It seems not a year goes by without another major alteration in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège route, and 2017 is no exception. In 2016, organisers ASO changed the last part of the course by introducing a new, punchy climb, the Côte de la Rue Naniot, almost within sight of the finish in Ans. That climb has been removed for 2017, apparently because it would have put the total race distance in excess of 260 kilometres, rather than letting it stand at the current total of 258 kilometres. But the biggest change by far this April is the removal of an iconic trio of early ascents, the Côte de Wanne, the Stockeu and the Haute-Levée, because of roadworks. For years, these were the first climbs to really test the riders´ legs on the race´s return to Liege. The most difficult was the ultra-steep and poorly surfaced Stockeu - also famous for its bizarre sculpture of Eddy Merckx near the summit - which always had the role of splitting the peloton apart and revealing any major chinks in the armour amongst the top contenders and their teams.ADVERTISEMENT In order to find three climbs in quick succession that could play a similar role, the organisers have moved the first part of the return half of the route eastward, and they`ve added a new trio of ascents starting at kilometre 168 in the Côte de Pont (1km, 10.5%), Côte de Belleveaux (1.1km, 6.8%) and, above all, the very challenging Côte de la Ferme Liberte (1.2km, 12.1%). On the way back from Bastogne, the 50 kilometres prior to the Côte de Pont, running roughly parallel to the nearby Luxembourg border, are very much typical Ardennes terrain. There may be no classified climbs after the Côte de Saint Roch at kilometre 116 for over an hour´s racing, but the undulating roads across exposed uplands and woodlands will surely tax riders´ legs nonetheless. As ever, the region´s historic connections to World War II abound, and this year, near the village of Gouvy, the peloton will pass along the road from where the German military f ...
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