Talking shortly before the start of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Garmin-Cervélo’s Cameron Meyer said that he was anticipating a lot of attacks prior to the finale of the Classic. Like many others, he predicted that the contenders and their teams would seek to make things tough for the big favourite, Philippe Gilbert.
“I think it is definitely going to be a hard race,” he told VeloNation. “The Stockeau is going to be come a lot more important this year. Last year when we got over the Stockeau, there was a re-breather to get the group back together. But this year you go straight up another climb, and straight over another one.
“It is going to be a lot harder early on, and it is going to be a bit of a war of attrition.”
The Tour Down Under winner said that Garmin-Cervélo would throw its weight behind Ryder Hesjedal and Christophe Le Mevel. Dan Martin had also been considered a likely co-leader of the team, but his heavily bandaged arm after a crash in Flèche Wallonne showed that he was not 100 percent. He has said that he will only be able to play a team goal because of that.
The team signed up Peter Van Petegem for the Belgian Classics, with the former winner of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders helping guide Johan Van Summeren to success in the first of those events.
The Ardennes races see another former winner lend his expertise to the team; 1990 Liège Winner Eric Van Lancker has come on board for the hillier Classics, and stated today that he took was anticipating a big battle.
“I think that today will be really hard. A lot of riders want to go out, as nobody wants to go to the finish with Gilbert. I think all the teams will want to go early in race.”