For some reason I am not able to remove the small circle from my screenshots, so you just have to live with them...
Time for the puncheurs to shine once again here in Luxembourg and while there are many strong riders present there is no suprise that Herklotz winning the two last editions, world champion Lopez and last years second Areruya are the biggest favorites. Lopez won the race back in 2020 and is together with Herklotz the only former winner present. Last year he was third after finishing second in 2023. Maybe this is the year to take back the crown? Home team EA Vesuvio sends a strong team, lead by Mohoric who also deserves to be mentioned. Other than that Higuita could be able to bring a strong result for Los Pollos Hermanos, and Aker decides to send Valter as their bet in this race
The race has barely been able to start before the first attack comes and soon we have the break of the day with Salzmann, Jansen, Van Hooydonck, Cannister, Klahan and Pickrell.
They quickly get a big gap, maxing out at 08:30 with 150 km to go
Aker with Kalf, Rabobank with Bolor-Erdene and Los Pollos Hermanos with Halvorsen leading the pack into the first uphill section. Still 06:45 behind the break and we got some light rain. All the favorites well placed in the peloton
With 110 km to go Puma-SAP has decided to take control of the pack and upping the pace with Rutsch and Zahiri doing the main work. Herklotz well placed in 9th position with world champion Lopez and all the other favorites close by.
With 57 km left a Puma-SAP lead peloton catches the break. It's time for the real race to begin! Albanese, Antonijevic, Welsford, Holm Jorgensen and Van der Hoorn the only riders having been left behind.
7 km later, at exactly 50 km to go Bagioli and Gloag fancies their chanses and attacks. They quickly get a lead of 40 seconds, could they be able to surprise the big favorites with this attack?
Alas, Zimmermann takes the lead and brings them back again
With 35 km left the fun begins, Mohoric jets out of the group followed by Soulious, Herklotz, Lopez and Areruya. Soulious the big suprise here, is he supposed to be mentioned together with the others? Maybe he got some secret powers I didn't forsee?
More riders believe this could be the decisive moment and tries to follow. Amezawa, Ssabagwanya and Nikiema digs deep
But all the manage to do is bring it all together with 31 km to go. Several riders have used a lot of power just for it all to be for naught. We enter the last 20 km with all the favorites together in a 59 man strong peloton. Who will have the legs to break the others at the end?
Could it be Higuita? He obviously has had some kind of plan going into the race being hidden til now, but as they go under the 20 km left banner he goes on a strong attack!
This could be decisive! Herklotz, Champoussin, Lopez and Mohoric takes the lead of the group and we get a split! Areruya, Amezawa and De Plus is on the right side of the split, but Valter, Buchmann, Skujins, Schmid and Schlegel seems to be on the wrong side of the split!
They do manage to bridge up however, and with Higuita up the road we have a group of 19 riders chaseing him with all the big guns present. Afraid of being on the wrong side of another split Schmid takes lead of the group. This might be good news for Higuita as he is not the strongest rider present
Herklotz and Mohoric might be of the same opinion and takes over the chase and as we go under the 10 km left banner Higuita got 45 seconds on the big group. This could be down to the wire for Higuita if the group can work together to catch him
But maybe they can't work together? Higuita looks really strong and races down the last downhill section. He has extended his lead to 1m20sec and we can barely see the chasers.
Entering the last 2,5 km uphill the lead is still 1m15sec
De Plus Leads the group when they enter the uphill, followed by Amezawa, Areruya, Herklotz, Lopez, Mohoric, Schmid and then Champoussin. Catching the leader looks hard, this might be a battle for second
With 1 km left for the group they are fighting hard for it on the uphill. Amezawa in front of Areruya and the WC Lopez. This fight will be down to the last meters!
But noone can beat Higuita today! He attacked at the right moment and proved to be the strongest rider. What a victory for Los Pollos Hermanos today!
Herklotz has taken the lead in the fight for second place with a very tight fight behind him!
And after winning the last 2 editions of the race he takes second this time around, but who will be third? Amezawa, Areruya, Lopez and Champoussin are right beside eachother followed by Schmid and Mohoric. De Plus not strong enough to stay with them on the last meters
Champoussin takes a great third place for a Rabobank team predicted in the relegation fight by many this year! Great result for him!
Areruya 4th, Lopez 5th and Amezawa 6th. Some manager might have hoped for better results, but they gave all they had
Schmid with a good ride to take 7th ahead of Mohoric who has been energetic and aggressive today, just lacked the right timing.
De Plus who lead the group into the last hill takes 9th. A strong result from him. He looked strong but couldn't keep up at the end
Skujins just beating Valter for 10th with Schlegel, Buchmann and one trick pony McCarthy getting a good result.
Congratulations to Higuita, clearly the strongest today! Deserved victory for the Colombian! I predicted them 21st and relegating, but this is just the kind of results they need to prove me wrong
[PT] Classique du Grand-Duché 
