The crowds will be huge at the world's oldest classic The Amstel Gold and Fleche Wallonne races are in the books, won by Damiano Cunego, and Kim Kirchin respectively. Cunego outsprinted his foes on a slight uphill, while Kirchin climbed past his on the dreaded Mur de Huy en route to the biggest win of his career so far. Other names are in the mix for LBL this Sunday though, and the action should be fierce come race day on Sunday. If only the race turns out like the description below . . . . . . .
Imagine it: Cadel Evans, Frank and Andy Schleck, Davide Rebellin, Alejandro Valverde, Kim Kirchin, and Damiano Cunego work together to create the day's decisive breakaway. Some scrappers manage to follow, among them Riccardo Ricco of Saunier-Duvall, young Thomas Dekker of Rabobank, and perhaps the German national champion Fabian Wegmann, also of team Gerolsteiner. Finally, hanging on at the back of the break is "il grillo," Paolo Bettini. Hopping back and forth in the group, agitated, Bettini looks for the right time to escape as the announcers wonder how he has recovered so quickly from his bad crash a few weeks ago.
The race swings into the home stretch, and the stress level rises in the group. Kirchin, feeling good after his Fleche win, jumps off the front in hopes of soloing home. Valverde rises out of the saddle and gives chase, he won't lose Liege this way. On Valverde's wheel are Cunego, Rebellin, Evans, and Bettini. As the six power toward the finish line, Kirchin flies past Valverde and is the first to begin the sprint. 300 kilometers from the line, Cunego turns the screws. Behind Cunego, Bettini leads a fading Frank Schleck. It's down to the final 100 meters . . . Valverde, Cunego, Bettini, Kirchin, Evans,
and the winner is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vote in my poll on this page!
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