BASES COVERED: Liv AlUla Jayco armed with fast finishers and climbing talent for Ardennes Classics

Liv AlUla Jayco will head into the ‘Ardennes Classics’ week armed with a host of climbing talent and attacking options ready to fight for podiums places. 

Amstel Gold Race kicks-off the week of hilly classics action, with Silke Smulders keen to make an impact in front of her home fans as she looks to build on a strong start to the year.

Letizia Paternoster will provide the team with a sprinting option should the race come down to a fast finish, while fellow Italian Monica Trinca-Colonel replaces her compatriot for the hillier La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The 25-year-old raw talent has proven she can climb amongst the best in the world, and she will be aiming to be in the mix once again in Belgium.

Swede Caroline Andersson will add strength to the team’s climbing roster across all three races, while the fast finishing and attacking style of Ruby Roseman-Gannon gives the squad further possibilities. Quinty Ton and Anna Trevisi will round out the squad with the duo set to play key support roles across the notoriously demanding trio of races.

Liv AlUla Jayco at the Ardennes Classics 2025:
Caroline Andersson (SWE)
Letizia Paternoster (ITA) *Amstel only
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (AUS)
Silke Smulders (NED)
Quinty Ton (NED)
Anna Trevisi (IRA)
Monica Trinca-Colonel (ITA) *Fleche & Liège only

Silke Smulders:
“I had more problems after my crash in San Remo than I had hoped and that impacted my training quite a lot. I needed to adjust my training at altitude but since this last week I have done some intensity, and I started feeling better.

I feel like I am fit again just in time, and I love Amstel, so I am really happy I made it to the start. For me as a Dutchie, this is one of my favourite races all year.

It will be the first time riding the full Ardennes week for me, but normally they should suit me as I am growing more as a climbing type of rider in the last years, and I have been focussing on improving my climbing.

The team has been going great and after a period without racing I am excited to go again and I think we have so much depth in the team, so I believe we can achieve great results in these races.”

Gene Bates (Sports Director):
“I think we’ve got riders that can move with the best on the climbs in Amstel and also if it comes back for the sprint then having Ruby and Letizia there is going to be really handy. Both girls are coming out of the classics really strong, motivated and in good shape, so we’re hopeful and confident heading into Amstel.

Then it’s on to Flèche and Liège, with Flèche obviously we know it comes down to the final two climbs, the second to last climb is very tough in itself, which will do a lot of damage, and then for the Muur de Huy you need to have good legs. I think we’ve got a good team for that one with Monica, Caroline and Silke altogether for Flèche.

For Liège, similar approach, we’ve got a good little climbing group there and we will look from an aggressive race, I think we’ve got some good numbers there, not one specific person to work with so we’ll look for an aggressive race and try to anticpate some of those harder climbs and maybe get riders up the road.”

GreenEDGE Cycling results at the Ardennes:
1^st 2019 Liège-Bastogne-Liège – Annemiek van Vleuten 
2^nd 2018 Liège-Bastogne-Liège – Amanda Spratt
2^nd 2020 Liège-Bastogne-Liège – Grace Brown
3^rd 2018 Liège-Bastogne-Liège – Annemiek van Vleuten
5^th 2017 Liège-Bastogne-Liège – Annemiek van Vleuten
2^nd 2019 Flèche Wallonne – Annemiek van Vleuten
4^th 2018 Flèche Wallonne – Annemiek van Vleuten
4^th 2017 Flèche Wallonne – Annemiek van Vleuten
5^th 2018 Flèche Wallonne – Amanda Spratt
2^nd 2019 Amstel Gold Race – Annemiek van Vleuten
3^rd 2017 Amstel Gold Race – Annemiek van Vleuten
3^rd 2018 Amstel Gold Race – Amanda Spratt
3^rd 2024 Amstel Gold Race – Ingvild Gåskjenn
4^th 2021 Amstel Gold Race – Amanda Spratt

Photo: Sprint Cycling