Taking on the 253 kilometer long fourth monument today, Liege-Bastogne-Liege was the biggest challenge of the season for CULT Energy Pro Cycling so far. Unimpressed race debutant and substitute for Linus Gerdemann, Rasmus Quaade made sure that the CULT jersey was flashed.

Rasmus Quaade represented CULT Energy Pro Cycling in the longest lasting break of the day with seven other riders. But as the landscape started to steepen after 150 kilometers, the group exploded and Quaade was dropped from the break. Then, a series of attacks were launched from the peloton and a new group including representatives from the biggest teams was formed and the peloton immediately cut in half.

However, neither Movistar nor Etixx-Quick Step were represented in the new group and were forced to join forces on the front of the field. In the hard-paced finale, a nasty crash took some of the biggest names out of contention while Etixx retained a relentless pace on the front. At the foot of the Cote de la Redoute, Rasmus Guldhammer was still looking good in the group of favorites but unfortunately, he was brought down in the crash at that moment with among others last year's winner Simon Gerrans and Nicholas Roche.

Pacing towards the finish line, the front group gradually slimmed down and the select group of favorites made it to the red kite side by side where they seemed afraid to opening too soon but in the final sprint for line, Alejandro Valverde was the fastest of all. CULT Energy Pro Cyclings Rasmus Guldhammer finished the race with a bruised hand.

“The plan was to get in the morning breakaway and I’m happy that Rasmus just jumped in embracing the challenge even though coming as a reserve and yet fulfilling our first objective. Secondly, we wanted to protect Rasmus Guldhammer and Fabian Wegmann to bring them as far into the finale as possible before leaving them on their own. It would be hopelessly optimistic or even naive to think we could finish among the first ten. Guldhammer put in a very good effort but was held back by the big pile-up near the La Redoute but I think that this could a race for him in the years to come. Overall, I’m content with the team effort but it is always frustrating being held back by freak accidents and we will never know how he would have done in the finale,” CULT Energy Pro Cycling DS Michael Skelde says.