Both riders hoping for strong showing in Ardennes finale
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The hilly Liege-Bastogne-Liege terrain should play to the strengths of Daniel Martin (Garmin-Barracuda).(Image credit: Sirotti)
Thumbs up from Andy Schleck on the stage 4 start line.(Image credit: ASO)
Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) has distanced himself from the main favourites for Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and told Cyclingnews that he will ride the race with less pressure than in previous years. The 2009 race winner has had a slow start to the season and will be looking to support brother and team leader Fränk in today’s race, before taking a break from racing and building up towards his Tour de France bid.
At the start in Liege Andy talked to Cyclingnews about his prospects for the day.
While the Schlecks are well accustomed to competing in the finale of Liege, Daniel Martin (Garmin-Barracuda) enters the Doyenne with slightly lower expectations on his shoulder. The Irishman was a superb 6th in La Fleche Wallonne earlier in the week and has proven in the past – last year’s Lombardia a prime example – that he can ride the long distances in the Classics.
The day before Liège-Bastogne-Liège the riders and teams gathered in the city centre for the teams presentations. Martin was of course present, and talked to Cyclingnews about his prospect for the race. He has suffered with allergies in recent years but this season he looks to have cured his ailments and along with Ryder Hesjedal and Fabian Wegmann, he leads a strong Garmin team. In this second video, Martin talks about his Ardennes form and his aspirations for Liege.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
