@Miguel 98: Thank you!

@Dienblad: Definitely! 5th is amazing for a rider like Puccio

@Pellizotti2: Thanks, i'm glad you're still liking it

@sutty68: Yeah, it was a great day for the team to take two spots in the top 5 - Especially in this kind of race

@Ian Butler: Hehe Definitely a turning point for Puccio! But still, Puccio is young and unexperienced - So the great helper doesn't die at all. He'll have to learn a lot to become a winner, but this result has really taken him a step further to that goal

Ian Butler wrote:
I think the results are realistic, and an occasional brilliant performance isn't unrealistic: )

I say keep the difficulty!

Thanks for the responses on my little issue.
I've desided whether i'll continue on hard, or go to extreme.
So, i've got two races left before my first (of two) session is over.
I've already ridden the LBL and i attend to keep the difficulty on hard until my last race of the session, namely the Giro di Toscana.

When Puccio starts racing again (i think it's in August), i'll again judge whether i'll keep the difficulty.

So... See you at Liege soon

sutty68 wrote:
Can't wait to see what the outcome was in Belgium

Pre-Race
The final and most prestigious Ardennes-classic is about to begin very soon. A strong startlist with lots of potential winners are ready to take on the Liége - Bastogne - Liége.

After a convincing win in the Fléche Wallone, Philippe Gilbert must be counted as the main favorite, especially due to the very exhausting route, suiting him very well. Even though of a quite unstabile performance throughout the month of April, the Belgian seems to have regained his shape here towards La Doyenne.

Talking about stability, Rodriguez is a splendor jewel. With two silver medals in the two previous Ardennes-classics in Limburg and Huy, all he needs today, will be a little luck to win here in Liége.

The main favorites are definitely Gilbert and Rodriguez, but the many of those who stand in second line will definitely try their all to make a surprise. Within this group, riders such as M. Iglinskiy, R. Urán, A. Schleck, D. Cunego and M. Albasini have been the most significant outsiders in the previous Ardennes-classics, who eventually could turn out winning the classic if the main favorites will ride too strategically and awaiting. We're therefore on to a very exciting edition of La Doyenne anno 2012.

	P. Gilbert
	J. Rodriguez, D. Cunego
	R. Urán, A. Schleck, M. Albasini

Pre-Tactics
We started out being a squad of inconceivable outsiders. We weren't any real threat and was doomed to suicide escapes. But with the two previous races, our little group of riders at the Ardennes-classics, have taken on a very important and dominant role, ending up with a total of three top 5 results in two races.

Urán will be our leader again, while Nordhaug and me will remain in our free roles. Therefore there won't be any major changes in our tactics or way of driving, since we've been doing excellent so far. La Doyenne is a very unpredictable race, so we'll have no detailed plan to follow, and instead we'll ride as the race develops.

It was a real release for the pack, when the break of the day finally got established, since the struggle of the fortune hunters seemed to go on for ages. Eight very prominent riders formed the escape, with top names such as J.J. Cobo, A. Talansky and A. Dyachenko.



After a tough start, the pack slowed down significantly, keeping the energy reserves for later. No wonder with such a beautiful scenery.



The pack suddenly increased the pace due to an increasing time gap between them and the escape. The impact of the all of sudden increasement caused a lot of hesitant riders at the back to lose touch with the pack. Especially J. Rodriguez and Katusha together with
T. Voeckler and F. Schleck were affected.



Thankfully for a lot of riders, the pack didn't wanted to play with such a high amount of riders with still 60 km to go. The whole Katusha team therefore reacted by going straight to the front together with Vacansoleil, beginning to up the pace even further.



On the legendary Redoute climb, only 22 riders managed to get over the climb in front, due to the high pace, set by Katusha. Actually a lot of favorites were missing in the group and e.g. Gilbert was completely lost, due to bad positioning. Luckily both Urán, Nordhuag and Puccio were a part of the front, and especially Urán felt great.



With only about 15 km to go, Rodriguez thought it was the time to set off. At first, only F. Schleck and R. Urán were able to follow the Spanish. But eventually Urán ended up catching Rodriguez alone.



With Rodriguez and Urán in front, the front group now only contained 10 riders. Nordhaug and Puccio were free of duty with Urán in front, letting Leukemans and Nibali do the hard work at front.



Under one minute after, the pack came in high speed. All the secondary favorites such as Sánchez, Gerrans and Voeckler were here, and still eyed a possible reunion with the group in front.
Gilbert wasn't even a part of this group, but in group a step further behind. What a disastrous race for him.



Rodriguez and Urán got reeled in by Leukemans who gave his all for De Gendt. With three riders in front, Puccio and Nordhaug therefore were the ones to settle a fast pace to prevent reunion with the pack.



A. Schleck and Cunego made their way up to the front group, forming a group of 14 riders. The pack was still about a minute away, when Rodriguez got in front with Urán in his wheel, riding into the second last corner of the race. There was no doubt. The win was to be decided by these 14 riders, which Puccio amazingly once again was a part of.



Rodriguez started the sprint with an extreme acceleration. Urán tried to follow his wheel, but didn't seem to have the last piece of punch to do so. De Gendt, Albasini and the Schlecks came right after, and also had a good speed. Unfortunately it looked like Puccio wasn't able to follow the best, and started fighting for the secondary placings.



When going into the last corner, Rodriguez had built a fine gap to Urán. Cunego, De Gendt and Albasini all three got near to Urán, but it was a question whether they'd catch him. Puccio did his all, and seemed to be fighting for 11th, alongside his idol Freire and Frenchman Pinot.



And finally! Rodriguez gets his win at the Liége - Bastogne - Liége.
With a great and tactical team effort, Rodriguez settles the win by being the by far strongest. Team Sky also had a great day, taking the silver medal with Urán, 10th with Nordhaug, and .....



... 12th with Puccio! Pinot only just overtook Puccio on the last metres with a great sprint, but thankfully Puccio was able to keep his biggest idol behind himself, as Freire, which wheel's tip can be seen in the lower left corner, finished in 13th.

1	Jouaquím Rodriguez	Katusha Team	6h51'56
2	Rigoberto Urán	Sky Procycling	+ 19
3	Damiano Cunego	Lampre - ISD	s.t.
4	Michael Albasini	Orica - Greenedge	s.t.
5	Thomas De Gendt	Vacansoleil - DCM	s.t.
6	Andy Schleck	RadioShack - Nissan	s.t.
7	Maxim Iglinskiy	Astana Pro Team	s.t.
8	Fränk Schleck	RadioShack - Nissan	s.t.
9	Vincenzo Nibali	Liquigas - Cannondale	s.t.
10	Lars Petter Nordhaug	Sky Procycling	s.t.
...
12	Salvatore Puccio	Sky Procycling	s.t.

Yes! No words can describe what i've just done. Finishing 12th in the greatest Ardennes-classic of all, isn't something everybody just do. It's a huge result for me, and maybe it's even bigger than my 5th at the Fléche Wallone, due to La Doyenne's high prestige.

On the last kilometres i'm working very hard for Urán, and it turns out being a great choice since he's taking an amazing silver medal. I'm so proud of the whole team. We've done things we'd never imagined were possible through the last week, and this has to be the climax of an incredible journey.

Trough the Ardennes-classics week i've promoted myself greatly through some magnificent results. I've talked to several stars and got myself some new friends. But most importantly, i've talked a lot with my absolute favorite idol, O. Freire, getting to know the great person behind the great star. It has really ment a lot to me, and it all culminates today, by beaten the man himself in the sprint for 12th :-P

I'll see you soon at Giro di Toscana, my final race of this session.
A race with me in the lead. I'm looking so much forward to show what i'm capable of doing on home track. See you soon.