Of the entire groups beginning Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Israel-Premier Tech have essentially the most to lose and to realize. Dealing with relegation from the WorldTour in 2023 when the UCI limits the highest tier to 18 groups and battling with Lotto Soudal to remain above the cutoff, they are going to be counting on 2019 winner Jakob Fuglsang and 2018 runner-up Michael Woods to show the crew’s fortunes round.
Woods, 35, gained a stage in Gran Camiño in February however, in keeping with the crew’s pre-race press launch, each he and Fuglsang have been unwell in latest weeks. Woods’ sixth place in La Flèche Wallonne confirmed he’s again on observe.
“I used to be sixth on Wednesday at Flèche Wallonne,” Woods mentioned in an interview with CyclingPro. “My legs had been actually good, I simply had a little bit of unhealthy luck on the run-in. I am feeling actually optimistic for tomorrow. The best way the legs had been, there is not any cause I am unable to have success on Sunday.”
The Canadian mentioned that the change to the Liège-Bastogne-Liège course with a end in Liège reasonably than the suburb of Ans, with the elimination of the Côte des Forges from the ultimate 30km (due to harm from final July’s huge flooding) and the flatter run-in fits his strengths lower than the outdated route.
“Other than my first 12 months once I broke my hand I’ve completed within the high 10 each time I’ve finished this race,” Woods mentioned. “The most effective outcomes of my profession was second right here in 2018. It is a race I really like, it is tremendous aggressive. I am not an enormous fan of the brand new course as a result of it does not swimsuit my ability set as a lot, nevertheless it’s a fantastic place to complete. I like that it is ending in Liège as a substitute of close to a Carrefour,” Woods mentioned, referring to the end line in Ans which was adjoining to the Hypermarché Carrefour grocery retailer.
His teammate Fuglsang, additionally talking with CyclingPro, agreed that the downhill run-in to the flat end was trickier tactically, however he confirmed it was attainable profitable on the same end in 2019.
“It is in fact a bit tougher than the outdated end in Ans nevertheless it’s not unimaginable,” Fuglsang mentioned. “The race perhaps must be more durable from additional out. The parcours this 12 months has a small climb after La Redoute, which makes a good larger risk that the race will probably be open earlier.
“I do not know precisely how we’ll play it, we’ve a powerful crew and for certain have two guys who will be there to battle for the win within the last with me and Woods. I believe we’re each in good condition – perhaps inferior to we may hope nevertheless it’s coming and we have proven some good issues. I consider we will have two playing cards to play within the last and hopefully, that would be the key to win.”
Woods agreed that the race wants to interrupt up early for his crew to have a superb probability of profitable.
“You have obtained guys like Wout van Aert right here and different actually sturdy riders. Previously years the place I have been good it has been actually troublesome to get separation on this course – notably on the headwind on Roche-aux-Faucon. We now have to race aggressive, I am unable to let it come right down to a dash and neither can Jakob, so we’ve to play our playing cards the most effective we will and hope we’ve the legs.”
Israel-Premier Tech are 68 factors forward of Lotto Soudal within the three-year rankings and 46 factors behind Cofidis, having misplaced floor after pulling the crew out of the Tour of Flanders attributable to Covid-19 circumstances within the crew. A podium would go a great distance towards securing the crew’s WorldTour future. There are 500 vital UCI factors on the road for the winner in Liège, 400 for second and 325 for third.
