Speaking to the press two days before the start of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Leopard Trek team was in confident mood. While recognising that Philippe Gilbert’s victories in the Amstel Gold Race and in Flèche Wallonne marked him out as a big dangerman, and that there are several others they can win, the team underlined that it has several contenders and an impressive collective strength.
“I believe for Sunday we have a lot of options, including Frank and me. I believe we have four or five guys who can play on Sunday,” said Andy Schleck, the winner two years ago. “Maybe we have to sacrifice one or the other - it depends on how the circumstance of the race is - to do the work, maybe earlier in the race. But if I look around the table, we have strong guys here.
“Of course on paper, maybe we [he and his brother – ed.] are favourites, but also in Amstel Jakob finished fourth. I think Maxim, Jens, Fabian have a good chance on Sunday to win the race.”
Gilbert’s explosive strength on the climbs and his fast finish mean that the team has to fight hard to reduce his chances. Frank Schleck spoke to VeloNation about the need to wear down his strength, suggesting that the longer climbs in Liège might play more in the favour of the lighter riders. In the general press conference, he admitted that they had to try to shake him off early on.
“I am not saying that it is going to be easy to win, and I am not just talking about Gilbert. But we are going to give our best, and we know that we cannot bring him to the finish. If I have to choose, I don’t want to bring him to Saint Nicolas either,” he said.
Video excerpts from the press conference reveal more about the team’s mood and strategy for the biggest of the Ardennes Classics.