11:30 a.m. Good morning. Welcome to VeloNews.com’s coverage ofthe 2002 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. For the first timeduring this year’s Ardennes classics, the weather is cooperating and 197starters left Liege under sunny and windless skies today… just about90 minutes ago.

One race note for those of you checking out the startlist we've posted. The U.S. Postal team has made a last-minute changein their roster. Number 105 Floyd Landis is on his way home after findinghis recovery from crashes in Paris-Roubaix a little harder than expected.The roster now shows that 109 - David Zabriskie has taken his place. Thingshave been fairly easy in this opening hour-and-a-half. The pace has beenmoderate, though there are two riders -Andreas Klöden (Telekom) andFabrice Salanson (Bonjour) -- attacked at the 12km mark and now have alead of 13:33. The peloton, just at 50km after nearly 90 minutes, is clearlynot pursuing with vigor. Of course, with more than 200km remaining, therewill be lots of time to reel the two men back into the field, right?

11:45 a.m. The pace is still moderate in the field. The two menahead -- Andreas Klöden (Telekom) and Fabrice Salanson (Bonjour) --however, are working pretty hard to build a lead while they have the chance.Right now at 55km, the two men have an advantage of 18:40. Of course, inthe old days the old adage out of sight, out of mind might apply... Raceradio reports that the two men in front covered 40.8km in the first hourof racing today. The peloton took another 11 minutes to reach that point,however.

12:08 p.m. Klöden and Salanson have just passed throughHouffalize with a 22-minute lead over the field. Really at this point,the weather appears to be the big story of the day. Photographer GrahamWatson -- who is setting up a shot at the base of the climb through town(you've all seen that poster) -- says he has only seen weather this niceonce or twice in all the years he's shot Liège-Bastogne-Liège...and that has been a while. I mean they were using toe-straps, frictionshifting and wool jerseys when he started shooting this race. (We believe,however, they had already ended the practice of carrying spare tires loopedin a figure-eight over their shoulders by the time Graham arrived on thescene.)

1:15 p.m The two leaders -- Andreas Klöden (Telekom) andFabrice Salanson (Bonjour) -- have seen their lead drop to around 15:30at the 130km mark. Race radio reports that the two men have now averaged40.8kph for the opening three hours of today's race, the 88th edition ofLiège-Bastogne-Liège. The UCI reports that their morningblood tests on 39 riders from six teams -- Crédit Agricole, Lotto-Adecco,Euskaltel, ONCE, Mercatone Uno and Landbouwkrediet -- were all clearedto ride this morning. Speaking of Landbouwkrediet, you might notice thatthere is an American listed on that team's roster. In fact, there are 10Americans racing here today.

While most of us are familiar with that guy from Texas, (Armstrong right?)and the others, not too many of us know much about Jeff Louder of the BelgianLandbouwkrediet squad.

The 24-year-old Louder, based in Ostend, Belgium, has quietly been workinghis way up the ranks in Europe for the past few years, starting as an amateurin Belgium in 1999 before turning pro with Tönnissteiner-Colnago (whichbecame Landbouwkrediet last year) in 2000. This will be the second startin Liège for Louder, who has also contested the Belgian classicsGhent-Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders for Division 2 Landbouwkrediet, whichraised its profile in the peloton this year with the signing of 1993 Liègewinner Rolf Sorensen.

12:25 p.m. The main field has just passed through Houffalizeand up the Côte Saint - Roch -- at the 81km mark -- exactly 20:30behind the tow leaders. It is a narrow, narrow climb through the town ofHouffalize and the field strings out all the way up and over. VeloNewseditor Kip Mikler reports that Domo's Freddy Rodriguez managed to get tothe front of the field as they entered the climb. Postal's Lance Armstrongis sitting near the back of the field. The course winds its way aroundand everyone should be coming back through Houffalize again in about 35to 40 minutes. Of course, we'll try to get updates via race radio as well.
12:59 p.m. At 103km (153km to go) Klöden and Salanson havea lead of 18:40. Behind, the peloton is picking up the pace, though thereis no real concerted effort from a particular team.

1:58 p.m. Well, there's been little action so far (hence thebig gap between updates). Right now, with just over 100 km to go in thisrace, the two leaders -- Andreas Klöden (Telekom) and Fabrice Salanson(Bonjour) -- still have a lead of about 12:35. With the end coming up inthe next couple of hours, the pace should pick up and that lead may evaporatequickly... or they might just pullof a squeaker. Stay tuned.

2:13 p.m. The latest report from the road to Liège givesKlöden and Salanson a lead of 10:10.

2:25 p.m. The two leaders have gone up the côte de Stockeu-- a 2.5km climb with a nearly 10-percent grade. It looks as though withoutmuch effort, Salanson put some distance on Klöden, who must be startingto tire.

The two are now on the small plateau above the climb, working theirway through the fields. Coming up will be a sharp drop past farmyards andthen the 1.4km (10.7 percent) Wanneranval.

The peloton is still nearly 10 minutes back.

2:41 p.m. Salanson and Klöden hit the Wanneranval with ahealthy 10-minute lead on the field. Salanson is clearly in much bettershape than the Telekom rider and may continue off on his own.

The main field is on the Stockeu and all of the big names -- Casagrande,Boogerd, Vinokourov and Armstrong -- at the front of the field. Still,for the most part, the field is intact, though a little strung out on theclimb.

2:48 p.m. The peloton has hit the Wanneranval about 9:00 behindthe two leaders.

Race radio reports that Paris-Roubaix winner Johann Museeuw has pulledout of the race. We'll try to get you more information.

2:58 p.m. Salanson has gone ahead on his own. Behind him Klödenis drifting along waiting to be swallowed up by the main field, now beingdriven largely by the efforts of the Fassa Bortolo team. Salanson's leadis now under 8 minutes.

3:05 p.m. With Salanson now 6:30 up on the field, things arebeginning to pick up. A small group -- Bobby Julich, David Clinger, AndreaPeron, Geert Verheyen and Sergio Barbero -- moved clear of the main fieldin an effort to bridge up. Their efforts, however, were unsuccessful andthey've been brought back to the peloton.

3:11 p.m. Salanson's lead is down to six minutes. Klödenhas been caught by the field and Phonak's Mattias BUXHOFER (number 153)is off the front of the main field with iBanesto's Denis MENCHOV (number148) in pursuit.

3:19 p.m. Menchov has caught and passed Buxhofer and now hasan advantage of one minute on the the field. Salanson is about 4:45 aheadof the chasing iBanesto rider.

3:23 p.m. Passing through the feedzone, with about 55km remaining,Salanson has a lead of 4:10 over Menchov and 4:35 over the main field.

3:33 p.m. Menchov was caught after the feedzone. On the slopesof the Vecquée a group of three has formed up about 30 seconds aheadin front of the main group. Massimo Codol (Lampre) and Stefano Garzelli(Mapei) have joined Udo Bolts (Telekom) in pursuit of Salanson. The manwho has been out there since km 12 still has a lead of 3:40 over his closestpursuers

3:41 p.m. The picture is shaping up a little now. Salason isstill out there on his own, but he is just 2:00 up on a group of 13 thatincludes the following riders: Serge BAGUET (LOTTO - ADECCO); GARZELLIand Paolo BETTINI (MAPEI - QUICK STEP ); Geert VERHEYEN(RABOBANK ); BOLTSand Matthias KESSLER (Telekom); Ivan BASSO (FASSA BORTOLO); ChristopheMOREAU (CREDIT AGRICOLE ); Denis MENCHOV (iBanesto); Mirko CELESTINO andAlessandro SPEZIALETTI ( SAECO - LONGONI SPORT).

There now 43km remaining.

3:43 p.m. With the chasers in hot pursuit, Salason hits the slopesof the La Redoute with an advantageof just 30 seconds.

3:49 p.m. Salason has been caught after being off the front formore than 220 km. At the base of the La Redoute he was reeled in and thebattle for supremecy began among the other members of the lead group. Itis a narrow approach through town of Remouchamps, sharp right between wallsof a farm, then up a grassy hillside, not too steep at first. The coursethen turns it left directly up to the ridge, getting steeper as it goes.Through a couple of turns, the road narrows -- where the crowds at theirthickest -- and the grade is at its worst around 20 percent. Basso andGarzelli have stepped up the pace and have shattered the lead group.

Coming up at the top of the climb is a plateau with narrow roads, bumpysurface, until the main road. It then takes the riders down descent throughSprimont, followed by short, steep, wide Sprimont climb.
 

4:05 p.m. A lead group of seven -- Codol, Celestino,Garzelli,Kessler, Bettini, Spezialetti and Basso -- has formed up on the way tothe Sprimont.

On the climb itself, Bettini tries his luck on his own. We are now just28km from the finish.

Ahead the race continues on main road for 3km then turns left down long,fast winding descent to Tilff (20km from finish) for the gradual 3.7km6 percent Sart-et-Tilman climb. It peaks at a freeway, where the race descendsvery fast on wide roads to the Meuse Valley att Liege, The approach toSt. Nicolas climb is on narrow roads by the river before turning rightinto the built-up Little Italy neighborhoood, where a lead group made upof six Italians should be a reasonably popular sight.4:09 p.m. Bettini'seffort didn't last too long. He's back in the lead group. They have anadvantage of just 15 seconds on the main field, which is now being drivenby Euskatel.

4:15 p.m.With 17km to go, the lead group has an advantage of58 seconds. Fassa Bortolo is at the front of the field.

Boogerd is attacking out of the main field and no one is following him.

Ahead on last 7km -- St. Nicolas climb is straight and about 5 percentinitially, with brick houses on both sides, with Italian flags at the windows,then it steepens with a couple of turns, opening up to 12 percent beforethe summit. Short flat section over the summit on Belgian bricks, theninto the last 5km through the streets of Liege itself. This includes twomore climbs, with the last one, wide and straight under the ikm to go archway.Finish is after left turn at the crest: 300m straight and wide.
4:32 p.m. Garzelli attacks and his teammate Bettini has managedup to him.... the two Mapei men are going strong right in the Little Italyneighborhood.4:28 p.m. The lead group of six -- Codol, Celestino,Garzelli,Kessler, Bettini, and Basso (Spezialetti is no longer in the group)-- have8km to go and have a lead of 1:13.

4:36 p.m. With 2km to go, the two Mapei men have a gap of 25seconds. 4:34 p.m. With 3km to go, the two Mapei men have a gapof 20 seconds.The have just crested the cote de Saint - Nicolas, a 1.4kmclimb. They are now on a short descent and they have one more climb tothe finish. Garzelli is hammering, Bettini is now pulling through. Bassohas jumped out of the group behind them and is in pursuit.

4:37 p.m. The Mapei men are now setting up for the finish...their team car has just driven along side and the two are riding alongside each other.

4:38 p.m. with less than 1km to go Garzelli is in front.... outof the saddle and looking back.

4:40 -- They are shaking hands as they approach the line... andnow they're sprinting... sort of. Bettini takes first, Garzelli... andBasso takes third.

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