On Sunday, Team NetApp-Endura will make their debut in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the only monument in which they have not yet participated. As key climbers like Tiago Machado, David de la Cruz, Bartosz Huzarski and Jose Mendes arrive directly from the Giro del Trentino which finishes today, however, they have limited expectations for the outcome of the race.

 

Next Sunday, Team NetApp – Endura will be competing for the first time in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the oldest cycling race carried out. "La Doyenne" (The Oldest), as the 263-kilometer classic is respectfully known, is the only one of the five "monuments" of cycling in which the highest-ranked German cycling team has yet to participate. The Ardennes classic passes through the Walloon region of Belgium and is regarded as the most important one-day race for climbers and tour specialists. This is due to ten climbs of up to three kilometers in length, which have to be completed in rapid succession especially near the finishing line.

 

"It is a great honor for us to compete in the oldest of all classics, especially as the race is celebrating its hundredth edition this year. We hope to do justice to this invitation too by putting in a good performance. Liège is considered the hardest one-day race on the calendar. We want to present ourselves in the best light and be in the group of the day. I cannot make any predictions as to the outcome, as the team will be arriving from Trentino, where all riders will be pushing themselves to their limit in the final stage, leaving us only one day to rest," said Enrico Poitschke, the team's Sport Director.

 

Based on a brief look at the Liège-Bastogne-Liège route profile, none of the climbs are especially striking. At 3.6 kilometers, the Côte de la Haute-Levee is the longest climb of the day. However, a total of 20.9 km of the route through the south of Belgium is uphill, making more than 4,000 meters of altitude overall. "La Doyenne" is therefore a clear choice for mountain specialists, with hills like the Côte de Stockeu, the Côte de Wanne and the Côte de la Redoute enjoying a similar reputation in the cycling world to the high mountain ascents of the Grand Tours. 

 

NetApp-Endura for Liege-Bastogne-Liege:

Cesare Benedetti, Iker Camano, Tiago Machado, David de la Cruz, Jose Mendes, Erick Rowsell, Kilian Padour and Bartosz Huzarski