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Liège – Bastogne – Liège: Pogacar surprises Alaphilippe in sprint

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Pogacar Liège Bastogne Liège

Cycling: Tadej Pogacar won the Liège-Bastogne-Liège monument. The Slovenian Tour winner from last year was able to break away from the decimated peloton with four companions a few kilometers before the finish line and finally prevailed in the sprint. Swiss Marc Hirschi and German Maximilian Schachmann finished 6th and 9th respectively.

Pogacar Liège Bastogne Liège

Pogacar surprises with his sprint strength

After 259,1 kilometers from Liège to Bastogne and back Tadej pogacar (UAE) celebrate as winners. The Slovenian was surprisingly faster than the world champion in the sprint down the home stretch Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick Step). The Frenchman already lost a few centimeters last year when he stretched his arms to the sky too early and gave away the victory he believed to be certain. Today's 107th edition of the Doyenne was marked by numerous attacks. In the elimination race over eleven classified climbs, five pros were left over the last few kilometers. The Frenchman is allowed to move behind Pogacar and Alaphilippe david gaudu (Groupama – FDJ) are happy about a podium place. birthday boy Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was fourth before Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) and the Swiss Marc Hirschi (UAE).

Valverde celebrates birthday

Immediately after the start, a group of seven broke away from the main field. Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal Pauwels – Sauces WB), Laurens Huys (Bingoal Pauwels – Sauces WB), Loic Vlichen (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert - Matériaux), Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert - Materials), Tomasz Marczynski (Lotto – Soudal), Sergey Chernetsky (Gazprom – Rusvelo) and Aaron Van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise) gained a lead of more than 10 minutes. Behind them, the teams UAE, Jumbo – Visma, Deceuninck – Quick-Step and Movistar were the main drivers. The latter team already had a reason to celebrate during the race. Ex World Champion Alejandro Valverde – four-time winner of this race – turns 41 today.

Ineos Grenadiers takes responsibility

When the lead of the breakaways fell to less than five minutes, numerous attacks came surprisingly early in the peloton. As a result, could Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto – Soudal), Mark Donovan (DSM) and Mark Padun (Bahrain – Victorious) and shortly afterwards gradually caught up with the drivers who had been left behind from the escape group of the day. But a higher pace was also set in the peloton. The Ineos Grenadiers team was in charge. The British side were without the injured Thomas Pidcock today but seemed to have high hopes of a good result. As a result, the main field was thinned out properly and the lead of the remaining breakaways collapsed.

Woods with a powerful attack

With 23 kilometers to go, a further increase in speed made it possible to catch up. Then he could Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) as a soloist. Since the main field had to be rearranged first, the man from Ecuador was quickly given a lead of 30 seconds. But just as quickly as he got it, he was to lose it again a little later. Because in the last climb prepared James Knox (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) the attack for his captain Julian Alaphilippe before. jumped over the crest Michael Woods (Israel – Start-Up Nation) one more. Carapaz was caught, was passed and a five-man lead group formed, in which Alaphilippe and Woods also included the birthday boy Alejandro Valverde (movistar), david gaudu (Groupama – FDJ) and Tour winner Tadej pogacar (UAE) were represented. Behind tried among other things Primois Roglic (Jumbo – Visma) and Maximilian schachmann (Bora – hansgrohe) desperately and in vain to reconnect.

Liège Bastogne Liège Vollering

Vollering is rewarded by van der Breggen

We also got an interesting race from the women. After 140,9 kilometers the 5th edition of Liège - Bastogne - Liège Femmes started Demi Vollering (SD Worx). The Dutchwoman won the sprint of a five-man group formed on the final climb. The winner crowns her excellent year and confirms her outstanding talent at only 24 years of age. A few days earlier, she had finished second in the Pfeil von Brabant one-day race and the Amstel Gold Race. She helped her captain with the Flèche Wallonne Anna van der breggen (SD Worx) to success. This paid her back now. The world champion worked the last few kilometers to keep her pursuers from getting close to the leading group and she also didn't allow any more attacks. The podium complete the European champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and the Italian Champion Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek – Segafredo).

Vollering Liège Bastogne Liège Liège Bastogne Liège Vollering

Tags:Anna van der breggenDemi VolleringLiege-Bastogne-LiegeLiege - Bastogne - LiegeNewsTadej pogacar

More than Michael Behringer

Cycling with all its tactics, stage analyses, placements and forecasts are Michael Behringer's great passion. In 1996 he tracked his first Tour de France. Since then he has observed almost every race. His passion for cycling has been with him for over two decades. There is no end in sight.