Cycling's top one-day veterans will have to be on their guard if they are to prevent a cherubic challenge to their hopes of victory in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic today.
At 115 years old, Liege is the oldest bike race still in existence having first been held in 1892.
But it's not just its vintage status that has the likes of Davide Rebellin, Alejandro Valverde and Paolo Bettini salivating at the thought of once more adding their names to Liege's rich "palmares."
At 262km long and with 12 climbs of varying lengths and gradients, Liege -- one of the five "monuments" in one-day racing -- brings the spring classics season to a close by giving the toughest one-day riders on the planet a painful day in the saddle.
In recent years Valverde, Alexandre Vinokourov and Rebellin have managed to emerge from the punishingly steep but short final climb in the largely Italian neighborhood of Saint Nicolas with enough juice left to secure victory.
Valverde was barely 26 years old when he won his maiden Liege last year, finishing ahead of 2000 and 2002 winner Bettini and Italian climber Damiano Cunego.
However Liege has traditionally been one of those races which favors experience over youth.
Rebellin last won in 2004, the season in which he dominated all three Ardennes classics by winning at the Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallonne and then Liege.
The Italian is brimming with confidence, having won at Fleche on Wednesday and finishing runner-up to Stefan Schumacher at Amstel last week.
Reigning world champion Bettini seems fully recovered from midweek stomach problems but the 33-year-old Quick Step rider arguably lacks the kind of team support which Rebellin will enjoy.
Nevertheless Bettini will be desperate to hand Quick Step their first major classics win of the campaign, and his experience could prove crucial in the latter stages.
Valverde will be watching the same riders who pushed him all the way at Amstel and Fleche, where he finished second behind Rebellin in midweek.
"The riders to watch out for will be the same as in the two other Ardennes classics," said the Caisse d'Epargne all-rounder, who has also pointed out CSC's Frank Schleck, Germany's Matthias Kessler, Dutch pair Michael Boogerd and Thomas Dekker and Italian Danilo Di Luca.
All of the above however will also be keeping a close eye on 25-year-old Cunego, and his emerging compatriot Riccardo Ricco, who is only 23.
Cunego, the 2004 Giro d'Italia winner, honed his Liege preparations by winning the Tour of Trentino on Friday complete with two stage victories.
Ricco is an emerging star in Italy, where stage wins at the Tirreno-Adriatico have singled him out for major success.
RSS