Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2015

The road

How it was won

1. 1126 km to go

   Seven minutes for the eight

   It took nearly an hour of racing before Diego Ulissi dragged seven companions clear, and by the wall of Saint-Roch in Houffalize their lead has swollen to seven minutes. Behind, an unexpected Europcar shift on the front is already trimming it.

2. 284 km to go

   Astana take the reins for Wanne–Stockeu–Haute-Levée

   With eighty-odd kilometres left the race hits its cruellest sequence, three côtes stacked one on the next. A determined Astana delegation moves to the front and the breakaway's advantage starts to evaporate.

3. 335 km to go

   The crash before La Redoute

   A huge pile-up on the approach wipes out the last two winners — Dan Martin and Simon Gerrans — along with Nicolas Roche and Fränk Schleck. By the foot of La Redoute the peloton is down to forty riders, thinned more by that one corner than by any climb of the day.

4. 417 km to go

   Kreuziger punches clear

   Scarponi and Chaves are swallowed at the base with a little over twenty kilometres left. Most of the climb is stalemate — Nibali, Kwiatkowski and Bardet watching one another — until Roman Kreuziger jumps within sight of the summit and takes Caruso and Fuglsang with him on the descent.

5. 55 km to go

   Nibali attacks, Valverde doesn't blink

   Štybar's forcing has brought the leaders back within sight at the foot of the last côte, and it is Valverde himself setting the tempo on the lower slopes to smother the attacks. When the road stiffens Nibali finally goes, reels in the escapees and cannot get away; his move only kills off Kwiatkowski and Gilbert. Dani Moreno takes over near the summit in the rain, and the winning selection is made.

6. 63 km to go

   Bardet's flyer on the wet descent

   Romain Bardet throws himself down the treacherous run off Saint-Nicolas. He never gets clear, but he does drop Nibali and whittles the group heading for Ans to ten.

7. 7At the line

   Valverde's third Doyenne

   On the drag up to Ans, Alaphilippe has to swing around a slowing Rodríguez and by then it is over. Valverde finds the extra gear he has had all spring and wins La Doyenne for a third time.

The result