Garmin-Sharp capped off their classics campaign in perfect fashion when Daniel Martin denied major favourites Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) the win in today's Liege-Bastogne-Liege. According to sports director Johnny Weltz, the victory came at the end of a perfect effort from the entire team.

Garmin-Sharp had a very hard time in the early part of the classics season. With Nick Nuyens still hampered by last year's injury and Johan Vansummeren hit by bad luck in the Paris-Roubaix, the team was almost invisible in the cobbled classics in which they were a major force just a few years ago.

Their Ardennes campaign did not get off to a better start as the team's captain Daniel Martin was brought down in a crash in the Amstel Gold Race and the Dutch classic was another disappointment for the American team. When both Ryder Hesjedal and Martin had punctures in the crucial part of the Fleche Wallonne, the bad luck seemed to had no end.

From that point on the tides turned. Martin bounced back from his bad luck to take a strong 4th on the Mur de Huy and today the team delivered a dominant display of power when the Irishman won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege. The team first kicked into action when a break with all the major teams represented had gone clear at the top of La Redoute and Michel Kreder managed to close down the gap singlehandedly.

On the Cote de Colonster, Ryder Hesjedal joined a dangerous move and moments later he soloed off the front. When he was joined by Michele Scarponi (Lampre), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Carlos Betancur (Ag2r),  Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) and Martin on the Cote de Saint-Nicolas, the Giro champion sacrificed his own chances and set a hard tempo to prevent the Nibali-led chase group to get back on.

Finally, Martin capped it off perfectly when he closed down an early move from Rodriguez on the final rise into Ans, and as the Spaniard faded, the Volta a Catalunya winner took a hugely convincing solo win. With his earlier results from Catalonia and the Fleche Wallonne, Martin even moves into third in the new world rankings.

Having witnessed the team's dominance in the final part of the race, sports director Johnny Weltz was overjoyed.

“Today we had a plan simular to Fleche with Ryder and Dan as our team leaders,” he said. “As a group went off the front early we thought it would suit us well. Several teams picked up the chase but we didn’t want to move too early as the wind in the race today made it less vital and less stressful.”

“Once the break was caught very far from the finish, the attacks started and we were up there," he continued. "Michel Kreder brought back a dangerous group and from there it went fast to the second-to-last climb. There we had a plan with Ryder to attack; and he certainly did causing a lot of damage! He was on the front with 5 of the strongest riders in the field but they didn’t work with him, so he just attacked them and stayed away to the last 3 km.”

“Finally he was joined by a small group of strong riders that Dan was in as well. Dan could sit all the way to the final kilometer and benefit from an amazing ride by Ryder who paved the way for Dan who finished it off with a great sprint. The whole team rode fantastic today and Dan thanked them all by taking the win.”

With increased confidence, the team now turns its attention to the defence of Hesjedal's Giro title.