Liege-Bastogne-Liege is the fourth Monument of the season and the final race in the Spring Classics and as such it is always hotly contested with numerous teams in the hunt to take the race. We will look at who the potential key teams are and how they will race in order to see their leader cross the line in first place.

Katusha has one of the strongest rosters at the race with two potential winners. Joaquim Rodriguez was second last year while Dani Moreno has posted top 10s in the other two Ardennes Classics. Aleksandr Kolobnev is in the best form he’s had for a few years and will play a key role in helping his two captains. Katusha will want to narrow down the field to a very select group of favourites in order to weaken the legs of their rivals before either Rodriguez or Moreno launches one of their stinging, venomous attacks over the final cotes to win the race. This will mean hard pace setting from the very beginning, as neither men are particularly strong sprinters so expect to see Katusha at the head of the race from the beginning of the TV coverage pushing a fast pace.

Movistar have the big favourite and inform man Alejandro Valverde. He is a fast sprinter so the team would be quite happy to only chip in to bring back the break and then leave Valverde to his own devices to sprint in a small group, where he would be a favourite. But Movistar know that as they have the favourite they will need to work and aid the pace making. Gorka Izagirre will be there in the final 30km to help Valverde by protecting him and giving him food but also in chasing any attacks that may go away. Should Valverde be in a lead group come the finish, he would be favourite to take the win and Movistar would have done a very good job.

BMC have another favourite in Philippe Gilbert. He is also very fast in a sprint and BMC will do much of the same job as Movistar must do. However, Gilbert may need to attack as despite his speed, Valverde is a faster sprinter and it may take an attack over a cote to win the race, just as Gilbert did on the Cauberg in Amstel Gold last Sunday. But Gilbert may struggle to have someone strong in the final to help him and he showed on Wednesday that he can be purely positioned and this could cost him the race. But he has experience and he definitely has the power to split the field in an attack and this could see him win.

Sky has two strong riders in Chris Froome and Richie Porte but it is unknown just how good the two men will be. They haven’t raced since the Volta a Catalunya and even though they have been at a training camp, their lack of racing may be their undoing. Both men can last the 260km in the saddle and have got the legs to get over the cotes on the route, but they are notably poor sprinters and this means the only way to win is to attack. Due to their Grand Tour pedigree it is highly unlikely the men would be allowed a gap and would be put back into the fold where they would then lose the race in a sprint. But Froome and Porte are two of the strongest riders in the peloton and they have the ability to win the race that is without question. Sky will sit back until the finale and let their big men do the talking for them.

Lampre bring three potential winners in Costa, Ulissi and Cunego. Cunego is vastly experienced and appears to be in form but even though he is fast, he is not a sprinter and could face difficulty going to the line unless he is on his own but his experience could shine through and he has the form. Costa also isn’t a noted sprinter but he has the mind to win big races as he has shown. He was ninth last year and can ride better this year. His weakness is the rainbow stripes that draw a massive target on his back as a rider to watch and he will be given no breathing space in an attack. Diego Ulissi is the biggest Italian Classics talent but he has faded in the big races despite his domination of one day Italian events and it would be a surprise to see him in the final but it is possible that he could make it and he is, unlike his teammates, a decent sprinter as shown when he beat Gerrans in stage 2 of the Tour Down Under. Lampre will be forced to work early due to their many options and they may find themselves burned out but this may only effect Ulissi in the final and their other two stars can work together to deliver a much needed win.

Astana bring a very good team to the race that features four potential aggressors. Jakob Fuglsang will play a super domestique role for his leaders as he is not a good sprinter or as good on the climbs to go with the favourites. But he will be in the finale to help his team. Maxim Iglinskiy won the race in 2012 and is just a small enough of a rider to be allowed a gap in an attack. He is strong enough to stay away to and has now got the experience of winning a race to replicate it again tomorrow. Vincenzo Nibali is the big question mark. He says he has poorer form than his rivals but he is a good Classics rider who is not afraid to go on the attack as he sowed when he was second in 2012. He has a poor sprint so will need to attack to win so expect to see Astana on the front helping with pace making to soften their rivals legs up for an attack. Enrico Gasparotto is another strong man who despite not having the ability to go with the best on the climbs can get over them and has a fast finish as he showed in 2012 when he won Amstel Gold and was the victor in the sprint for third in Liege. He will be very dangerous if his rivals don’t take enough notice of him and drop him and is a real strong dark horse for the race.

Omega Pharma-Quick Step have a team of riders that are not outright favourites but they can do a good race. Michal Kwiatkowski will lead the team but has no previous results in Liege which comes in stark contrast to the other two Ardennes Classics where he has been a fixture over the last two years. Kwiatkowski is a good climber however with a fast sprint and should he make the final group, he would be a very dangerous man in the sprint. Wout Poels is the other protected rider who is more of pure climber than Kwiatkowski, who appears to be equally good in all aspects of the sport. Poels would need to go solo as he is not a great sprinter and would be lost in a bunch but as he is more consistent in Liege he should be able to make the final and give OPQS an option. OPQS will have to chase but they have powerful men like Tony Martin to drag the peloton along and experienced Ardennes men like Jan Bakelants who know the route and can lead his teammates in the final and help them win.

Garmin have defending champion Dan Martin who looks to be coming into form just in time for his title defence. He is strong enough to go on the attack but has a good enough uphill sprint to drop the best as he showed last year and will be a real favourite to win. Ryder Hesjedal has looked out of sorts since the 2012 Giro but played a key role and took a top ten here last year and has the ability to have a good ride. Tom-Jelte Slagter is like Kwiatkowski in that he has a fast finish but no previous reults to show from Liege. He should be good enough to make the final but may find himself forced to work for defending champion Dan Martin. However, Should Martin falter, Slagter will be their best bet for a top result. But Garmin’s key advantage is their superb Guerrilla tactics that they used last year. They can replicate that here again but this time it will be expected and will be less easy due to Garmin having to chip in with pace making due to having the defending champ. But if anyone can repeat Ryder Hesjedal’s 25km leadout for Martin its Garmin. And they will need to do so as a sprint is not their preferred option.