Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Heartbreak for Dan Martin as a crash on the final corner opens the door for Simon Gerrans
1It was a perfect spring day for the race, which was celebrating its 100th edition. As usual, it brought the grand tour contenders out, though Chris Froome and Carlos Betancur both withdrew that morning. A six-man break got over 15 minutes ahead at 70km.
2A twitchy peloton saw a number of riders hit the deck, prompting OPQS, working for form rider Michaeł Kwiatkowski, to hit the front. The race’s first major tests, including the Côtes de Wanne and Stockeu, saw the wheat separate from the chaff. The chaff, surprisingly, included last year’s runner-up Joaquim Rodríguez, though a crash a week earlier at Amstel was a contributing factor.
3The break imploded on La Redoute. With thousands of fans lining the road and with ‘ Phil’ painted on the tarmac from top to bottom, it was clear who they were here to support. Defending champion Dan Martin, among other pre-race favourites such as Alejandro Valverde, was near the front.
4World champion Rui Costa had travelled to Liège with high hopes, though a crash with 75km remaining put paid to his ambitions on the day.
5The high pace of the race discouraged attacks and a larger group than usual headed onto the final climb into Ans with a chance of victory. Dominico Pozzovivo and Giampaulo Caruso forged a decent lead, with only Dan Martin bridging. Heartbreakingly, on the final bend and with victory in sight, Martin fell and the chasing group were there to pounce.
6With Martin a heap on the road, he could only watch as Simon Gerrans edged out Valverde in the eight-man bunch sprint. Doubling his Monuments tally after his 2012 Milano-Sanremo win, the Australian once again proved himself to be one of the canniest riders around.