Jurgen Van den Broeck faced further setbacks this year as he crashed out of the Tirreno-Adriatico, hurting the same leg which injury resulted with a very premature and to the 2013 season during the Tour de France 100th edition. The damage wasn’t equally harmful this time around, and after returning to competition with a supporting role to Jelle Vanendert in Ardennes classics, the 31-year old Belgian hopes for some personal success in the jubilee Liege-Bastogne-Liege today.

Following over a six-month long recovery period, Van den Broeck returned to competition with a good appearance at the Tour de San Luis and Tirreno-Adriatico as his first big season’s objective at the back of his mind. The 31-year old Lotto-Belisol captain was forced, however, to change his race programme after he crashed out of the Italian WorldTour event badly cutting his knee, ale decided to build up for the Tour after riding Ardennes classics in the support of Jelle Vanendert.

“I was enormously looking forward to Tirreno-Adriatico. That was the goal for which I had worked. I had a good feeling and wanted to measure myself with the world’s top,” said Van den Broeck. “My morale was high, until I fell on that knee again. Shit. Then you know you have to start over. The fall was not so bad, but I was still a while. I was on antibiotics and threw my body completely upside down. I had to start again from scratch.”

However, just before the first of the hilly classics for climbers kicked off, the Belgian rider pointed out that despite his supporting role he will hope for good personal results in Ardennes, as he aims to be competitive in every race he participate in. Even though Van den Broeck didn’t manage to finish played in a furious pace Amstel Gold Race last Sunday, he finished both the Brabantje Pijl and Fleche Wallonne within top twenty, which is a clear proof of an increasing form especially in the tough finale of the latter.

With his confidence boosted by previous showings, Van den Broeck hopes for both good result for a Lotto-Belisol team with Vanendert as a leader and a chance for himself to shine on the hilly parcours of Liege-Bastogne-Liege 100th edition.

"(I need to) just fly it. That's what I need. I’ve got to go through that wall. With Jelle Vanendert we have a good leader,” Van den Broeck told Het Nieuwsblad. “I pulled myself up for Brabantse Pijl, though I know that Liège is another level. And who knows, if I have a good day and it is with us, maybe I can get something out of it.”

“I miss that final touch to go deep into the last ten minutes of a climb, so that can keep up with the best,” he explained. “In the Brabantse Pijl I could keep up, but in Amstel could not. It goes in peaks and troughs. It's been a little more consistent, but I think it needs more time… My problem is that I can’t ride to just ride. Even though you do not always see that in the result, I always give myself completely. If that does not work, I feel bad. Like after Amstel."

Lotto-Belisol team for Liège-Bastogne-Liège:

Sander Armée, Bart De Clercq, Tony Gallopin, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Tosh Van der Sande, Dennis Vanendert, Jelle Vanendert and Tim Wellens.