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2021 Liège-Bastogne-Liège (World Tour), Belgium

108th edition: Sunday, April 25, 2021

Liège-Bastogne-Liège podium history | 2020 edition | 2022 edition | Course map and profile | Photos | Start list

Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 259.5 km.

Tadej Pogacar

Tadej Pogacar wins ahead of world champion Julian Alphilippe. Photo: ASO/Aurelien Vialatte

Weather at the start/finish city of Liège at 1:30 M, local time: 9C (48F), sunny, with the wind from the northeast at 18 km/hr (11 mph). No rain is forecast.

ClimbsThe climbs:

Tour of Flanders, the Inside Story

The race:. The peloton rolled off at 10:03 with the official start at about 10:15 after a 6.8 km parade. Team DSM rider Andreas Leknessund was sick and did not start.

Here's the organizer's race summary:

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) made history again with his first Monument triumph on the roads of Liège-Bastogne-Liège at 22 years old. The Slovenian prodigy is the first winner of the Tour de France to claim the Doyenne in the following Spring since Bernard Hinault’s iconic victory in 1980. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) was hoping to be the first French winner since Hinault but he had to settle for second on Sunday, ahead of his compatriot David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ). Pogacar is the youngest winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège since Hinault in 1977.

The pack rolls from place Saint-Lambert at 10:00 with 174 riders - Andreas Leknessund doesn’t start due to sickness, Team DSM reports. Laurens Huys and Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Loïc Vliegen and Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Sergei Chernetski (Gazprom-Rusvelo), Tomasz Marczynski (Lotto Soudal) and Aaron Van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) quickly break away from the bunch with a gap already up to 2’ after 3 kilometres.

Julian Alaphilippe’s Deceuninck-Quick-Step and Primoz Roglic’s Jumbo-Visma start pulling the peloton after some 20km of racing. Tadej Pogacar and Marc Hirschi’s UAE Team Emirates quickly join them and the gap stabilizes after hitting a maximum of 10’30’’ at km 26.

Break under control
The young Laurens Huys is the first rider over the top of the first climb of the day, côte de La Roche-en-Ardenne (km 76), with a gap to the bunch down to 8’35’’. The pace increases in the bunch as they turn around in Bastogne (km 100) and head back to Liège on much more demanding roads.

Alejandro Valverde’s Movistar and Michael Woods’ Israel Start-Up Nation also participate in the chase. The attackers work well together but their lead decreases to 7’25’’ on the second climb of the day, côte de Saint-Roch (km 123.3).

A race of attrition in the first climbing sequence
The tension rises with many teams trying to position their leaders at the front of the bunch ahead of the climbing sequence starting with the côte de Mont-le-Soie. At the summit (95km to go), the gap is down to 5’10’’.

Peloton

The peloton rolls through the countryside after the turnaround at Bastogne. LBL photo

Astana-Premier Tech try to shake things up on the côte de Stockeu but Movistar and Ineos-Grenadiers control the bunch. More attacks fly over the côte de la Haute-Levée and the Col du Rosier. Mark Padun (Bahrain Victorious), Mark Donovan (Team DSM) and Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto Soudal) eventually manage to jump ahead of the bunch.

Ineos-Grenadiers go all-in
With 55km to go, the three chasers are 2' behind the leaders and they've opened a 1' gap to the bunch. Deceuninck-Quick-Step accelerate ahead of the côte de La Redoute but Ineos-Grenadiers turned the race upside down on the climb. Tao Geoghegan Hart put the hammer down, with Michal Kwiatkowski, Richard Carapaz and Adam Yates following him. And only 9 riders managed to follow them over the top, without Julian Alaphilippe.

Some 40 riders get back together with 30km to go but Ineos-Grenadiers keep pushing on the côte des Forges: Yates creates a split, Marczyinski and Rota are the last early attackers to be caught, with 23km to go, and Carapaz goes solo in the downhill [Ed. Carapaz was later disqualified and removed from the final results for descending in the now-banned super-tuck position.].

Pogacar's perfect sprint
The Ecuadorian climber enjoys a 20’’ gap at the bottom of the final climb, côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. Five riders get away in the ascent: David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Woods, Pogacar, Alaphilippe and Valverde. The chasers trail by 20’’ with 10km to go but they can’t bridge the gap.

Tadej Pogacar

Tadej Pogacar (left) just takes the win

Valverde launches the sprint early, with more than 200m to go but he can’t hold it to the line. Alaphilippe looks in prime position to claim a second victory this week in the Ardennes… until Pogacar edges him right on the line.

Complete results:

Photos

174 starters, 147 classified finishers

259.5 kilometers raced at an average speed of 38.980 km/hr

1 TADEJ POGACAR UAE TEAM EMIRATES 6hr 39min 26sec
2 JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP s.t.
3 DAVID GAUDU GROUPAMA-FDJ s.t.
4 ALEJANDRO VALVERDE MOVISTAR s.t.
5 MICHAEL WOODS ISRAEL START-UP NATION s.t.
6 MARC HIRSCHI UAE TEAM EMIRATES @ 7sec
7 TIESJ BENOOT TEAM DSM s.t.
8 BAUKE MOLLEMA TREK-SEGAFREDO s.t.
9 MAXIMILIAN SCHACHMANN BORA-HANSGROHE 0' 09''
10 MATEJ MOHORIC BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS s.t.
11 MICHAL KWIATKOWSKI INEOS GRENADIERS s.t.
12 JAKOB FUGLSANG ASTANA-PREMIER TECH s.t.
13 PRIMOŽ ROGLIC JUMBO-VISMA s.t.
14 JHOAN ESTEBAN CHAVES TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE s.t.
15 GUILLAUME MARTIN COFIDIS s.t.
16 DAVIDE FORMOLO UAE TEAM EMIRATES s.t.
17 JACK HAIG BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 0' 12''
18 ADAM YATES INEOS GRENADIERS 0' 37''
19 MICHAEL MATTHEWS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE 1' 21''
20 PATRICK KONRAD BORA-HANSGROHE s.t.
21 ALEX ARANBURU ASTANA-PREMIER TECH s.t.
22 TOMS SKUJINS TREK-SEGAFREDO s.t.
23 AURÉLIEN PARET PEINTRE AG2R-CITROEN s.t.
24 TIM WELLENS LOTTO SOUDAL s.t.
25 KRISTS NEILANDS ISRAEL START-UP NATION s.t.
26 WARREN BARGUIL ARKEA-SAMSIC s.t.
27 WILCO KELDERMAN BORA-HANSGROHE s.t.
28 JONAS VINGEGAARD JUMBO-VISMA s.t.
30 OMAR FRAILE ASTANA-PREMIER TECH s.t.
31 SERGIO HIGUITA EF EDUCATION-NIPPO s.t.
32 SIMON CLARKE QHUBEKA-ASSOS 1' 44''
33 JAMES KNOX DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP s.t.
34 DYLAN TEUNS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 1' 45''
35 TAO GEOGHEGAN HART INEOS GRENADIERS 1' 47''
36 QUINTEN HERMANS INTERMARCHE-WANTY-GOBERT 2' 42''
37 JESUS HERRADA COFIDIS s.t.
38 MARK DONOVAN TEAM DSM 2' 43''
39 ALEXANDER KAMP TREK-SEGAFREDO 3' 06''
40 GREG VAN AVERMAET AG2R-CITROEN s.t.
41 JULIEN SIMON TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE s.t.
42 LORENZO ROTA INTERMARCHE-WANTY-GOBERT s.t.
43 LAURENT PICHON ARKEA-SAMSIC s.t.
44 FERNANDO BARCELO COFIDIS s.t.
45 NICOLA CONCI TREK-SEGAFREDO s.t.
46 LUC WIRTGEN BINGOAL-WB s.t.
47 ROBERT GESINK JUMBO-VISMA s.t.
48 BENOIT COSNEFROY AG2R-CITROEN s.t.
49 MARTIJN TUSVELD TEAM DSM s.t.
50 MIKKEL HONORÉ DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP s.t.
51 KRISTIAN SBARAGLI ALPECIN-FENIX s.t.
52 DIEGO ROSA ARKEA-SAMSIC s.t.
53 ILNUR ZAKARIN GAZPROM-RUSVELO s.t.
54 BEN TULETT ALPECIN-FENIX s.t.
55 IDE SCHELLING BORA-HANSGROHE s.t.
56 MATTEO JORGENSON MOVISTAR s.t.
57 ROB POWER QHUBEKA-ASSOS s.t.
58 MICHAEL HUNDAHL VALGREN EF EDUCATION-NIPPO s.t.
59 SIMON GESCHKE COFIDIS s.t.
60 DOMENICO POZZOVIVO QHUBEKA-ASSOS s.t.
61 FABIO ARU QHUBEKA-ASSOS s.t.
62 RUDY MOLARD GROUPAMA-FDJ s.t.
63 RUI COSTA UAE TEAM EMIRATES s.t.
64 VALENTIN FERRON TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE s.t.
65 JOÃO ALMEIDA DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP s.t.
66 ROMAIN SEIGLE GROUPAMA-FDJ s.t.
67 LUIS LEON SANCHEZ ASTANA-PREMIER TECH s.t.
68 HARM VANHOUCKE LOTTO SOUDAL s.t.
69 CHRISTOPHER HAMILTON TEAM DSM s.t.
70 DARYL IMPEY ISRAEL START-UP NATION s.t.
71 CARLOS VERONA MOVISTAR s.t.
72 JELLE VANENDERT BINGOAL-WB s.t.
73 CHRISTOPHER JENSEN TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE s.t.
74 LUCAS HAMILTON TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE s.t.
75 MIKEL NIEVE TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE s.t.
76 RUBEN FERNANDEZ COFIDIS s.t.
77 SERGIO LUIS HENAO QHUBEKA-ASSOS s.t.
78 PIERRE LATOUR TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE s.t.
79 MARK PADUN BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS s.t.
80 MAURI VANSEVENANT DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP 3' 45''
81 JAN BAKELANTS INTERMARCHE-WANTY-GOBERT 4' 15''
82 LUKASZ OWSIAN ARKEA-SAMSIC s.t.
83 VALENTIN MADOUAS GROUPAMA-FDJ s.t.
84 REMY MERTZ BINGOAL-WB s.t.
85 SYLVAIN MONIQUET LOTTO SOUDAL s.t.
86 DORIAN GODON AG2R-CITROEN 5' 02''
87 JULIEN BERNARD TREK-SEGAFREDO s.t.
88 JIMMY JANSSENS ALPECIN-FENIX s.t.
89 ALEXEY LUTSENKO ASTANA-PREMIER TECH s.t.
90 SERGEI CHERNETSKII GAZPROM-RUSVELO s.t.
91 TOMASZ MARCZYNSKI LOTTO SOUDAL s.t.
92 LOÏC VLIEGEN INTERMARCHE-WANTY-GOBERT 6' 17''
93 AARON VAN POUCKE SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE 6' 58''
94 SAM OOMEN JUMBO-VISMA s.t.
95 MATHIEU BURGAUDEAU TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE 7' 56''
96 ANTHONY PEREZ COFIDIS s.t.
97 SIMONE VELASCO GAZPROM-RUSVELO 7' 59''
98 NIKIAS ARNDT TEAM DSM s.t.
99 ALEX HOWES EF EDUCATION-NIPPO s.t.
100 STEFAN DE BOD ASTANA-PREMIER TECH s.t.
101 OMER GOLDSTEIN ISRAEL START-UP NATION s.t.
102 PHILIPPE GILBERT LOTTO SOUDAL s.t.
103 THOMAS SPRENGERS SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE s.t.
104 BRENT BOOKWALTER TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE s.t.
105 MATTHIEU LADAGNOUS GROUPAMA-FDJ s.t.
106 MAURITS LAMMERTINK INTERMARCHE-WANTY-GOBERT s.t.
107 JONATHAN CAICEDO EF EDUCATION-NIPPO s.t.
108 BEN O'CONNOR AG2R-CITROEN s.t.
109 WOUTER POELS BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS s.t.
110 SANDER ARMEE QHUBEKA-ASSOS s.t.
111 FABIEN DOUBEY TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE s.t.
112 TANEL KANGERT TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE s.t.
113 NIKLAS EG TREK-SEGAFREDO s.t.
114 KEVIN LEDANOIS ARKEA-SAMSIC s.t.
115 CESARE BENEDETTI BORA-HANSGROHE s.t.
116 ENRIC MAS MOVISTAR s.t.
117 XANDRO MEURISSE ALPECIN-FENIX 9' 32''
118 GONZALO SERRANO MOVISTAR s.t.
119 MICHAEL SCHÄR AG2R-CITROEN s.t.
120 RETO HOLLENSTEIN ISRAEL START-UP NATION s.t.
121 FABIEN GRELLIER TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE s.t.
122 KENNY MOLLY BINGOAL-WB 10' 28''
123 MATHIJS PAASSCHENS BINGOAL-WB s.t.
124 EDWARD DUNBAR INEOS GRENADIERS s.t.
125 LAURENS HUYS BINGOAL-WB s.t.
126 RUNE HERREGODTS SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE 12' 13''
127 MATTEO FABBRO BORA-HANSGROHE s.t.
128 JULIAN MERTENS SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE s.t.
129 JORGE ARCAS MOVISTAR s.t.
130 MICHEL RIES TREK-SEGAFREDO s.t.
131 SIMON CARR EF EDUCATION-NIPPO s.t.
132 VEGARD STAKE LAENGEN UAE TEAM EMIRATES s.t.
133 ALAN RIOU ARKEA-SAMSIC s.t.
134 LUKE ROWE INEOS GRENADIERS s.t.
135 MICHAL GOLAS INEOS GRENADIERS s.t.
136 RUBEN APERS SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE s.t.
137 THIBAULT GUERNALEC ARKEA-SAMSIC s.t.
138 PIETER SERRY DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP s.t.
139 G LAWSON CRADDOCK EF EDUCATION-NIPPO s.t.
140 KEVIN VERMAERKE TEAM DSM s.t.
141 SÉBASTIEN GRIGNARD LOTTO SOUDAL s.t.
142 LENNARD HOFSTEDE JUMBO-VISMA s.t.
143 RÉMY ROCHAS COFIDIS s.t.
144 DMITRII STRAKHOV GAZPROM-RUSVELO s.t.
145 SEAN BENNETT QHUBEKA-ASSOS s.t.
146 TOSH VAN DER SANDE LOTTO SOUDAL s.t.
147 ALEX COLMAN SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE 12' 37''

Course map and profile:

2021 Liege Bastone Liege map

2021 course map. Yellow is the route out and red is the way back

Liege Bastone-liege

2021 course profile

Photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:

Sprint finish

Here they come...

Tedej Pogacar

The race is Pogacar's

Greg van avermaet

The group with Greg van Avermaet (Ag2r) came in at 3min 6sec

Nikias Arndt

The group with Simone Velasco, Nikias Arndt & Alex Howes finished at 7min 59sec

Podiumn

The podium, from left: Julian Alaphilippe (2nd), Tadej Pogacar (1st) & David Gaudu (3rd)

Tadej Pogacar

Race winner Tadej Pogacar


Start list with back numbers, April 24, 2021:

JUMBO-VISMA
1 PRIMOŽ ROGLIC
2 ROBERT GESINK
3 LENNARD HOFSTEDE
4 PAUL MARTENS
5 SAM OOMEN
6 CHRISTOPH PFINGSTEN
7 JONAS VINGEGAARD
UAE TEAM EMIRATES
11 TADEJ POGACAR
12 RUI COSTA
13 DAVID DE LA CRUZ
14 DAVIDE FORMOLO
15 MARC HIRSCHI
16 VEGARD STAKE LAENGEN
17 BRANDON MCNULTY
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS
21 WOUTER POELS
22 EROS CAPECCHI
23 JACK HAIG
24 HEINRICH HAUSSLER
25 MATEJ MOHORIC
26 MARK PADUN
27 DYLAN TEUNS
DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP
31 JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE
32 JOÃO ALMEIDA
33 DRIES DEVENYNS
34 MIKKEL HONORÉ
35 JAMES KNOX
36 PIETER SERRY
37 MAURI VANSEVENANT
MOVISTAR
41 ALEJANDRO VALVERDE
42 JORGE ARCAS
43 MATTEO JORGENSON
44 LUIS GUILLERMO MAS
45 ENRIC MAS
46 GONZALO SERRANO
47 CARLOS VERONA
EF EDUCATION-NIPPO
51 SERGIO ANDRES HIGUITA
52 JONATHAN CAICEDO
53 SIMON CARR
54 G LAWSON CRADDOCK
55 ALEX HOWES
56 MICHAEL HUNDAHL VALGREN
57 HIDETO NAKANE
TEAM DSM
61 TIESJ BENOOT
62 NIKIAS ARNDT
63 MARK DONOVAN
64 CHRISTOPHER HAMILTON
65 ANDREAS LEKNESSUND
66 MARTIJN TUSVELD
67 KEVIN VERMAERKE
ARKEA-SAMSIC
71 WARREN BARGUIL
72 THIBAULT GUERNALEC
73 KEVIN LEDANOIS
74 LUKASZ OWSIAN
75 LAURENT PICHON
76 ALAN RIOU
77 DIEGO ROSA
INEOS GRENADIERS
81 RICHARD CARAPAZ
82 EDWARD DUNBAR
83 TAO GEOGHEGAN HART
84 MICHAL GOLAS
85 MICHAL KWIATKOWSKI
86 LUKE ROWE
87 ADAM YATES
ISRAEL START-UP NATION
91 MICHAEL WOODS
92 GUILLAUME BOIVIN
93 OMER GOLDSTEIN
94 RETO HOLLENSTEIN
95 DARYL IMPEY
96 KRISTS NEILANDS
97 GUY SAGIV
GROUPAMA-FDJ
101 DAVID GAUDU
102 BRUNO ARMIRAIL
103 WILLIAM BONNET
104 MATTHIEU LADAGNOUS
105 VALENTIN MADOUAS
106 RUDY MOLARD
107 ROMAIN SEIGLE
COFIDIS
111 GUILLAUME MARTIN
112 FERNANDO BARCELO
113 RUBEN FERNANDEZ
114 SIMON GESCHKE
115 JESUS HERRADA
116 ANTHONY PEREZ
117 RÉMY ROCHAS
TREK-SEGAFREDO
121 BAUKE MOLLEMA
122 JULIEN BERNARD
123 NICOLA CONCI
124 NIKLAS EG
125 ALEXANDER KAMP
126 MICHEL RIES
127 TOMS SKUJINS
ASTANA-PREMIER TECH
131 JAKOB FUGLSANG
132 ALEX ARANBURU DEBA
133 STEFAN DE BOD
134 OMAR FRAILE
135 HUGO HOULE
136 ALEXEY LUTSENKO
137 LUIS LEON SANCHEZ
AG2R-CITROEN
141 BENOIT COSNEFROY
142 TONY GALLOPIN
143 DORIAN GODON
144 BEN O'CONNOR
145 AURÉLIEN PARET PEINTRE
146 MICHAEL SCHÄR
147 GREG VAN AVERMAET
BORA-HANSGROHE
151 MAXIMILIAN SCHACHMANN
152 CESARE BENEDETTI
153 MATTEO FABBRO
154 WILCO KELDERMAN
155 PATRICK KONRAD
156 IDE SCHELLING
157 ANDREAS SCHILLINGER
TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE
161 JHOAN ESTEBAN CHAVES
162 BRENT BOOKWALTER
163 LUCAS HAMILTON
164 CHRISTOPHER JENSEN
165 TANEL KANGERT
166 MICHAEL MATTHEWS
167 MIKEL NIEVE
BINGOAL-WB
171 JELLE VANENDERT
172 LAURENS HUYS
173 REMY MERTZ
174 KENNY MOLLY
175 MATHIJS PAASSCHENS
176 JOEL SUTER
177 LUC WIRTGEN
INTERMARCHE-WANTY-GOBERT
181 LOÏC VLIEGEN
182 JAN BAKELANTS
183 LUDWIG DE WINTER
184 QUINTEN HERMANS
185 MAURITS LAMMERTINK
186 LORENZO ROTA
187 KEVIN VAN MELSEN
TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE
191 PIERRE LATOUR
192 MATHIEU BURGAUDEAU
193 FABIEN DOUBEY
194 VALENTIN FERRON
195 MARLON GAILLARD
196 FABIEN GRELLIER
197 JULIEN SIMON
ALPECIN-FENIX
201 LOUIS VERVAEKE
202 JIMMY JANSSENS
203 XANDRO MEURISSE
204 KRISTIAN SBARAGLI
205 BEN TULETT
206 OTTO VERGAERDE
207 PHILIPP WALSLEBEN
GAZPROM-RUSVELO
211 ILNUR ZAKARIN
212 SERGEI CHERNETSKII
213 ROMAN KREUZIGER
214 PETR RIKUNOV
215 EVGENY SHALUNOV
216 DMITRII STRAKHOV
217 SIMONE VELASCO
LOTTO SOUDAL
221 TIM WELLENS
222 PHILIPPE GILBERT
223 SÉBASTIEN GRIGNARD
224 TOMASZ MARCZYNSKI
225 SYLVAIN MONIQUET
226 TOSH VAN DER SANDE
227 HARM VANHOUCKE
QHUBEKA-ASSOS
231 DOMENICO POZZOVIVO
232 SANDER ARMEE
233 FABIO ARU
234 SEAN BENNETT
235 SIMON CLARKE
236 SERGIO LUIS HENAO
237 ROB POWER
SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE
241 THOMAS SPRENGERS
242 RUBEN APERS
243 ALEX COLMAN
244 RUNE HERREGODTS
245 JULIAN MERTENS
246 AARON VAN POUCKE
247 AARON VERWILST