Highlights
Women’s Race
Men’s Race
Reports
Women’s Race
A meaningful cheer could be heard when Demi Vollering crossed the finish line first this afternoon in Liège. After great teamwork by teammate, and also World and Olympic champion, Anna van der Breggen, it was up to Demi Vollering. In the streets of Liège she convincingly left Annemiek van Vleuten and Elisa Longo Borghini behind.
On the last climb, La Roche aux Faucons, five riders managed to get away: Anna van der Breggen, Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek), Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and Kasia Niewieadoma (CANYON // SRAM). It was Anna van der Breggen who set the pace, so that nobody could join from behind, but nobody got the chance to attack from the front either. She did a lead-out for Demi Vollering up to 250 meters before the finish. After two narrow sprint defeats in the Brabantse Pijl and Amstel Gold Race last week, she now finished it nicely.
“It’s a dream come true!” Vollering said with tears in her eyes. “The whole team did such a good job. That I can finish like this, that’s awesome! I’m very grateful. ” She says about the race: “It was really hard on the climbs. First we came upfront with those 5 riders, but Marianne Vos had the chance to come back. It’s better to not sprint with her, so I’m happy that it broke again. Anna did a great lead out. It’s fantastic how she worked for me. ”
Men’s Race
Tadej Pogačar once again wrote his name in cycling history, winning the biggest one-day race of his young career and becoming the youngest winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 44 years.
With a determined sprint, the Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates triumphed at “La Doyenne” ahead of world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
The quintet had an advantage on the main group 13.5 km from the finish when, near the brow of the Côte de la Roche aux Faucons, Davide Formolo pulled back Richard Carapaz (Ineo-Grenadiers), opening the way for an attack by Michael Woods. Pogačar, Gaudu, Valverde and Alaphilippe followed the Canadian and this group managed to maintain an advantage of just over 20” on their pursuers until the final sprint.
Entering the sprint, Pogačar was glued to Alaphilippe’s wheel, coming around the Frenchman in the final metres before the line.
Pogačar: “I really love this race: winning here was a dream of mine and it is incredible to have achieved this goal and finish ahead of these big names. In the sprint I was behind Alaphilippe when he opened-up and I tried to stick with him. I wasn’t sure I would be able to overtake him but, with strength and a bit of luck, I did it.
“I have won the Tour de France, I have won other high-level races and now I have conquered the Liège-Bastogne-Liège: I’m living a cycling dream. Now I will rest, spend some time with my family and then resume my preparation for the Tour de France.“
Results
Women’s Race
| 1 | Demi Vollering (Ned) Team SD Worx | 3:54:31 |
| 2 | Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women | |
| 3 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 4 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM Racing | |
| 5 | Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Team SD Worx | 0:00:02 |
| 6 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team | 0:01:27 |
| 7 | Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Team SD Worx | |
| 8 | Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
| 9 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:59 |
| 10 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Team BikeExchange |
Men’s Race
| 1 | Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates | 06:39:26 |
| 2 | Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
| 3 | David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
| 4 | Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| 5 | Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation | |
| 6 | Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates | 00:00:07 |
| 7 | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team DSM | 00:00:07 |
| 8 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 00:00:07 |
| 9 | Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | 00:00:09 |
| 10 | Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious | 00:00:09 |