<\/p>\n
Man, the Classics flew by. It\u2019s like summer vacation when you were a kid. One day it\u2019s Opening Weekend, and here we are thinking about Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n
By Sunday evening, the curtain drops on the Classics, with Li\u00e8ge once again deciding who leaves Ardennes week with the final word. The oldest Monument still carries that weight \u2014 and right now, it also carries a familiar question: how do you beat Tadej Poga\u010dar? Or\u2026 how can you? Might it be a teenager from France? As in, Paul Seixas?<\/a><\/p>\n The Slovenian arrives as both world champion and defending winner, having already stacked his spring with major victories. When he\u2019s on this kind of run, Li\u00e8ge tends to become less of a chess match and just an all-out tough, tough day. The climbs aren\u2019t brutally long, but they come in waves, and that\u2019s where he\u2019s been untouchable. That\u2019s where the world champ thrives.<\/p>\n The route hasn\u2019t changed much in spirit. It\u2019s still 250-plus km for the men, and 156 for the women. It\u2019s just brutal throughout and full of attrition. And as they get closer to the finish, well, that\u2019s where the fun begins. Wanne, Stockeu, Haute-Lev\u00e9e, then the reset before La Redoute.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the moment everyone watches. If it hasn\u2019t gone already, it usually goes there. And if it\u2019s still together after Roche-aux-Faucons, something\u2019s gone wrong. (But who knows anymore what happens in cycling. Old scripts have been replaced with new strategies.)<\/p>\n Remco Evenepoel is flying. He\u2019s won here twice and knows exactly how to handle the finale, but his spring has been uneven compared to Poga\u010dar\u2019s near-flawless run. Skipping Fl\u00e8che Wallonne raised a few eyebrows, though it also says he has clear goals. And one of them is Sunday.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Paul Seixas, the wildcard who doesn\u2019t really feel like one anymore. Like, at all. He has arrived. His surge through the Basque Country and a statement ride at Fl\u00e8che Wallonne<\/a> have shifted expectations quickly. Whether that translates to a 260-kilometre Monument is another question, but he won\u2019t be waiting around. But who knows anymore?<\/p>\n Behind them, it\u2019s a deep field: riders like Mattias Skjelmose, K\u00e9vin Vauquelin and Ben Tulett all hovering if things open up. But honestly, it will come down to Pogi, Seixas and Evenepoel.<\/p>\n All the start lists are still being finalized, but one rider that is confirmed for the women\u2019s race is world champion Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res Mill. The Sherbrooke cyclist has been targeting the Ardennes races, and was up there in the mix at La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne. She was there in the mix, sixth\u2014but honestly the midweek race doesn\u2019t suit her as much. The EF Education-Oatly rider thrives on attrition, not a punchy finish. So LBL might be a good day for her.<\/p>\n As far as other Canadians, so far Alpecin-Premier Tech\u2019s Hugo Houle is listed, but undoubtedly more will come. It would be great to see Lidl-Trek\u2019s Isabella Holmgren racing Li\u00e8ge; the course would suit her (and her twin sister Ava!).<\/p>\n Canadian Cycling Magazine<\/em> will update the start list soon, and will also have full coverage of both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s races.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\nSeixas vs. Pogi?<\/h2>\n
And Evenepoel?<\/h2>\n
A day for Valli\u00e8res Mill<\/h2>\n