LIÈGE- BASTOGNE- LIÈGE
ESTABLISHED 1892 EDITIONS 107
The forested Wallonian climbs of LiègeBastogne-Liège are right in the sweet spot of being long enough to favour climbers and short enough to give the puncheurs a chance. The winners’ list mixes grand tour champions and classics specialists, though in spite of Primož Roglic’s win in 2020, it still tilts slightly towards the latter. (Roglic may not have won had Julian Alaphilippe not impeded Marc Hirschi in the sprint for the line, though the winner is always right.)
The oldest classic in cycling spent most of the 21st century culminating in an uphill sprint to the suburb of Ans, and the tactics became a little moribund. However, the move back to a flat finish in the city centre has revitalised the race, and the two editions held so far on the new parcours have been much more entertaining. The theory goes that on an uphill finish, a climber/puncheur will always win, and their teams snuff out attacks beforehand. Seven hours is a long time to wait for a slowmotion sprint. However, put the final climb several kilometres from the finish, and those same climber/ puncheurs still have a great chance, but so do the all-rounders. Both winners on the new course might not have had the punch to win in Ans. But the more complex and involved tactics of the new finale don’t negate what has come before, and the biggest challenge of LiègeBastogne-Liège is still the sawtooth profile of the event. Rider power files indicate that this is about the hardest day in the saddle that they will have all year. The climbing is relentless, and the ascents themselves mix steep gradients and lengths of several kilometres. Even if the flatter finish ends in a group finish, it’s unlikely ever to be more than a handful of riders contesting the win.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège may be the oldest race in the WorldTour, but it has been rejuvenated by the organisers’ decision to change the approach to the finish.