The HTC Highroad team started Liège-Bastogne-Liège today with two leaders. The first is Paris-Nice winner Tony Martin, with the second being last year’s Tour of Britain victor Michael Albasini.
While the Swiss rider plays down the dual role a little, others on the team have said that that a dual approach will most likely be followed. Martin’s strong palmares mean that he is the more likely to get the nod if it ends up that one or other must sacrifice themselves.
“I think we are going to ride for Tony. He is in very good shape…I train with him at home, and I saw he is good,” Albasini said in an interview with VeloNation. “But for sure, out on the road, they can let me go so the others can chase me down. For Tony, it is maybe a possibility for him to have a quiet race until the final.
“Often these things have to be decided in the race, so it is not possible to plan this before. I think we have good possibilities – we have not the big names, but a strong team.”
Philippe Gilbert is the clear favourite for the race, but, as Albasini notes, this season’s earlier Classics shows that things can backfire, even if one rider is far ahead of the rest. On the earlier occasion, it was Fabian Cancellara who lost out. And while Gilbert has already landed Amstel Gold and Flèche Wallonne, the HTC Highroad team hopes that it can seize the opportunity at some point towards the finale.
“It is difficult, he is in such good shape. He is the man to beat. But we saw in Flanders and Roubaix that the big favourite, the strongest rider, doesn’t always win. That means there is maybe a small chance for us. Tony is perhaps not the top favourite for the race, so if the Schleck brothers and Gilbert watch each other, maybe there is a chance for him.”