Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2023

The road

At the start

The Ardennes treble, or the champion

The fourth Monument of the year: 258 kilometres from Liège to Bastogne and back, 4,200 metres of Ardennes climbing. Tadej Pogačar has already won Flanders, Amstel and Flèche Wallonne this spring, and nobody has ever completed the Ardennes treble off a Ronde. Remco Evenepoel — world champion, defending champion — has come straight down from Teide for this one day before the Giro. Everyone else here is an outsider.

How it was won

1. 1178 km to go

   Pogačar crashes out

   Disaster for the co-favourite: Tadej Pogačar hits the deck after 80km and cannot continue, abandoning with a fractured wrist that will need surgery. The race loses its most explosive rider before the climbs even begin.

2. 273 km to go

   Stockeu

   On the savage ramps of the Stockeu, the steepest climb of the day, Jan Tratnik launches a brave long-range raid, dragging Simone Velasco clear as the peloton finally begins to stir.

3. 334 km to go

   La Redoute

   Led by Louis Vervaeke, Evenepoel piles on the pressure over La Redoute and shreds the field to a handful. Only Tom Pidcock can hold him — just — clawing back on the descent.

4. 430 km to go

   Côte de Cornemont

   On the short unclassified rise of the Cornemont, Evenepoel finally strikes the decisive blow. He leaves Pidcock standing and rides away alone with thirty kilometres still to go, the World Champion committing everything to a lone flight to Liège.

5. 514 km to go

   Roche-aux-Faucons

   Over the final classified climb Evenepoel's lead only grows, ballooning towards ninety seconds. Barring one heart-stopping slither on a corner, he is untouchable now.

6. 6At the line

   Liège

   Evenepoel sweeps into Liège alone to defend his title, back-to-back La Doyenne, while Pidcock outsprints Buitrago for the remaining podium places well over a minute down.

The result