Liège, Belgium – Sunday, April 26, 2026 – The 112th edition of Liège–Bastogne–Liège, cycling’s oldest Monument, gets underway today with a blockbuster showdown between Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and rising French star Paul Seixas. Known as La Doyenne, the 259.5-kilometer race starts and finishes in Liège, with the peloton rolling out at 10:00 CET (09:00 UTC).
Pogačar, the defending champion and three-time winner of this race, arrives as the clear favorite after securing victory here in both 2024 and 2025. The Slovenian superstar aims to join an elite group by winning Liège for the fourth time in his career, a feat achieved only by Alejandro Valverde and Moreno Argentin in the race’s storied history. A third consecutive triumph would also make him the first rider to do so since Argentin’s hat-trick in 1987.
Evenepoel, the Belgian time trial specialist and two-time Liège winner (2021, 2022), seeks to reclaim glory on the Ardennes roads where he has historically excelled. Last year, he finished outside the top ten after a crash disrupted his challenge, but the 2024 Olympic road race champion returns with renewed focus on the cobbled climbs and steep gradients that define this Monument.
The true wildcard, however, is 19-year-old Paul Seixas. The French phenom burst onto the scene this spring with back-to-back victories in the Vuelta al País Vasco and La Flèche Wallonne, marking his first wins at UCI WorldTour level. Seixas, who won the junior edition of Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2024, now steps up to the senior Monument for the first time, calling it “a fundamental objective for the first half of my season.”
“It’s a legendary race that I’m eager to discover, but I already know it suits my strengths,” Seixas told RTVE.es ahead of the start. “It’s long and demanding, requiring constant effort. I’m even more motivated because I already have history with La Decana, having won it as a junior in 2024.” His Flèche Wallonne triumph came via a devastating attack on the Mur de Huy, a power display that has raised expectations for his performance on the Ardennes’ most feared ascents.
The route, largely unchanged from 2025, features a slight increase in total distance to 259.5 kilometers. Key climbs include the Côte de la Redoute, Côte de Saint-Roch, and the decisive Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons in the final 10 kilometers. Last year, Pogačar launched his winning move on the Redoute, soloing the last 35 kilometers to victory in Liège.
For viewers worldwide, the race will be broadcast live on Eurosport and available via their streaming platform. In Belgium, RTBF and VRT will carry the event, while RTVE Play will provide coverage in Spain starting at 13:10 CET. In the United States, NBC Sports and Peacock will offer live coverage, with the start time translating to 4:00 AM ET.
As the Ardennes Classics conclude with this Monument, the stage is set for a tactical battle. Pogačar’s explosive acceleration, Evenepoel’s time-trialling prowess on false flats, and Seixas’ raw uphill power could all come into play depending on how the race unfolds. With 82 different winners across 111 editions, Eddy Merckx remains the all-time leader with five victories, a benchmark few have approached.
Today’s race not only awards crucial UCI WorldTour points but also serves as a precursor to the Grand Tour season, with form here often indicating readiness for the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. For Seixas, a strong performance could cement his status as cycling’s next massive thing, while for Pogačar and Evenepoel, it’s another chance to add to their legacies on one of sport’s most revered courses.
Follow all the action live here on Archysport with real-time updates, analysis, and post-race reactions as cycling’s oldest Monument seeks its 112th champion.
Next up: The UCI WorldTour calendar shifts to the Tour de Hongrie in early May, followed by the four-day Tour de Yorkshire later in the month.
What are your predictions for Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2026? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on social media using #LaDoyenne2026.
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