Liège – Bastogne – Liège is a punitive race that involves climbing thousands of meters through the rolling hills of the Ardennes. In 2020 it was driven under a slate-colored sky, with the pelotons of men and women meandering through the damp forests of southern Belgium. At stake was a victory in one of the most strenuous and oldest races in the sport.
In the fourth edition of the women’s race, a bold attack by ex-world champion Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) on the penultimate climb kept her chasing Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott), with Deignan’s teammate Ellen van Dijk leading home a select group for the third.
At the men’s final there was an elite group, including the newly crowned world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), this year’s unveiling Marc Hirschi (Sunweb), Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE team) Emireates) from Tour de France, together with a third Slovenian in Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-McLaren). Alaphilippe’s outburst spread over a messy final mile where the French partied early, passed Roglic and eventually relegated to fifth for an “irregular” sprint that hampered Hirschi and Pogacar.
All in all, it was a Sunday with classic cars. This is how it saw it through the lenses of the photographers Cor Vos, Kristof Ramon and the Grubers.
The women’s race
The men’s race
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The world champion wears a mask of indifference and a modest wristwatch before the start.
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Julian Alaphilippe has a jazzy tarmac to commemorate his big win last weekend.
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Just a Coupla Big Hitter talking in the neutral area.
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Alaphilippe felt a little flat at the beginning of the race. A quick wheel change fixed that.
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Rural.
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The early eruption (foreground) passes a renewable energy infrastructure (background) and some brown cows (somewhere in the middle).
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The peloton between the pines.
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It wasn’t bleak all day. Look, a moment of sunshine for the Breakaway Boyz!
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The strange geometry of a peloton in flight.
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Froome is still on the long way back from injury, and DNFed.
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One of the legendary climbs in cycling.
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The peloton crosses the tricky section “Tunisian restaurant to lingerie shop”.
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Rustic.
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Michael Albasini (Mitchelton-Scott) tries to say goodbye in his last race before his retirement.
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Sports fans of Belgium, 1.
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Sports fans of Belgium, 2.
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Sports fans of Belgium, 3.
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Sports fans of Belgium, 4: Fast fashion.
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Teammates.
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Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) was put on the start list at the last minute, one day after a 50km runaway to win the BinckBank Tour.
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So do we, boy.
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A damp Skoda climbs the Côte de la Redoute.
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Alaphilippe’s attack 13.6 km away was the thrilling moment of the race. Marc Hirschi was the first driver to join him and work with him.
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… And Primoz Roglic does it three.
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Michal Kwiatkowski held on, but was dropped again. He was tenth.
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Roglic drives the pace to the final of the race, leading Alaphilippe, Hirshi and compatriot Tadej Pogacar, a kid who just won a race in France or something.
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Alaphilippe ran the sprint and thought he had it. Oui!
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…Not.
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A sad can of Fanta instead of a crisp solemn measure 0.0% for this descent driver.
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Primoz Roglic, well-known winter sports enthusiast, wins the 106th Liège-Bastogne-Liège after an eventful end of the race, two weeks after finishing second in the Tour de France.
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More like Fastvenia, am I right?
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After Alaphilippe’s relegation to fifth place in the leading group, it was Roglic in first place, Hirschi in second and Pogacar in third.
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