Liège-Bastogne-Liège Race Report: The ‘Enfant terrible’ of Belgian cycling, Remco Evenepoel, showed what he is made of on the roads to Liège. With a stunning attack on La Redoute, he left the peloton and passed the break to hit the front and solo to the big win.
The last K
Uncatchable Evenepoel
Remco Evenepoel won his Liège-Bastogne-Liège on his race debut on Sunday and saved the spring for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. The Belgian talent crossed the finish line in Liège after 257 kilometres solo, after he placed the decisive attack on La Redoute. The other favourites were unable to close the gap. The Belgian party was completed by Quinten Hermans and Wout van Aert taking second and third.
The big good-bye for Philippe Gilbert
Parcours:
The Liège-Bastogne-Liège route has few changes from previous years: Due to construction work, the start this year is not in the Place-Saint Lambert in Liège, but a little further on in the Quai des Ardennes, where the race also returns 257.1 kilometres later for the finish.
Map
The riders will have climbed the Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne, the first of ten categorised climbs in the early part of the race. After more than 124 kilometres comes the Côte de Saint-Roch, which is steep, but not be decisive. After 157 kilometres the action will start in Vielsalm as the Côte de Mont-le-Soie comes 10 kilometres later. Then comes five well-known climbs within less than 40 kilometres: The Côte de Wanne (3.6km at 5.1%, after 176.2km), the Côte de Stockeu (1km at 12.5%, after 182.8km), the Côte de la Haute-Levée (2.2km at 7.5%, after 187km), the Col du Rosier (4.4km at 5.9%, after 201.2km) and the Côte de Desnié (1.6km at 8.1%, after 214.6km).
Profile
After the Desnié and a fast descent they hit the famous Côte de la Redoute (2.1km at 8.9%, after 227.7km), about 30 kilometres to the finish in Liège. After la Redoute there is only one more climb. Last year, there was the Côte de Forges, but it has been removed due to last summer’s flooding. There is also the uncategorised Côte de Hornay (1km at 6.1%), 24 kilometres from the finish. The final climb, the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3km at 11%), summits just over 13 kilometres to go. After a short descent, the riders are faced with the final section of the Valkenrots on a poor surface with ramps of up to 10%. From Boncelles there are 10 kilometres to the finish line, which is located on the wide Quai des Ardennes.
The peloton on the road out of Liège
The break of the day was formed in three moves. First Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Sylvain Moniquet, Harm Vanhoucke (both Lotto Soudal), Jacob Hindsgaul (Uno-X) and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) escaped. Then Luc Wirtgen, Kenny Molly (both Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) and Pau Miquel (Kern Pharma) counter-attacked, they were followed by Baptiste Planckaert (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Paul Ourselin (TotalEnergies) and Marco Tizza (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB).
A nice day for a bike race
After more than 50 kilometres all the groups came together and the break was created. They took a lead of more than 6 minutes on the peloton. Jumbo-Visma, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Bahrain-Victorious, Movistar and BORA-hansgrohe were in control. Later on, INEOS Grenadiers and Israel-Premier Tech also put a man on the front.
Just before the Côte de Wanne, where Jonas Vingegaard ran into some problems, Romain Bardet had bad luck, but the winner of the Tour of the Alps quickly returned. On the Côte de Stockeu, the leading group split: Armirail, Moniquet, Vanhoucke, Doubey, Ourselin and Wirtgen stuck out front. With a lead of more than 3 minutes they went on to start the climb of the Col du Rosier.
The usual crush of riders and fans on the Cote La Roch in Houffalize
There was a massive crash in the peloton, involving World champion Julian Alaphilippe, Romain Bardet, Wilco Kelderman and Rigoberto Urán. Alejandro Valverde, Tom Pidcock and Bauke Mollema were also held up, but were able to return to the peloton. Bahrain-Victorious rode on the front of the peloton keeping a steady pace.
Is Wout van Aert a favourite today?
On the Côte de Desnié, more than 40 kilometres from the finish, Bahrain-Victorious opened the finalé. Mikel Landa, Damiano Caruso and Wout Poels put in attacks. The Dutchman made a gap on the run-up to La Redoute, but was pulled back by Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl before the climb. At the foot of la Redoute, the difference to the leading group, where Armirail had left the others, was reduced to 1 minute.
Evenepoel is always a favourite
Mauri Vansevenant set the pace on la Redoute (2.1km at 8.9%) an initiated a devastating attack by Remco Evenepoel. No one could hold his wheel and the young Belgian started the descent solo, chasing the lone Armirail. Behind; Bahrain-Victorious and Movistar led the chase. Wout van Aert was also in the peloton and the Belgian champion put Sam Oomen to work.
The ‘break of the day’
On the way to the last climb of the day, Evenepoel quickly closed the gap to Armirail. That happened 21 kilometres from the finish. His lead over the big favourites group was then more than 30 seconds, despite the headwind on the road to Liège. With a lead of 35 seconds, Evenepoel and Armirail started the Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3km at 11%).
Bahrain-Victorious had the numbers in the peloton – LL Sanchez was the hardest early worker
Evenepoel quickly dropped Armirail and went solo 14 kilometres from the finish. The peloton didn’t lift its speed, which allowed Evenepoel to go out to 40 seconds. The pursuers came a little closer, but Evenepoel didn’t ease off the pressure for a second.
Remco Evenepoel left the peloton
In the Roche-aux-Faucons, with a few steep sections, an attack came from behind after all. Aleksandr Vlasov picked up the pace and was chased by Dylan Teuns. He made sure that the difference to Evenepoel was reduced to 20 seconds. Van Aert was having trouble holding the attacks.
Evenepoel crossed to Armirail and then went solo
Behind Evenepoel, Teuns, Daniel Felipe Mártinez and Sergio Higuita got together, but Valverde, Vlasov, Van Aert, Marc Hirschi, Enric Mas, Jakob Fuglsang and Jack Haig got back to them. The Russian took advantage of a quiet moment and counter-attacked, but they were already well behind the flying Evenepoel. The Van Aert group was already behind by 50 seconds in the final 5 kilometres.
Evenepoel by 48 seconds
Vlasov was caught before the last kilometre, so there would be a sprint for the other podium places. Wout van Aert started his sprint too early and had slowed just before the finish. He was passed in the last metre by Quinten Hermans, who claimed second place ahead of the Belgian champion for a completely Belgian podium.
Full Belgian sprint for second – Quinten Hermans from Wout van Aert
Liège’22 winner, Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step-Alpha Vinyl): “It was great. It was very tough and with the headwind very difficult to maintain the pace. But I also knew that everyone was suffering because it was a hard and long day. It was my best day on the bike ever. And this is the perfect day to have a great day. First I want to thank the whole team for helping me out for a whole day. We had a difficult spring, but we kept fighting with the squad. We never gave up and we continue to believe in it. Winning my first Liège-Bastogne-Liège is unbelievable. I felt great all day long. I wanted to drop a bomb on La Redoute. I was able to hold on to the finish line. I’ve had a lot of mental and physical problems for the last year and a half, but finally I feel that everything is going well and is getting stable again. I am almost the best Remco I can be again, and I have now shown that. I am very proud and happy. I want to say a big thank you to everyone around me. My friends, family, the crew of the team, Patrick Lefevere… They have always believed in me. I have no words for this. This is my favourite race. Winning here by almost a minute, I’m very proud and happy about that. It gave me goosebumps that I was so encouraged by the Walloon fans. I want to thank them all, they have been yelling at me.”
A very happy Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team
The all Belgian podium
# All the Liège news in EUROTRASH Monday. #
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Result:
1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in 6:12:38
2. Quinten Hermans (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux at 0:48
3. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
4. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Col) INEOS Grenadiers
5. Sergio Higuita (Col) BORA-hansgrohe
6. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Victorious
7. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar
8. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-EasyPost
9. Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
10. Michael Woods (Can) Israel-Premier Tech.
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