Considering the early season roll that Team CSC had to kick off the 2005 season, the 2006 campaign has been somewhat of a disappointment (at least up until now). In back to back weekends, CSC has managed to win the Queen of the Classics (Fabian Cancellara) and now Amstel Gold with Luxembourg Champion Frank Schleck. Given that the Ardennes is primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, Schleck's win isn't much of a surprise as he was surely familiar with the terrain. But, considering that he wasn't a pre-race favorite nor has he had any big victories, this win is a major accomplishment for Schleck and Team CSC.
The only cyclist you can believe when he says he trains going cross countryWhere's the Fanfare?
Yes, its true that we didn't have much (alright ANY) pre-race hype for the Ardennes Classics. Why? Well, let's breakout Dr. Melfi's couch and examine the situation.
DM: So why no coverage?
G30: Well it came over Easter weekend and there was this big family thing.
DM: That sounds like a rationalization rather than a reason...if Flanders or Roubaix fell on the same weekend would there be no coverage?
G30: Those races are uhh...giants of the sport. And after them...you know there's a little letdown. You gotta give yourself time to decompress.
DM: You still haven't answered the question.
G30: Plus there's no good TV coverage. Those Ardennes...it's a lot of hills and a lot of trees...you can't see over the race and none of them TV-copters can get a good reception through all those trees.
DM: You still haven't given me your reason!
G30: Uh, this is complete bull*@#&! I've given you plenty of reasons.
Well they sounded like good reasons at the time. The truth is, there are certain races on the calendar that aren't as popular with the American viewing audience; the Amstel Gold race drawing significant coverage only when Lance Armstrong used it as an early season test of fitness. Does this mean that these races aren't worth the coverage or aren't as good as the others? No, not really. It's just that they aren't as important (yet, hopefully) to the American public.
A fan by any other name...
With so many races on the calendar, fans like riders, end up picking their favorites. So if you're not a fan of the Ardennes Classics, here are some reasons to watch and/or follow them.
10. Plenty of trees
9. Plenty of bergs
8. One of the races is named after a beer
7. The Cauberg
6. Have you tried the Piraat?
5. Uphill finishes and 22% grades
4. Another reason to stay in Belgium (and drink more beer)
3. The Mur de Huy
2. Early indicator of form (and therefore a preview) for some of the Grand Tour contenders
1. The tradition (the oldest classic of them all, Liege-Bastogne-Liege)
Schedule
Amstel Gold Race - April 16th
La Fleche-Wallone - April 19th
Liege-Bastogne-Liege - April 23rd
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