The 2023 edition of Liège Bastogne Liège, which takes place on Sunday, promises to be exciting with an XXL field on the Doyenne of the classics.
Winner of the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne, Tadej Pogacar is now aiming for a Cycling Monument, Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The “Doyenne” of the classics which makes many runners dream will be contested this Sunday, April 23 with a particularly tough field. If the Slovenian seems to be untouchable (12 victories in 18 days of racing), he will have a strong opponent with the road world champion Remco Evenepoel, defending champion after his solo victory in 2022. The Belgian, who is preparing for the Tour d’Italie, main objective of his season, will be able to count on the support of Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe. Unlucky since the start of the season, the Frenchman will return to racing, a year after his very big fall. Note all the same the absences, regrettable but logical after the Flandriennes of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel.
Among the French, if Alaphilippe should be confined to a team role for his leader Evenepoel, we will follow the performance of Romain Bardet. Very comfortable on the Mur de Huy for his return race (he attacked first), the Frenchman has a profile that corresponds more to the Classic. 6th and best French on the Flèche Wallonne, Victor Lafay could once again be the nice surprise of the day with the Blues.
Favorites :
**** Pogacar, Evenepoel
*** Pidcock, Vlasov, Landa, Woods, Healy
** Mas, Ciccone, Valter, Benoot, Mohoric, Bardet, Alaphilippe, Lutsenko
The Dean of the Classics traditionally concludes the triptych of Ardennes races. For the 2023 edition, the race is scheduled for Sunday April 23.
Here is the start list for the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race (the latter is updated as soon as a team announces its composition).
In 2023, the route will be slightly different from that of 2022 because it marks the return of the Cote des Forges between La Redoute and La Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3 kilometers at 7.2%, max 11%). For the rest, it’s classic for this “Doyenne” with almost 260 kilometers and many difficulties.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège is broadcast live on Eurosport 1 (from 1.30 p.m.) and on France 3 (from 3.15 p.m.).
Find the winners of the last fifteen years of the “Doyenne” of the classics.
