Liége-Bastogne Liége:

Little note: 1 YEAR AGO,ANDY SCHLECK HAD JUST WON LIEGE-BASTOGNE-LIEGE.

Once in a while,let's start a race report from the end,aka from the podium.Well,2010 Liége-Bastogne-Liége's podium featured,on the 3rd spot,Alejandro Valverde,who has been banned from Italy for 2 years after that Italian policemen discovered that Fuentes had a blood bag of the Spanish champion in his laboratory.

On the second spot of said podium then you have the Russian Alexandr Kolobnev,ex Saxo Banker who was 2nd in both 2007 and 2009 Worlds.

And then,dulcis in fundo,the highest spot of the Doyenne's podium,the one that gives glory to the cyclist who has the honour to stand on it and write his name in the history book of Cycledom. 'Who was on the highest spot of yesterday's podium?',I hear someone ask.Well,let's start from the riders who weren't there.Apart from Valverde and Kolobnev (who were already on the podium),yesterday the Liége wasn't won by any of these riders:

-Andy and Frank Schleck (*Fangirl sighs*).

-Igor Anton and Alberto Contador.

-Philippe Glibert and Cadel Evans.

-Ryder Hesjedal and Serguei Ivanov.

-Roman Kreuziger and Vincenzo Nibali.

-Thomas Lovkvist and Bradley Wiggins.

-Denis Menchov and Robert Gesink.

-Damiano Cunego and Bert De Waele.

-Stefano Garzelli and Jens Voigt.

-Chris Anker Sorensen and Nicki Sorensen.

Who won the race,then? Well,simple: Alexander Vinokourov.And the particular (although predictable) thing about yesterday's podium was that the tifosi booed at Vinokourov when he came out to take his trophy and his glory (although I think that some of them were booeing also at Valverde).So,Liége was won by a former (are we sure?) doper.Anyway,before starting to talk about that,let's tell how things unfolded during the race.

At the beginning of the race obviously there was a breakaway.Then Jens Voigt escaped from the peloton,but then he stopped and didn't insist with his attack.

After the breakawayers were caught,none of the big riders attacked on La Redoute.On the Cote de la Roche aux Fauçons,a climb that Schleck fans from all over the World have learned to love over the last 12 months,Andy attacked,followed by local hero Phil Gilbert.At that moment Frank Schleck was out of sight because he had just had a mechanical problem and he had to stop and change bike with Nicki Sorensen.That bike change ruined his chances of winning La Doyenne and this was obviously a shame because he was in a really good form.Btw,Andy and Gilbert were soon joined by Contador,who arrived looking as relaxed as usual.I wonder how he does it.

On the top of the climb at the head of the race there was a group including all the favourite riders.Then,with 17 kms to go,Vinokourov and Kolobnev attacked.Gilbert and Evans waited some seconds before starting to follow them and this delay didn't allow them to get on Liége's podium.They were soon joined by Valverde,while at the head of the race Kolobnev and Vino were riding full gas.

At that point of the race,me was really disappointed.Andy and Frank had just missed the decisive move and so one of their biggest goals of the season was fading away while they were trapped in the 3rd group of riders,that apparently had no hope to catch the other guys again.As well as that,Valverde and Vino were at the front.Bleah.

By the way,Logic suggested Fangirl to behave as if the Schleck brothers weren't racing.After some protests,Fangirl decided to follow Logic's advice and she suddenly found herself relieved.In the back of her mind she was still hoping for a podium's placement by Andy or Frank,but she didn't just focus on that and so she could enjoy the last part of the race,which was full of feelings. What feelings?,I hear you ask.Well,first of all I was hoping for a Kolobnev's victory.Alexander is young (he was born in May 1981) but he's already finished second in the Worlds two times and he ended 3rd (or 4th,it depends on the point of view) in Beijing Olympic RR. In spite of all these placements,his last victory was 2007 Montepaschi Eroica.Time to get another victory,right? In addition during the Ardenne's week Alexandr showed a great form,but unfortunately he didn't have any luck.So,when after the Cote du Saint Nicolas it was clear that the victory was a problem between Vino and Kolobnev,I started to support Kolobnev.Well,'support' perhaps is a big word.Simply,I decided I would have been happy with a victory by this Russian rider.

Then,as far as the other feelings are concerned,I was sorry for Gilbert.'Gosh',I thought,'he loves this race and he has never won it.Actually,he has never even got on the podium of Liége.And I bet he'd give away at least 1 of his most important victories just to win La Doyenne'.

In addition,obviously,I was very sorry for the Schleck brothers.When Andy attacked with about 8 kms to go,I believed he would have caught the Valverde's group very soon,but unfortunately he didn't and that caused Fangirl a brief moment of desperation.

With about 400 meters to go,Vinokourov launched his final attack.He's not as fast as Kolobnev, so it was his only way to win.And,by attacking in the last meters,Vinokourov won.

My sudden desire was to fall into tears.Really,I couldn't stand watching Vinokourov winning in front of Kolobnev and,perhaps,Gilbert,who in my opinion are very clean and honest riders. Then,when the Evans' group arrived,followed by other riders who were all behind Frank Schleck (yay!),Valverde got his 3rd place,making me become really angry.Actually,I was more angry for Valverde's 3rd place than for Vino's one.At least,Vino has paid his mistake with a 2 years ban, whereas Valverde instead paid it with a simple 2 years ban from Italy,in spite of which he can still wander (and win) freely through Cycledom.

As said,the tifosi booed at Vino while he was on the podium.Now,me has reflected a bit about this.I understand all this anger against Vino (what he did back in 2007 was terrible) and I can understand that he's not the nicest guy in Cycledom.But he has been banned for 2 years and now he has returned.And,until there are no proves against this,it seems that now he's racing clean (yes,he could have found a new doping product,but who tells us that he's the only one to use it?).I know it's hard to believe him when he says 'Now I'm honest',but me thinks he should be given a second chance.Therefore,supporters,leave him in peace for a while. Otherwise there's no point in saying "life bans aren't fair because everyone should be given a second chance".In fact, if the tifosi aren't ready to accept a former doper who is not Basso that comes back in the peloton and wins a Liége,then there's no point in banning people for just 2 years. They should be given at least 4 years of ban and,perhaps,also a life ban could be a fair thing.And don't tell me that Vino gets this treatment because he's unpleasant. Because I think that everyone should deserve a second chance,be they as charming and handsome as Basso or as unpleasant and arrogant as Vinokourov.At least,as already said,he's been one of the guys who has stayed away from Cycledom for 2 years.Other guys,like Riccò and Sella,haven't.So,if you notice that I'm more unpleasant with them than with Vino,I'm not being incoherent.Simply,Vino stayed away from Cycledom for 2 years,Sella and Riccò just for one year/one year and a half. Italian philosopher Cesare Beccaria once wrote that criminals (dopers included) don't care about how severe the punishments are,but they just care about whether they will surely be punished or not.And mr.Beccaria came up with this idea not yesterday,while hearing the news of Riccò's comeback, but in the 18th century.

Anyway,I realise I'm digressing (I'll talk about Sella and Riccò another time,otherwise tomorrow at 1 am I could still be here writing). What I wanted to say is that,as far as we know,Vino is now a clean rider.Therefore,dear supporters,don't get too angry at him.Or,if you do,be coherent and be angry not just at him,but also at Valverde,Sella,Riccò (although Sella and Riccò's situations is completely different 'cause they haven't really paid for their mistakes),Basso (yes, the charming Ivan was a doper),etc. Or,at least,if you're not ready to accept a rider like Vino coming back to the peloton after just 2 years of life, join me on the wild side and start to think that a 4 years ban (without discounts),if not a life ban,would be the appropriate punishment for dopers. But,if you say this,don't forget that also your favourite riders could be found positive at the anti-doping (I realise that I'm always pretty skeptical when I talk about doping,and that's why I decide to avoid this topic as much as I can).
Obviously everyone who has understood my oh so unorganised way of explaining what I think is free to disagree with what I've just written and tell me that I don't understand a f*** as far as cycling is concerned.Oh,and you are also free to ask me whether I did get brainwashed;In that case,my answer would be that 14 school tests in 18 school days would have a brainwashing power on everyone.Oh and,by the way,if you decide to tell me your opinion in an unpolite way,don't worry: you won't get a life ban from this blog-I think a simpler 4 years ban would be much better.After all,everyone deserves a second chance.... ;)

On to a nicer topic,the race of the Schleck brothers.Unfortunately I can't say a lot about it because I've spent a lot of time trying to write my opinions about Vino in a not too dreadful English,so now I can just give a few links before closing this post (I have a Maths test tomorrow and I desperately need to study right now).So, here' an article from Cyclingnews about the brothers and 2010 Liége (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schlecks-left-frustrated-at-liege-bastogne-liege ).

I understand that they are disappointed with their results (it's the first time since 2006 that they none of them ends up on a podium in the Ardenne's week),but I believe that now they just need to rest,spend a lot of time with the little Leea (they'll have lots of other chances to dedicate her a great victory!) and start to focus on the Tour.
More about the brothers: http://www.wort.lu/wort/web/sport/artikel/86885/fraenk-schleck-ein-kata-strophaler-tag.php (Frank defined yesterday as a "catastrophic day").

So,dear Readers,that's all for now.Waiting for the Giro's beginning on May the 8th,I wish a good evening to everyone.

(Pic by Bettini)