On the same day it announced the teams invited to Paris-Roubaix, race organiser ASO has released the list of invitees for the Ardennes classics of La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Like the list for Paris-Roubaix, the Ardennes lists contain 25 teams, who are invited to both races.
Since both races are part of the International Cycling Union (UCI) flagship WorldTour series they are required to invite all 18 ProTeams; and similarly they are all required to ride. The races can then announce as many Professional Continental, second division, teams as they like, up to a maximum peloton size of 200 riders.
Similar to Paris-Roubaix, French teams make up many of the wild card spots in the shape of Cofidis, FDJ, and Saur-Sojasun, and as the races are both in Belgium the Landbouwkrediet, TopSport Vlaanderen-Mercator and Verandas Willems-Accent teams are also included; after missing out on so much last year, the Dutch Skil-Shimano team will be pleased to have made the list for both races.
The big loser, and surprising omission from the list of invitees, is the Europcar team of French champion Thomas Voeckler. Voeckler was 11th in Liège and 27th in La Flèche last year, but the loss of so many of its riders while hunting for a new sponsor at the end of last season appears to have cost Jean-René Bernadeau’s team its place in the Ardennes.
With Danilo Di Luca not expected to turn out for the Katusha team, and most other recent winners serving doping suspensions, 2010 winner Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) and 2002 winner Mario Aerts (OmegaPharma-Lotto) will be the only previous Flèche victors expected at the start in Charleroi.
The race will not be short of specialists on this type of terrain though, with last year’s second place Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) sure to be out to go one better this time. Other big names expected to start include Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), Karsten Kroon (BMC Racing), Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD).
With the terrain similar, albeit 60km longer, at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the list of favourites looks very similar; Fränk Schleck will apparently take over the contender’s duty at Leopard Trek from younger brother, and 2009 winner Andy, with last year’s winner Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) the only other previous winner to be starting.
Teams and main contenders for La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège:
AG2R La Mondiale: Roche (IRL), Gadret (FRA)
BMC Racing Team: Evans (AUS), Kroon (NED)
Euskaltel-Euskadi: S.Sanchez (ESP)
HTC-HighRoad: Martin (GER), Van Garderen (USA)
Katusha Team: Rodriguez (ESP), Kolobnev, Ivanov (RUS)
Lampre-ISD: Cunego (ITA) ; Liquigas-Cannondale : Basso (ITA)
Team Leopard-Trek: A.Schleck, F.Schleck (LUX)
Movistar Team: Intxausti (ESP)
Omega Pharma-Lotto: Gilbert, Van den Broeck, Aerts (BEL)
Pro Team Astana: Vinokourov (KAZ)
Quick Step Cycling Team: Devenyns (BEL)
Rabobank Cycling Team: Gesink (NED), LL.Sanchez (ESP)
Saxo Bank Sungard: N.Sorensen (DEN)
Sky Procycling: Gerrans (AUS)
Team Garmin-Cervélo: Hesjedal (CAN), Le Mével (FRA), Vande Velde (USA)
Team RadioShack: Brajkovic (SLO)
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team: Hoogerland (BEL)
Cofidis, le crédit en ligne: Moncoutié (FRA)
FDJ: Fédrigo, Casar (FRA)
Landbouwkrediet: Dewaele (BEL)
TopSport Vlaanderen - Mercator: Baugnies (BEL)
Saur-Sojasun: Coppel, Hivert (FRA)
Skil-Shimano: Geschke (GER)
Verandas Willems Accent: Scheirlinckx (BEL)