The Slovenian champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) won the 110th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège by distance, thus repeating the success obtained in 2021. The champion from Komenda preceded the finish line at Quai des Ardennes by 1'39 ” the French veteran Romain Bardet (Team DSM Firmenich) with the world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Deceuninck) who, with a sprint full of pride, won the third coin.
It's difficult to comment on a race with an obvious outcome, which took place according to script. He witnessed, in many ways, a repeat of the Tour of Flanders. Three weeks ago, on the Koppenberg, it was the rainbow jersey that made the gap, closing the discussion on final success in the space of 600 metres. This time the role of vigilante was played by Pogacar who, at the most iconic point of the Doyenne, the Côte de la Redoute, greeted everyone 35 kilometers from the finish line, creating the longest winning breakaway since that of Bernard Hinault in 1980 in one day meteorologically very similar to today.
If the men's competition was lacking in emotion, the eighth edition of the pink Liège offered an exhilarating spectacle. The race was experienced on a long breakaway of nine athletes: Kim Cadzow (EF Education Cannondale), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx), Elise Chabbey (Canyon SRAM Racing), Eva Van Agt (Visma Lease a Bike), Lucinda Brand (Lidl Trek ), Mikayla Harvey (Team UAE ADQ), Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance Soudal Team), Grace Brown (FDJ Suez) and Flora Perkins (Fenix-Deceuninck). The forwards arrived at Redoute's feet with a reassuring three-minute advantage over a decidedly listless group. The ascent caused the fragmentation of the fugitives who remained in three: Brown, Cadzow and Chabbey. The platoon, very lazily, gained ground, reducing the gap to two and a half minutes at the foot of the Côte de Forges. placed at minus 25 from the finish line. The recovery continued with the margin further reduced to 90 seconds at the entrance to the last asperity, the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, 15 kilometers from the finish.
This was the moment in which Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl Trek) took the initiative, first placing the team in the lead and then setting off on the most ferocious stretch of the climb, where the gradient reached 15%. Two people responded to the sprint from Verbano: the Dutch Demi Vollering (SD Worx), who dominated last year, and the Polish Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon SRAM Racing), winner of the Freccia Vallone last Wednesday. The trio of chasers caught up with the trio of escapees nine kilometers from the finish line. At this point, the Canyon duo attempted to exploit their numerical advantage by taking turns. Chabbey's attempt under the red triangle seemed to be the good one. Longo Borghini was sacrificed as she caught up with the Swiss at 500 metres, then started with 300 meters to go. It seemed, for a brief moment, that Elisa's was the winning shot but 100 meters from the banner the petrol ran out allowing the Australian Grace Brown to recover at double speed, easily overtaking the Italian champion. Unfortunately, in cycling the strongest does not always win.
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