon wheels as some of the braking zones are a bit unforgiving
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    Cheers.

    Meant to ask....I've believe there's a broom wagon.
    Is this just to collect folk who are too knackered to finish or are there time checks etc?
  • 1KmtoGo
    1KmtoGo Posts: 7
    I'd agree with wheeledwidewebb about the challenge of climbing Redoute as I think the maximum gradient is 22%!! I have been looking into this as well and when registration begins and have been looking at www.urbantoalps.com which has a section on riders looking into the 2015 event. Registrations opened last year on 15 November for LBL which took place on 26 April 2014.
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    1KmtoGo wrote:
    I'd agree with wheeledwidewebb about the challenge of climbing Redoute as I think the maximum gradient is 22%!! I have been looking into this as well and when registration begins and have been looking at http://www.urbantoalps.com which has a section on riders looking into the 2015 event. Registrations opened last year on 15 November for LBL which took place on 26 April 2014.

    Good to know.

    Cheers
  • 1KmtoGo
    1KmtoGo Posts: 7
    RC856

    Just thought I would let you know that I have seen a tweet in the last hour from urbantoalps.com that the organisers have confirmed that Liege-Bastogne-Liege sportive will take place on Saturday 25 April 2015 and registrations will open on Friday 12 December.

    Cheers
  • epo.wks mkII
    epo.wks mkII Posts: 4
    My club is thinking of giving this a crack - small group type thing. Which is nice.
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    1KmtoGo wrote:
    RC856

    Just thought I would let you know that I have seen a tweet in the last hour from urbantoalps.com that the organisers have confirmed that Liege-Bastogne-Liege sportive will take place on Saturday 25 April 2015 and registrations will open on Friday 12 December.

    Cheers

    Excellent. Cheers
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    epo.wks mkII wrote:
    My club is thinking of giving this a crack - small group type thing. Which is nice.

    Think we're up to about 15 now :D
    Think it'll be ridden as a club run with most staying together/regrouping etc.

    You can look out for the blue and yellow of The Johnstone Wheelers :D
  • cicada
    cicada Posts: 25
    Cool, I've been look out for the dates for sign up for next years L-B-L.

    See you all out there.
    More hills?
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    Hi folks,

    Another question from my group!
    We're staying in Liege and will be there to watch the race on Sunday.
    Where do you recommend going to see the action?

    Can we watch the start, get to a climb and back for the finish or at least somewhere there might be a big screen?

    Thanks :D
  • harry-s
    harry-s Posts: 295
    Well, it's not long now.
    Prep has gone ok, apart from having to miss RVV, but I can't say I'm feeling full of confidence.
    Anyone else up for it?
  • Dodger747
    Dodger747 Posts: 305
    Yep I'm entered, the prospect of 279km does not fill me with joy!
    VO2 Max - 79 ml/kg/min
    W/kg - 4.9
  • Cheshire Cat
    Cheshire Cat Posts: 309
    Read it and weep...it was never a walk in the park, but the last 80km is really going to hurt this year:

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/shorter ... e-for-2015
    “Faster, Faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” Hunter S Thompson
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    Er, looking forward to it!! :?
    Just taking it as it comes now and training has kind of slower.
    About 18 of us going to look out for the blue and yellow of the Johnstone Wheelers and say hello :D
  • onthedrops
    onthedrops Posts: 19
    I'm not expecting any cobbles as far as I can determine, but what are the road surfaces like? Are race tyres OK for the route or do I need something beefier?
    Thanks!
  • JoostG
    JoostG Posts: 189
    Race tyres will be fine. The roads can be a little bit rough due to lack of maintenance, but no RVV or PR conditions at all. A little bit less pressure and you will be fine.
  • Dodger747
    Dodger747 Posts: 305
    The weather forecast is not looking good for Saturday [and indeed Sunday] :-(
    VO2 Max - 79 ml/kg/min
    W/kg - 4.9
  • Tiesetrotter
    Tiesetrotter Posts: 432
    Love the fact us amateurs are riding 30km or so more than the pro's!

    Look on the positive side, it would not be a spring classic without a bit of bad weather. Finding a pub is my biggest worry, I intend to fall asleep un-sober.
  • Cheshire Cat
    Cheshire Cat Posts: 309
    Now that was wet...seemed to be fewer people on the full route this year compared to last year, weather probably a factor there. The ride start/finish/signing-on area was much better that in Ans, easy to get to too.

    I would go so far as to say that it was brutal!!! But brilliant.
    “Faster, Faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” Hunter S Thompson
  • wheeledwidewebb
    wheeledwidewebb Posts: 254
    Yep, squelchy feet all day long :(

    Great day though
  • willythewomble
    willythewomble Posts: 1
    Just got home from doing it.

    Weather was wet but not too cold, only when we stopped. The international comradery was second to none, sitting in a small bunch of belgiums, french, germans, italians was the closest i'll get to feeling like a pro. It found it very hard to train in the small hours of the winter months for something this epic. The best advise i could give to anyone doing this would be just to believe that you will......eventually, get to the finish line......
  • Dodger747
    Dodger747 Posts: 305
    Think I've just about dried out! Great day out though...
    VO2 Max - 79 ml/kg/min
    W/kg - 4.9
  • Tiesetrotter
    Tiesetrotter Posts: 432
    It was pretty damn wet and then dry and then very wet ......... ending up in a nice sunny balmy evening drinking Belgian beer at the finish.

    Bloody brilliant event though, very understated but well organised. Most of it was really very beautiful and even the last bits through the urban decay had it's own charm. Not a flat bit on the whole ride and the climbs start long and sweeping and end in brutal short steep snorters.

    Weird though so few cars on the roads, every shop closed, but virtually everyone drove like idiots. Must have seen a dozen near misses. Including a bus deliberately pulling out into the middle of a peleton. The poor Portuguese guy who was in the peleton had to miraculously bunny hop a whole traffic island to stay alive.

    I'd recommend it to anyone. Just remember to eat like a pig for the first 100km and stick it in the small front ring as often as you possibly can to keep the legs in shape for the final 75km.
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    Tiesetrotter wrote:
    It was pretty damn wet and then dry and then very wet ......... ending up in a nice sunny balmy evening drinking Belgian beer at the finish.

    Bloody brilliant event though, very understated but well organised. Most of it was really very beautiful and even the last bits through the urban decay had it's own charm. Not a flat bit on the whole ride and the climbs start long and sweeping and end in brutal short steep snorters.

    Weird though so few cars on the roads, every shop closed, but virtually everyone drove like idiots. Must have seen a dozen near misses. Including a bus deliberately pulling out into the middle of a peloton. The poor Portuguese guy who was in the peloton had to miraculously bunny hop a whole traffic island to stay alive.

    I'd recommend it to anyone. Just remember to eat like a pig for the first 100km and stick it in the small front ring as often as you possibly can to keep the legs in shape for the final 75km.
    Nice write up. Did this again this year and the rain definitely added something. As did the wind. If I hadn't taken a 3 mile detour I'd have beaten my time from last year by nearly an hour. Rode much more defensively, and witnessed a couple of crashes but nothing that could have hurt. Because of the weather, there was less risk taking... But overallkk
  • harry-s
    harry-s Posts: 295
    Jesus, that's one tough course alright.
    The driving drizzle was perfect, although I got the impression that if the cloud base had been a little higher than the treetops, the views would have been spectacular. It obviously wasn't for everyone, - I saw quite few riders quitting at the feedstops. Stockeau was a cracker, - La Redoute a little disappointing.
    And Liege wasn't the dump I was expecting, - plenty great bars and brasseries around the cathedral area. The last 20km run in on the bike took us through some badlands though.
  • cicada
    cicada Posts: 25
    Great day for us 2 riding it. We will be back for next year's one. As has been said above very hard but get your pacing right at the start out to Bastogne and the return is not as bad. Good job that was head wind out to Bastogne and a tail wing home and not the other way round.
    More hills?
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    I've just about forgotten the hangover now I think I'll be back next year too.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.

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