After the drama of Flanders and Roubaix, you’d be forgiven for feeling like the Ardennes Classics – Amstel Gold Race, La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege – are a bit of an anti-climax. But you couldn’t be more wrong.
After a brief interlude, focus switches to southern Belgium and Holland for a trio of races which are among the toughest on the calendar. Yes, they don’t have any cobbles, but these races are just as brutal in their own way, and the sheer regularity of the short, steep climbs that litter the routes rule out almost all of the cobble specialists who succeed in Flanders from making their mark on the other side of Belgium.
These days, with the specialisation in cycling, it’s rare to find a professional cyclist who can ride well on the cobbles and then put in a strong challenge in the Ardennes, too. Guys like Fabian Cancellara or Tom Boonen definitely have the power output, but they’re too big to get themselves up the longer climbs of the Ardennes and remain in contention.
Instead, these are races for the puncheurs (and, certainly at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Grand Tour contenders, too). Riders that specialise in short, steep climbs. Think Paolo Bettini, Moreno Argentin, Michele Bartoli or, more recently, Dan Martin and Simon Gerrans.
If you’re new to the hilly Classics, or just want to see some good videos of the action from years gone by, here’s a brief guide to a few things to look out for in the next ten days…
