2021 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Preview
La Doyenne. [Name Redacted] once claimed there’s no English translation for the term, even though you can quite easily find ‘doyenne’ in a dictionary. Anyway, it’s The Old Lady: the oldest Monument.
Gone are the days of La Redoute and Ans, though the former is still on the route about 35km from the finish. Like Amstel Gold and the Tour of Flanders, it’s a revised parcours with the stated intention of making the racing less predictable. Last year’s winner was Primoz Roglic, and he’s looking in good form this year. But more than ever, it’s a tough one to call. Which is a good thing, really.
Where to Watch
UK and Europe: Eurosport & GCN
USA: NBC Sports Gold (Hey, remember them?!)
Canada: Flobikes
Australia: GCN+
Route
Startlist
2021 Liege-Bastogne-Liege startlist (external site)
Ones to Watch
*2020 winner* Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) – He won last year and took second place at the Fleche Wallonne a few days ago after getting caught close to the line. Comparisons with his fabled ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory are unfair, so we won’t do that. Definitely not. He’s on fire at the moment, and will be sitting the season out until the Tour. So bet on him. Maybe.
Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) – Still smarting from the devastatingly close photo finish at the Amstel Gold Race, Pidcock should be looking for a major win here. He’s clearly got the legs in what’s been an incredible early season so far.
Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) – Alaphilippe and Roglic are the strongest riders in the race. The former should have won last year, and the latter did. Alaphilippe came out on top mid-week, and could around turn what might be seen as an underwhelming classics season with another win in La Doyenne.
Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) – The combination of a strong team and being somewhat underestimated can be a winning one. Schachmann has the talent and the backup to make a mark on this race, and unlike Roglic and Alaphilippe, he’ll be afforded some freedom by his rivals.