BiciRace.com :: 2005 Liège-Bastogne-Liège

2005 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Report

Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Belgium

24 April, 260K

Vino Victorious

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Voigt Vino Boogerd, photo: Christine Grein, Capture-The-Peloton.com

Alexandre Vinokourov gave T-Mobile a much needed win today in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège. In a sprint of two, he defeated the German, Jens Voigt (Team CSC). Team T-Mobile have waited long for this first victory of 2005, but what a sweet victory it was.

It was another T-Mobile-man, Steffen Wesemann that started affairs, when he and Benjamin Noval (Discovery Channel) attacked after 30K. Their gap quickly grew to nearly 8'30" by 75K into the race. The peloton was taking it easy on the way down to Bastogne, as they normally do. It is not until the race starts to head north again that the true race begins.

By the Côte de Stockeu, a short leg-breaker of a climb, the race was falling apart for the lead duo. Behind the favorites were getting into formation for a nail-bitter of a race, but it was clear was that the Italian guard (Rebellin, Di Luca and Cunego) were not at their best today.

Valverde Garcia on St-Roch, photo: Christine Grein, Capture-The- Peloton.com

Jens Voigt (Team CSC) launched a strong move, joined by Pieter Weening (Rabobank). The two aided in the recovery of the days big escape, Noval and Wesemann. And soon there was a power-group of Vinokourov, Kessler (T-Mobile), Voigt, Basso (CSC), Boogerd, Weening, Kroon (Rabobank), Bettini, Sinkewitz (Quick-Step), Jaksche, Etxebarria (Liberty), Cunego (Lampre), Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), Rodriguez (Saunier Duval - Prodir), Celestino (Domina Vacanze), Pereiro, Botero (Phonak), Kashechkin (CA), Rous (Bouygues), Evans (Lotto), Valverde (Illes Balears).

Most of the group consisted of passengers. Notable performances were by Santiago Botero and Erik Dekker. But it was on the Côte de La Vecquée that Voigt put in another power-surge, and this time it would stick. It was a sharp-eyed Vino that reacted, and the two quickly gained time.

This was not a move to let out of sight, but that is just what the other favorites did. No one was willing to sacrifice themselves to bring back the powerful duo. There were small attempts that came to nothing by Jaksche and Etxebarria (both Liberty Seguros-Würth). By the Côte de La Redoute the two had nearly a minute, with 35K to go. This looked like enough to secure victory.

Cunego and Di Luca were suffering badly, and were not to be apart of the mix, while Michael Boogerd, Paolo Bettini and Cadel Evans looked strongest. Evans was most active, trying to bridge to the leaders on the Côte de St-Nicolas. This eventually failed and he was back with Boogerd and Bettini, for a 3-man chase.

Up front the Voigt-Vino duo stuck together until the final climb up to Ans. At 200M to go Vino opened up the sprint as the pair rounded the final corner. Voigt did his part to stay on Vino's wheel, but victory was not to be. Vino scored a solid, and needed, victory for the T-Mobile team.

Boogard slipped away from Bettini and Evans, then delighted the crowd with his foul mood on the podium. Evans rode well today and has to be satisfied with his form going into the grand tour season. Bettini is riding solid, but not quite there this spring.

Results: 6:29'09", ave 40.09 K/hr
1 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile
2 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
3 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 0.14
4 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step 0.24
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
6 David Etxebarria (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 0.27
7 Miguel Angel Perdiguero (Spa) Phonak 0.28
8 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze
9 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Caffita
10 Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth
11 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
12 Matthias Kessler (Ger) T-Mobile 0.31
13 Jörg Jaksche (Ger) Liberty Seguros-Würth 0.54
14 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.59
15 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.02
16 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 1.04
17 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC 1.10
18 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
19 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo 1.18
20 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Phonak 1.33
21 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Crédit Agricole 1.35
22 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis 3.28
23 Didier Rous (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
24 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
25 Joaquím Rodríguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
26 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Quick-Step 3.30
27 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
28 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank
29 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 5.29
30 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 9.31
31 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Liquigas-Bianchi 11.52
32 Serge Baguet (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
33 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 12.57
34 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears 13.56
35 Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak 15.10
36 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Crédit Agricole 16.06
37 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
38 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Crédit Agricole
39 Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) R.A.G.T. Semences
40 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) Cofidis
41 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Crédit Agricole
42 Pieter Mertens (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim
43 Addy Engels (Ned) Quick-Step
44 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas-Bianchi
45 Vicente Reynes (Spa) Illes Balears
46 Johan Coenen (Bel) MrBookmaker-Sports Tech
47 Christophe Rinero (Fra) R.A.G.T. Semences
48 Massimo Codol (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
49 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis
50 Laurent Paumier (Fra) MrBookmaker-Sports Tech
51 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak
52 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Liquigas-Bianchi
53 Fabian Jeker (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir
54 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
55 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
56 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre-Caffita
57 Renaud Dion (Fra) R.A.G.T. Semences
58 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
59 David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-Caffita
60 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank
61 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Crédit Agricole
62 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears
63 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
64 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Crédit Agricole
65 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC
66 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Team CSC
67 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
68 Cyril Dessel (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance
69 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Discovery Channel
70 Sergio Paulinho (Por) Liberty Seguros-Würth
71 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Cofidis
72 Marc Lotz (Ned) Quick-Step
73 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner
74 Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel
75 Ben Day (Aus) MrBookmaker-Sports Tech
76 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
77 Kurt Van De Wouwer (Bel) MrBookmaker-Sports Tech
78 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas-Bianchi
79 Philip Deignan (Irl) Ag2R Prévoyance
80 Bingen Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis
81 Axel Merckx (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
82 Patxi Vila (Spa) Lampre-Caffita
83 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
84 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre-Caffita
85 Iñigo Landaluze (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
86 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
87 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
88 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Française Des Jeux
89 Constantino Zaballa (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
90 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Cofidis
91 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis
92 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Illes Balears
93 Johann Tschopp (Swi) Phonak
94 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
95 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Ag2R Prévoyance
96 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
97 Thierry De Groote (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
98 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team CSC
99 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
100 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Domina Vacanze
101 Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Team CSC
102 Marcos Serrano (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth
103 Inaki Isasi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
104 Maryan Hary (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
105 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Crédit Agricole
106 Freddy Bichot (Fra) Française Des Jeux
107 Volodimir Gustov (Ukr) Fassa Bortolo 16.22
108 Steve Zampieri (Swi) Phonak 16.25
109 Iker Camaño (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 16.31
110 Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir
111 Benny De Schrooder (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim 16.34
112 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Discovery Channel 17.10
113 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 17.58