Gear & Grit
  • Adventure
  • Cycling Analytics
  • Gear
    • Apps
    • Bags
    • Bikepacking
    • Bikes
    • Components
    • Deals
    • Helmets
    • Kit
    • Locks
    • Nutrition & Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Shoes
    • Tech
    • Tools
    • Training Equipment
    • Wheels & Tires
  • Health & Fitness
    • Cycling Training
    • Diet
    • Strength Training
  • News & Racing
    • Advocacy
    • Industry
    • Opinion & Analysis
  • Videos
  • Adventure
  • Cycling Analytics
  • Gear
    • Apps
    • Bags
    • Bikepacking
    • Bikes
    • Components
    • Deals
    • Helmets
    • Kit
    • Locks
    • Nutrition & Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Shoes
    • Tech
    • Tools
    • Training Equipment
    • Wheels & Tires
  • Health & Fitness
    • Cycling Training
    • Diet
    • Strength Training
  • News & Racing
    • Advocacy
    • Industry
    • Opinion & Analysis
  • Videos
  • About
  • Contact
  • Direct to Consumer Bike Brands
2K
3K
244
Gear & Grit
Subscribe
Gear & Grit
  • Adventure
  • Cycling Analytics
  • Gear
    • Apps
    • Bags
    • Bikepacking
    • Bikes
    • Components
    • Deals
    • Helmets
    • Kit
    • Locks
    • Nutrition & Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Shoes
    • Tech
    • Tools
    • Training Equipment
    • Wheels & Tires
  • Health & Fitness
    • Cycling Training
    • Diet
    • Strength Training
  • News & Racing
    • Advocacy
    • Industry
    • Opinion & Analysis
  • Videos
  • News & Racing

2019 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Preview

  • April 25, 2019
  • No comments
  • 4 minute read
  • Kevin Curry
2019 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Preview 1
22 April 2018 104th Liege – Bastogne – Liege 1st : JUNGELS Bob (LUX) Quickstep Floors Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA
Total
2
Shares
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
The Spring Classics come to a close for 2019 this Sunday with Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Here’s what you need to know.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège closes out the Spring Classics. It also comes as the last race in a micro-season known as the Ardennes Classics, which consists of three race: Flèche Wallonne, the Amstel Gold Race, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Of the three, Liège is the hardest, over 250km in length and with as much climbing as a hard Tour de France mountain stage. A worthy end to the spring season.

The Route

The course has changed for 2019.

The final three climbs of the 2019 edition of the race are the Cote de la Redoute (2km at 8.9%), the Cote des Forges (1.3km at 7.8%) and the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3km at 11%). Cote de Saint-Nicolas is out, and there’s no uphill finish at Ans. Instead, the finish has been moved to Liege.

2019 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Preview 2

The final climb peaks 12km from the finish line. From there riders will cover 5km of flat road, a 3km descent, and four more kilometers of flat road. This change to the route could drastically change the outcome of the race.

The Liège-Bastogne-Liège course is 256km long.

Riders will set out from Liege, head south to Bastogne, then head back north towards the finish in Liege. Getting to Bastogne is relatively easy, it’s a 102.5 kilometer trip with just one designated climb. From there things get pretty rough.

There are a total of 11 categorized climbs.

That’s right, after riding all the way to Bastogne, riders get to turn around and power over 10 categorized climbs. Nine of the 11 climbs come in the last 100km. Tired legs, meet a very hard and hilly conclusion to the Spring Classics season.

2019 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Preview 3

The climbs are all relatively short, none of them are more than 5km long and most are under two. But they are punchy and they add up, all told riders will have to get over 4,000m of climbing.

A Little Background

This is the 105th edition of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The Liege-Bastogne-Liege was first run in 1892. Dubbed “La Doyenne” (The Old Lady) it is the oldest of cycling’s five Monuments. Usually coming as the last of the spring classics, it is held annually in late April.  It is considered one of the most arduous one-day cycling events in the world because of its length and demanding course.

In 2017, a women’s version of Liège–Bastogne–Liège was inaugurated and added to the UCI Women’s World Tour.

Eddy Merckx has the most wins with five. Valverde has four.

Merckx won ‘La Doyenne’ in 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975. Next on the list is Moreno Argentin with four. And tied for the second spot is current world champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). Valverde won the race in 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2017. Could he pull off number five?

The Race & Who to Watch

Liege-Bastogne-Liege brings all the Grand Tour contenders to the yard.

The Spring Classics don’t see a lot of Grand Tour contender love. Liege-Bastogne-Liege, however, is an outlier. For 2019, we’ll see Nairo Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali, Enric Mas, Tom Dumoulin, Romain Bardet, Adam Yates and Geraint Thomas on course. None of them are favorites, but the big boys will be out warming up their legs.

You Won’t See Mathieu van der Poel.

If his team were invited, he’d be an easy favorite for the race. His Amstel Gold win was nothing short of stunning, but lo and behold he won’t be there Sunday.

Julian Alaphilippe has the form.

Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche, Fleche Wallonne just this Wednesday. All told he has eight wins for the year already. The Frenchman has the form, another win Sunday would hardly be surprising.

Jungels could defend.

Defending champion Bob Jungels has also had a pretty strong spring.  Last year he attacked with 18km to go to the finish.

Jakob Fuglsang stops playing second fiddle.

Second at Strade Bianche (behind Alaphilippe), third at Amstel Gold Race (behind Alaphilippe), second at Fleche Wallonne (behind Alaphilippe). That’s a lot of near misses. All behind one guy.

He is clearly strong enough to be in position Sunday, but he’ll have to find a way to separate himself from Alaphilippe.

Alejandro Valverde looks for five.

39-year-old Valverde won four times at Ans. Can he win with the new run in to the finish? Maybe, his form hasn’t been 100% so far this year, but I wouldn’t put a revival past him.

How to Watch

NBC Sports Gold will have coverage in the US. Eurosport will serve up the race to most everyone else.

Total
2
Shares
Like 2
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Alejandro Valverde
  • Enric Mas
  • Geraint Thomas
  • Julian Alaphilippe
  • Liège-Bastogne-Liège
  • Strade Bianche
  • Tom Dumoulin
  • Vincenzo Nibali

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter

You May Also Like
Video: Josh Berry's Road to the Alternative Racing 4
View Post
  • Videos
  • News & Racing

Video: Josh Berry’s Road to the Alternative Racing

  • November 21, 2019
  • Kevin Curry
Video: USA Cycling’s Cross Report from the Pan-American Championships 5
View Post
  • Videos
  • News & Racing

Video: USA Cycling’s Cross Report from the Pan-American Championships

  • November 14, 2019
  • Kevin Curry
EF Gone Racing at the Japan Cup 6
View Post
  • Videos
  • News & Racing

EF Gone Racing at the Japan Cup

  • November 12, 2019
  • Kevin Curry
Danish Cyclist Rides 5,000 Kilometers on Zwift at a Danish Mall 7
View Post
  • Apps
  • News & Racing

Danish Cyclist Rides 5,000 Kilometers on Zwift at a Danish Mall

  • November 11, 2019
  • Kevin Curry
Backcountry.com Backs Down in Open Letter: ‘We Made a Mistake’ 8
View Post
  • News & Racing

Backcountry.com Backs Down in Open Letter: ‘We Made a Mistake’

  • November 7, 2019
  • Kevin Curry
NTSB recommends states require helmet use for all cyclists 9
View Post
  • Industry
  • News & Racing

NTSB recommends states require helmet use for all cyclists

  • November 6, 2019
  • Kevin Curry
Recommended Reading: The Rescue of American Bike Racing 10
View Post
  • News & Racing

Recommended Reading: The Rescue of American Bike Racing

  • November 6, 2019
  • Kevin Curry
Backcountry.com Faces Boycotts as Retailer Sues Businesses for Using the Term ‘Backcountry’ 11
View Post
  • News & Racing

Backcountry.com Faces Boycotts as Retailer Sues Businesses for Using the Term ‘Backcountry’

  • November 6, 2019
  • Kevin Curry

Say something witty Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  Follow On Feedly
  Follow On Apple News
  Follow On Facebook
  Follow On Twitter
  Follow Our RSS Feed
  • All-City’s New Cosmic Stallion Comes in Force1 & GRX Flavors 12

    All-City’s New Cosmic Stallion Comes in Force1 & GRX Flavors

    • December 4, 2019
    View Post
  • 2019 Zwift Tour of London 13

    2019 Zwift Tour of London

    • December 4, 2019
    View Post
  • Silca Avventura Americana Limited Edition Saddle Bag 14

    Silca Avventura Americana Limited Edition Saddle Bag

    • December 4, 2019
    View Post
  • 2020 Rando Imperator: Randonnée from Germany to Italy 15

    2020 Rando Imperator: Randonnée from Germany to Italy

    • December 4, 2019
    View Post
  • Grinduro Expands to Six Events and Moves California Location for 2020 16

    Grinduro Expands to Six Events and Moves California Location for 2020

    • December 4, 2019
    View Post
  • About
  • Contact
  • Direct to Consumer Bike Brands
I’ll take two. #phillybikeexpo . 20 0
Stunning. 19 0
It’s that time of year again. 🎄 🎅 . 14 0
That’s wild! 😜 So much bling. 13 1
Sent it 7 0
Bedside lamp for those who finish first... 64 0

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Gear & Grit
  • About
  • Contact
  • Direct to Consumer Bike Brands

Input your search keywords and press Enter.