Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Encyclopedia
Liège–Bastogne–Liège, often called La Doyenne ("the oldest"), is one of the five 'Monuments' of the European professional road cycling
calendar. It is run in the Ardennes
region of Belgium
, from Liège to Bastogne
and back.
Liège–Bastogne–Liège was part of the UCI Road World Cup and is part of the Belgian Ardennes Classics
series, which includes La Flèche Wallonne
. Both are organised by Amaury Sport Organisation
. At one time, Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège were run on successive days as Le Weekend Ardennais. Only seven riders have won both races in the same year: the Swiss
Ferdi Kübler twice (in 1951 and 1952), Belgians
Stan Ockers
(1955) and Eddy Merckx
(1972), Italians
Moreno Argentin
(1991) and Davide Rebellin
, the Spaniard
Alejandro Valverde
(2006) and finally Philippe Gilbert
in 2011 as part of a quadruple victory with the Amstel Gold Race
and the Brabantse Pijl
.
The first race was for amateurs, from Spa
to Bastogne and back. It was won by Leon Houa
, who also won the first race for professionals in 1894.
Thirty-three riders started the first race, which was run by the Liège cycling union and the Pesant Club Liègois. Just 17 finished, all of whom were Belgian. Houa, who came from Liège, won by 22 minutes, after 11 hours on the road. The second man, Léon Lhoest, came in 22 minutes after him, and the third, Louis Rasquinet, at 44 minutes. Riders were still arriving for another five hours.
Houa won again the next year, this time by half an hour. He won again in 1894, by seven minutes. The 1894 race was for professionals, and the speed rose from 23.3 km/h to 25 km/h. The winner of the first Tour de France, Maurice Garin
, came in fourth. The race was then not run for 14 years, after which it was sometimes open only to amateurs and semi-professionals.
In 1909 the winner, Eugène Charlier, was disqualified, because he changed bicycles. The winner became Victor Fastre. Two riders shared the 1957 race. Germain Derijcke was first over the line, but because he crossed a closed rail crossing, the second-place rider, Frans Schoubben, was promoted to first as well. Derijcke was not disqualified, because he had won by three minutes advantage; judges felt he had not gained that much time from illegally crossing the railway.
Until 1991 the race finished in Liege city centre, with a flat run in to the finish. From 1992 the finish moved to the suburb of Ans, on the northern side of the city. The Côte de Saint Nicolas was added to the final kilometres, along with a final climb to the finish in Ans. The turn point was the train station in Bastogne, chosen because of its convenience for race officials.
said: "In purely physical terms, this is probably the toughest classic: the climbs are long, most of them are pretty steep as well, and they come up with depressing frequency in the final kilometers.
Moreno Argentin said:
attacked with 80 km to go and finished nearly 10 minutes ahead.
Bernard Hinault, the winner, was one of few to finish the course. It took three weeks for proper movement to return to two fingers of his right hand.
The race follows a straightforward 95 km route from Liège to Bastogne, and a winding 163 km route back to Liège. The second half contains most of the climbs, such as the Stockeu, Haute-Levée, La Redoute, and Saint-Nicolas before finishing in the northern Liège suburb of Ans
. The many hills give opportunities to attack, and the race often rewards aggressive riders such as Michele Bartoli
and Paolo Bettini
.
Still active are in italic.
* Alejandro Valverde is suspended
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
calendar. It is run in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
region of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, from Liège to Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
and back.
Liège–Bastogne–Liège was part of the UCI Road World Cup and is part of the Belgian Ardennes Classics
Ardennes classics
The Ardennes classics are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Ardennes and Dutch Limburg. The races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held close after each other...
series, which includes La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne is a major men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium.The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège...
. Both are organised by Amaury Sport Organisation
Amaury Sport Organisation
The Amaury Sport Organisation is part of the French media group, EPA . It organises sporting events including the Tour de France and Paris–Nice professional cycle road races, and the Dakar Rally...
. At one time, Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège were run on successive days as Le Weekend Ardennais. Only seven riders have won both races in the same year: the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Ferdi Kübler twice (in 1951 and 1952), Belgians
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Stan Ockers
Stan Ockers
Constant Ockers was a Belgian professional racing cyclist.He was runner-up in the Tour de France in 1950 and 1952, and the best sprinter in that race in 1955 and 1956. In 1955 he won the Classic "Ardennes double" by winning La Flèche Wallonne and the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in the same year...
(1955) and Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
(1972), Italians
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Moreno Argentin
Moreno Argentin
Moreno Argentin is an Italian former professional cyclist .Born in San Donà di Piave , he won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse. Known as Il Capo , he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège four times, the La Flèche Wallonne three times and the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Giro...
(1991) and Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin is an Italian road bicycle racer, currently riding for the Italian Miche-Guerciotti team. He served a 2-year suspension for testing positive for Mircera at the 2008 Olympic Games...
, the Spaniard
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
(2006) and finally Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...
in 2011 as part of a quadruple victory with the Amstel Gold Race
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle race held in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. Since 1989 it has been among the races included in season long rankings tables, as part of the UCI Road World Cup , the UCI ProTour , UCI World Ranking and from 2011 the UCI World Tour...
and the Brabantse Pijl
Brabantse Pijl
The Brabantse Pijl is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011, it was upgraded to a 1.HC event...
.
History
Liège–Bastogne–Liège began in 1892 to publicise the newspaper L'Expresse It is because the paper was published in French that the route stayed in the southern, French-speaking half of Belgium. Its equivalent in the Dutch-speaking north is the Ronde van Vlaanderen.The first race was for amateurs, from Spa
Spa, Belgium
Spa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
to Bastogne and back. It was won by Leon Houa
Léon Houa
Léon Houa was a Belgian road bicycle racer famous for winning the first three editions of Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1892–1894...
, who also won the first race for professionals in 1894.
Thirty-three riders started the first race, which was run by the Liège cycling union and the Pesant Club Liègois. Just 17 finished, all of whom were Belgian. Houa, who came from Liège, won by 22 minutes, after 11 hours on the road. The second man, Léon Lhoest, came in 22 minutes after him, and the third, Louis Rasquinet, at 44 minutes. Riders were still arriving for another five hours.
Houa won again the next year, this time by half an hour. He won again in 1894, by seven minutes. The 1894 race was for professionals, and the speed rose from 23.3 km/h to 25 km/h. The winner of the first Tour de France, Maurice Garin
Maurice Garin
Maurice-Francois Garin was a road bicycle racer best known for winning the inaugural Tour de France in 1903, and for being stripped of his title in the second Tour in 1904 along with eight others, for cheating.-Origins:Garin was born the son of Maurice Clément Garin and Maria Teresa...
, came in fourth. The race was then not run for 14 years, after which it was sometimes open only to amateurs and semi-professionals.
In 1909 the winner, Eugène Charlier, was disqualified, because he changed bicycles. The winner became Victor Fastre. Two riders shared the 1957 race. Germain Derijcke was first over the line, but because he crossed a closed rail crossing, the second-place rider, Frans Schoubben, was promoted to first as well. Derijcke was not disqualified, because he had won by three minutes advantage; judges felt he had not gained that much time from illegally crossing the railway.
Until 1991 the race finished in Liege city centre, with a flat run in to the finish. From 1992 the finish moved to the suburb of Ans, on the northern side of the city. The Côte de Saint Nicolas was added to the final kilometres, along with a final climb to the finish in Ans. The turn point was the train station in Bastogne, chosen because of its convenience for race officials.
Demands
The British magazine Cycling WeeklyCycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly is a British cycling magazine. It is published by IPC Media and is devoted to the sport and past-time of cycling. It is affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".-History:...
said: "In purely physical terms, this is probably the toughest classic: the climbs are long, most of them are pretty steep as well, and they come up with depressing frequency in the final kilometers.
Moreno Argentin said:
- Riders who win at Liège are what we call fondisti - men with a superior level of stamina. [The climb of] La Redoute is like the Mur de HuyMur de HuyThe Mur de Huy is a high hill located in Huy, Belgium. It is also known as le Chemin des Chapelles because of the seven chapels along its route. This climb is famous for being part of the route of La Flèche Wallonne professional cycling race....
in that it has to be tackled at pace, from the front of the peloton. The gradient is about 14 or 15 per cent, and it comes after 220 or 230 kilometers, so you don't have to be a genius to work out how tough it is. I remember that we used to go up with a maximum of 39 x 21 - it's not quite as steep as the Mur de Huy. A lot of riders mistakenly think you should attack on the hardest part, but in reality you hurt people on the slightly flatter section that comes after this.
- Liège is a race of trial by elimination, where it's very unlikely that a breakaway can go clear and decide the race before the final 100km. You need to be strong and at the same time clever and calculating - in this sense it's a complete test of a cyclist's ability.
Weather
The race has been affected by tough weather. In 1919, 1957 and 1980 there was snow. In 1980 snow fell from from the start, leading commentators to call it 'Neige-Bastogne-Neige (Snow-Bastogne-Snow') . Bernard HinaultBernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
attacked with 80 km to go and finished nearly 10 minutes ahead.
The 1980 race
A cold wind that blew across Belgium brought snow flakes and then a heavy fall within moments of the race starting. The British magazine, Procycling, reported:- Riders struggled on, with hands to faces to keep a view of the road. The race was an anonymous mass of plastic jackets and windcheaters. Spectators stood in goggles like upmarket snowmen, red-faced in the bitterness. Within the hour some teams had barely a man left on the road. They pulled out two dozen at a time, men like Gibi Baronchelli and Giuseppe SaronniGiuseppe SaronniGiuseppe Saronni , also known as Beppe Saronni, is an Italian former racing cyclist.-Biography:Born in Novara, Piedmont, Saronni turned professional in 1977. During his career, that lasted until 1989, he won 193 races...
, Lucien Van ImpeLucien Van ImpeLucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France...
and Jean-René Bernardeau.
Bernard Hinault, the winner, was one of few to finish the course. It took three weeks for proper movement to return to two fingers of his right hand.
Route
Ans
Ans is a small Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Ans had a total population of 27,322. The total area is 23.35 km² which gives a population density of 1,170 inhabitants per km²...
. The many hills give opportunities to attack, and the race often rewards aggressive riders such as Michele Bartoli
Michele Bartoli
Michele Bartoli is a retired Italian road racing cyclist. He was a single-day race specialist, winning three of the five Monument races. Bartoli won the UCI Road World Cup in 1997 and 1998.-Biography:...
and Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini
Paolo Bettini is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classics specialist of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times, he won gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics road race and in the 2006...
.
| km mark | Name | Distance | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57.7 | Côte de Ny | 1.8 km | 5.7 % |
| 82.0 | Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne | 2.8 km | 4.9 % |
| 128.0 | Côte de Saint-Roch | 0.8 km | 12.0 % |
| 172.0 | Côte de Wanne | 2.7 km | 7.0 % |
| 178.5 | Côte de Stockeu | 1.1 km | 10.5 % |
| 184.0 | Côte de la Haute-Levée | 3.4 km | 6.0 % |
| 196.5 | Côte du Rosier | 4.0 km | 5.9 % |
| 209.0 | Côte de la Vecquée | 3.1 km | 5.9 % |
| 226.5 | Côte de la Redoute | 2.1 km | 8.4 % |
| 241.5 | Côte de la Roche aux Faucons | 1.5 km | 9.9 % |
| 255.5 | Côte de Saint-Nicolas | 1.0 km | 11.1 % |
Winners
Winners by Nationality
| # of Victories | Country |
|---|---|
| 59 | |
| 12 | |
| 6 | |
| 5 | |
| 3 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 |
Multiple winners
Riders that managed to win the race more than once.Still active are in italic.
| Wins | Rider | Country | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all... |
1969 + 1971 + 1972 + 1973 + 1975 | |
| 4 | Moreno Argentin Moreno Argentin Moreno Argentin is an Italian former professional cyclist .Born in San Donà di Piave , he won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse. Known as Il Capo , he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège four times, the La Flèche Wallonne three times and the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Giro... |
1985 + 1986 + 1987 + 1991 | |
| 3 | Léon Houa Léon Houa Léon Houa was a Belgian road bicycle racer famous for winning the first three editions of Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1892–1894... |
1892 + 1893 + 1894 | |
| Alfons Schepers | 1929 + 1931 + 1935 | ||
| Fred De Bruyne Fred De Bruyne Alfred De Bruyne was a Belgian champion cyclist.He won Milan – San Remo and Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1956, the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris–Roubaix and Paris–Tours in 1957, and again Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1958 and 1959.... |
1956 + 1958 + 1959 | ||
| 2 | Louis Mottiat Louis Mottiat Louis Mottiat was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Because of his endurance he was nicknamed 'the iron man'. His career was interrupted by World War I.- Palmarès :19101911191219131914... |
1921 + 1922 | |
| René Vermandel | 1923 + 1924 | ||
| Richard Depoorter | 1943 + 1947 | ||
| Prosper Depredomme | 1946 + 1950 | ||
| Ferdi Kübler | 1951 + 1952 | ||
| Joseph Bruyère Joseph Bruyère Joseph Bruyere or Bruyère is a former Belgian cyclist.- Major wins :1969197119721974- Tour de France :*1970 - 50st*1971 - 60st*1972 - 26st; winner of 19th stage*1974 - 21st... |
1976 + 1978 | ||
| Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985... |
1977 + 1980 | ||
| Seán Kelly Seán Kelly (cyclist) John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193... |
1984 + 1989 | ||
| Michele Bartoli Michele Bartoli Michele Bartoli is a retired Italian road racing cyclist. He was a single-day race specialist, winning three of the five Monument races. Bartoli won the UCI Road World Cup in 1997 and 1998.-Biography:... |
1997 + 1998 | ||
| Paolo Bettini Paolo Bettini Paolo Bettini is an Italian former champion road racing cyclist, and the coach of the Italian national cycling team. Considered the best classics specialist of his generation, and probably one of the strongest of all times, he won gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics road race and in the 2006... |
2000 + 2002 | ||
| Alexandre Vinokourov | 2005 + 2010 2010 Liège–Bastogne–Liège The 2010 Liège–Bastogne–Liège monument classic cycling race took place on April 25, 2010. The race was won by Alexander Vinokourov after slipping into a breakaway with Alexandr Kolobnev... |
||
| Alejandro Valverde Alejandro Valverde Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship... * |
2006 + 2008 |
* Alejandro Valverde is suspended