bicycle.net -- cycling news, product reviews, original essays, podcasts & video :: tour de france 2008

High Road will tackle Liege-Bastogne-Liege this Sunday with Fleche Wallonne winner Kim Kirchen as sole leader.

“The team is 100 percent based around Kim.” says Valerio Piva, team sports director for the Ardennes Classic.

“The other riders’ top objective is to get Kim to the foot of the Redoute climb, and after he’ll be looking after himself.”

“Kim proved at Fleche that he can be with the top favorites for Liege. Even though it’s 60 kilometers longer, everybody in the race has got to go that extra distance, not just him.”

The entire squad checked out the last 90 kilometers of Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Friday morning, paying special attention to the difficult new climb of the Cote de la Roche aux Faucons.

“It’s a really tough ascent, and there’s a fast, twisting downhill section afterwards.” Piva said.

“There’s no way we’ll get 50 riders at the foot of the [traditionally decisive] Cote de Saint-Nicolas any more. The race will split apart before hand. Anybody who gets a gap on the Roche aux Faucons will have a big advantage compared to other years - the route twists and turns so much the bunch won’t be able to see them once they’ve got away.”

Although Kirchen has taken all three of his wins this April (two stages of the Tour of the Basque Country and Fleche Wallone) in heavy rainfall, Piva said he was not praying for more downpours on Sunday.

“At the moment [on Friday evening] the Sunday forecast is for sunshine and 23 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, although there could be storms. We’re not worried in any case. We’re sure Kim will be up there with the favorites whatever the weather. He didn’t win Fleche because it was raining!”

High Road for Liege-Bastogne-Liege: Michael Barry (Can); Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor); Gerald Ciolek (Ger); Scott Davis (Aus); Adam Hansen (Aus); Kim Kirchen (Lux); Vicente Reynes (Spa); Frantisek Rabon (Cze).