April 24, 2005 (Belgium) – Liège-Bastogne-Liège is the classic of desperation, a last kick at the can for the riders who´ve had tremendous form but no luck in the spring classic season. And with a toughened course that included 10 arduous climbs over the last 150km, the odds were that a Darwinian test would indeed ensure that the fittest would survive.

But as the big losers of this season´s early classics can attest, two weeks is a long time to maintain top form. The result was that Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) found a new host of in-form riders between himself and victory.

40 kilometres into the race a five-man break had formed, with early attackers Steffen Wesemann (T-Mobile) and Benjamin Noval (Discovery) being joined by Koen De Kort (Liberty), Walter Beneteau (Bouygues) and Johan Verstrepen (Landbouwkrediet – Colnago). Working well together ahead of a rather nonchalant peloton, the break built a lead of as much as 8:30 within roughly 30 kilometres before the pack began reeling them in.

Boogerd’s Rabobank team, still smarting from the silly loss at the Amstel Gold the week previous, began to activate the peloton, and the gap began to whittle down quite seriously: with 85km to go the break began to splinter under the pack´s pressure, with original attackers Wesemann and Noval hanging on a bit longer. Their patience was rewarded: behind, the peloton was splintering, and it looked like reinforcements were on the way.

They arrived, finally, in the form of a seven-man chase group led by Jens Voigt of CSC with Weening and Kroon (Rabobank), Bettini (Quick.Step), Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), Celestino (Domina Vacanze) and Botero (Phonak). With 70km to go they caught the two leaders, But it was short-lived: the race was very fluid over the repetitive climbs, and the big names like Vinokourov and Boogerd were at the front. The only rider missing out on the action was last week´s hero Di Luca (Liquigas), who was isolated in chase group after chase group , and Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) who was making massive efforts to keep the race together.

But with 50km to go in the race at the Vecquee climb, and as Rebellin was closing the gap himself on yet another of the numbing, repetitious climbs, Voigt – clearly the strongest all day – attacked, taking Vinokourov with him. A daring move by the hard roller to pre-empt the sprinters, now that Di Luca, Boogerd and others were back in position.

The duo’s lead would climb and fall throughout the rest of the race – at one point more than a minute and a half, at another less than 20 seconds, but it would hold strong. Despite a desperate last-minute charge by a three-man group led by Boogerd and Bettini; despite three kilometres worth of cat-and-mouse at the end. When Vinokourov launched the sprint after the final turn to the finish, Voigt, who had controlled the race almost single-handedly all day, didn´t have an answer.

Boogerd without a classic win despite amazing form this year. Flecha twice on the podium, but twice a bridesmaid. And finally, Voigt losing out to Vinokourov. There is rarely any justice in cycling.

Liege-Bastogne-Liege
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile
2. Jens Voigt (Ger) CSC
3. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
4. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step
5. Cadel Evans (Aus) Davittamon-Lotto
6. David Etxebarria (Spa) Liberty Seguros
7. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Phonak Hearing
Systems
8. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze
9. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre – Caffita
10. Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team