Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2024: Tadej Pogacar powers to second victory in Belgian monument classic road cycling race
Tadej Pogacar claimed his second win in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege road cycling spring classic on Sunday (21 April), winning the 2024 men's race.
The Slovenian star launched a solo attack 35km from the finish of the one-day monument race and, despite rain making conditions somewhat treacherous on the closing descents, managed to extend his lead to close to two minutes.
In the end, he was able to coast through the closing stages with his winning margin of a minute and 39 seconds the biggest since Bernard Hinault won in a snowstorm by over nine minutes in 1980.
French veteran Romain Bardet broke from the chase group to take second with Mathieu van der Poel winning the bunch sprint for third.
Pogacar now has six career wins in cycling's monument races, putting him level with van der Poel for the most among active active riders.
Pogacar solos to sixth monument triumph
Bad luck befell Pogacar last year when he fractured his wrist in a crash, with home favourite Remco Evenepoel securing a second successive win.
This time, he would not be stopped with Evenepoel absent following his spill in the Tour of the Basque Country earlier this month.
With 100km to go in the 110th men's Liege-Bastogne-Liege, there was a crash in the peloton as it closed in on an early nine-man breakaway.
A number of riders, including van der Poel, fell behind the main group with the Dutchman needing the help of his Alpecin-Deceunick team-mates to regain contact.
Just after the breakaway was caught with 90km to go, last Sunday's Amstel Gold Race hero Tom Pidcock had to change his bike due to a mechanical issue.
Both men were able to return to the peloton but, with 35km to go, Pogacar launched his attack on the ascent of the Côte de le Redoute.
He quickly put daylight between himself and the pack, going on to regain the title he last won in 2021.
Bardet attacked 10km from home to take second place with van der Poel taking the last spot on the podium.
Results from Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2024 (top six):
- Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) 6:13:48
- Romain Bardet (FRA, Team DSM) +1'39"
- Mathieu van der Poel (NED, Alpecin-Deceunick) +2'02"
- Maim van Gils (BEL, Lotto-Dstny) +2'02"
- Aurelien Paret-Peintre (FRA, DAT Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +2'02"
- Mauri Vansevenant (BEL, Soudal-QuickStep) +2'02"
Results from Amstel Gold Race 2024 women's race (top six):
- Marianne Vos (NED, Team Visma Lease A Bike) 2:35:02
- Lorena Wiebes (NED, Team SD Worx-Protime) +0"
- Ingvild Gåskjenn (NOR, Liv AlUla Jayco) +0"
- Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0"
- Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA, Lidl-Trek) +0"
- Eleonora Gasparrini (ITA, UAE Team ADQ) +0"