Cote de Saint-Nicolas
Cote de Saint-Nicolas
Short, steep and race-defining – the final categorised climb of Liege-Bastogne-Liege will see the chief contenders go on the attack in a late bid for solo glory.
After the wooded valleys of the Ardennes, the climb comes on a built-up residential on the outskirts of Liege and starts steep, with the concrete surroundings hardly brightening proceedings for the weary riders who hit it.
A couple of turns and a big hairpin bend follow, with the gradient easing slightly, before a rapid downhill which offers the chance for the best descenders to consolidate any advantage picked up on the climb.
Attacks on the Cote de Saint-Nicolas don’t always stick, with a cobbled section and the uncategorised drag up to the finish to come, but good timing and a lack of cohesion in the chase could all play into a lone assailant’s hands on Sunday.