Press releasesLiège, 4 th of April 2006
CHANGE OF SCENERY
The pack of the elite of World cycling traditionnaly witnesses a turning point mid-April. Although the geographical move of the centre of interest is minor, the change of scenery will be significant. The cobbled paths of Flanders or Northern France gives way to the hills of the Belgian Ardennes area, and the change of terrain comes with a renewal of the favourites. Favourable for long breaks and attacks in the last few kilometres, the 70th edition of the Flèche Wallonne, that will be held on the 19th of April allows many types of riders to try their luck. Quite a few of the best World cyclists indeed base a big part of their season around this key week in the calendar. Danilo Di Luca, who had conquered back-to-back wins in the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne in 2005, will again be the man to watch at the bottom of the famous Mur de Huy. But his Italian compatriot Ivan Basso, a recent winner of the Criterium International, has really launched the battle while already preparing for his main goals: the Giro and the Tour de France. Also among the Italian contingent, Rebellin, a winner back in 2004, shouldn't be too far behind the leaders. The key move could however come from one of the quieter riders during the start of the season, like the Australians Cadel Evans and Michael Rogers or Spaniard Alejandro Valverde.
The key riders of the 25 teams
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