{"id":188981,"date":"2022-04-11T12:14:13","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T12:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=188981"},"modified":"2022-04-11T12:14:13","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T12:14:13","slug":"who-will-be-the-breakout-stars-in-aprils-classics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/04\/11\/who-will-be-the-breakout-stars-in-aprils-classics\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Will Be the Breakout Stars in April\u2019s Classics?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With sickness rife in the peloton at the moment, it is dashing some riders\u2019 chances for a successful classics campaign. However, it means the door has been left ajar for others to make a name for themselves. But who will be able to take this chance and win big? In this article, we are going to look at those left-field picks who could take one of the crucial April races by storm. As ever, things change quickly in cycling, these predictions could be outdated by the time of race. In any case, here is one rider per race who can shake things up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Paris-Roubaix<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"2021<\/a>
The incredible 2021 Paris-Roubaix.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Is there anyone who is as underrated and undervalued in the current peloton as Anthony Turgis<\/strong>? A constant figure at the sharp end in races, the Frenchman has shown over the years that he can hang with the best in the biggest of races. A big engine and a good sprint, he has a couple of ways of winning races. His Achilles heel comes in the form of his teammate, Peter Sagan<\/a>, who overshadows him at races like Paris-Roubaix.<\/a> However, Sagan has shown recently that he may not have the legs to contend with the best over the cobbles. Turgis, on the other hand, has. The TotalEnergies rider finished second at Milan-Sanremo to highlight his shape and he is experienced at Roubaix, with top 20s in his last two outings. He has the power and panache to handle the cobbles, only time will tell whether he can take the biggest victory of his career in front of his home crowd.<\/p>\n

La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In a stacked calendar of classics, the easiest to predict is La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne. Finishing on the venomous Mur De Huy, this race allows the best puncheurs to rise to the top and take the victory. Therefore, it is hard to look past the likes of Julian Alaphilippe<\/a>, Alejandro Valverde and Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d \u2013 the first two former winners \u2013 for this crown. However, one rider who could spring a surprise is Ben Tulett<\/strong>. The Brit who is now part of Ineos Grenadiers finished 20th<\/sup> as an 18-year-old at this race in 2020 when he rode for Alpecin-Fenix, bettering that by 8 places a year later. This trajectory, along with his victory in stage 3 of Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali at the end of March, suggests great form ahead of Fl\u00e8che. The Brit has shown a lot of promise and although not currently on the start list for this race, it would be unthinkable for Ineos not to send him to it given his pedigree.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, for Tulett, there really is only one way to win Fl\u00e8che and that is with a powerful attack late on. Given his improving record at the race, expect the 20-year-old to shine on the Mur when the going gets tough.<\/p>\n

Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge<\/strong><\/h2>\n

And finally, onto La Doyenne. LBL is the old lady of the cycling calendar, and it takes a special rider to claim victory in this monument. Last year, it was Tadej Poga\u010dar and he will be odds on to repeat the feat in 2022. However, there is always a star-studded cast looking to seal their place in history once the race returns to Liege after 240+ km of racing. One person who could spring a real surprise is Aur\u00e9lien Paret-Peintre.<\/strong> The 26-year-old Frenchman has been steadily improving over the last two seasons and showed his climbing legs on the tough final stage at this year\u2019s Paris-Nice, finishing a credible seventh, leaving him placed 10th<\/sup> overall.<\/p>\n

He will be part of a double act at LBL alongside Beno\u00eet Cosnefroy but expect APP to be the main attacker once the race hits the climbs in the finale. He finished 23rd<\/sup> on his last attempt at this race but he is likely to go better this time around given his strong showing in the Race To The Sun in March. Not only that but he has a quick finish, which he could utilise if he is part of a small group that leads the race going into the finish.<\/p>\n

Whether any of these names win their respective races will be down to a share of luck and skill in what are undoubtedly some of the toughest races of the season but they all have the class to take the victory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With sickness rife in the peloton at the moment, it is dashing some riders\u2019 chances for a successful classics campaign. 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