Liège, Sunday, April 27th
He was the absolute favorite for the victory, and a victory he claimed. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) won the 111th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège with a devastating attack up La Redoute, the same climb he used as a springboard to conquer La Doyenne one year ago, and a subsequent 35-kilometre solo ride to the finish. The Slovenian got his third victory in the Ardennes Monument being the reigning Tour de France champion and the owner of the rainbow jersey, a feat only achieved by Eddy Merckx in 1972. His performance adds up with his podiums at Milano-Sanremo (3rd) and Paris-Roubaix (2nd) and his victory in the Tour of Flanders to seal a history-making Classic campaign, as only Sean Kelly (1984) and of course Merckx (1969 and 1975) had managed to finish inside the top three in all four Spring Monuments the same year. Second and third at the finish line in Liège’s Quai des Ardennes were Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), a chasing duo that managed to keep the main group at bay in the final kilometres.
174 riders took the start at 10:35 in the 111th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which was held over a 252-kilometre course from Liège to Bastogne – and back. There was one non-starter: George Bennett (Israel-Premier Tech). After a pretty aggressive start, 10 riders went clear by kilometre 23: Hannes Wilksch (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Stan Van Tricht (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Sakarias Koller Loland (Uno-X Mobility), Kamiel Bonneu (Intermarché-Wanty), Eduardo Sepúlveda (Lotto), Rayan Boulahoite, Valentin Retailleau (TotalEnergies), Ceriel Desal and Henri-François Haquin (Wagner Bazin WB). Two more cyclists, Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Johan Meens (Wagner Bazin WB), quickly set off in pursuit and joined the head of the race as the bunch bid its time. The break clocked a maximum gap of 5’50” at kilometre 90, as UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Soudal-Quick Step held the helm of the peloton for the benefit of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.
Unsuccessful attack by the Ineos Grenadiers
The landscape slightly changed at the Col de Haussire – Stèle Claudy Criquelion (km 119,4, 3,9 km at 6,8%) with an attack by two Ineos Grenadiers riders: Bob Jungels, winner of 2019 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Tobias Foss, 2022 ITT world champion. The peloton sped up as a result, with Lidl-Trek contributing to the concert efforts of UAE and Soudal on behalf of its leader Mattias Skjelmose. A strong pull from UAE’s Domen Novak up the Côte de Wanne (km 167, 3,6 km at 5,1%) brought back the Ineos duo. Later on, at the Côte de Stockeu – Stèle Eddy Merckx (km 173,5, 1 km at 12,5%), Boulahoite attacked and created a selection at the front with just Sepúlveda, Haig, Le Berre and Loland managing to hold his wheel.
Pogacar was the strongest; Healy and Ciccone, best of the rest
The break only held a 30” advantage on the peloton at the foot of the Col du Rosier (km 192), and was caught right at its summit as Novak kept setting a fierce pace. UAE Team Emirates marshalled the affairs all the way to the Côte de la Redoute (km 218, 1,6 km at 9,4%), where its leader Tadej Pogacar powered away and went solo for the win. A chasing group with Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) set off in pursuit of the Slovenian, but was already 1’00” in arrears atop the Côte des Forges (km 228,7). Meanwhile, Remco Evenepoel trailed on a 30-strong group behind, from which he got dropped up the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (km 238,7, 1,3 km at 11%) while it reeled in Pidcock and Alaphilippe. Despite losing ground to lone leader, Ciccone and Healy managed to stay clear off their chasers in order to stand on the podium alongside the world champion.
- T. Pogacar UAD 06h 00′ 09″
- G. Ciccone LTK + 01′ 03″
- B. Healy EFE + 01′ 03″
