Evenepoel attacks on the penultimate climb
“That was my best day on the bike, a perfect day. That’s incredible” said Evenepoel and added: “I’ve suffered a lot mentally and physically in the last year and a half and finally I feel like everything is going well, everything is becoming stable and I’m getting back to my old self. I think today I showed the best Remco since I turned pro. I’m so proud and happy.” Evenepoel had broken his pelvis in August 2020 in a horror fall on the Lombardy Tour and had to pause for nine months.
Evenepoel worried at the Cote de la Redoute, the penultimate climb, for the preliminary decision, when he broke away with a powerful attack and, in the manner of a time trialist, drove towards his greatest success to date. On the last climb he then hung the Frenchman Bruno Armirail and had a 48 second lead at the finish.
Pogacar not at the start
The two old stars and ex-winners Alejandro Valverde (41 years/Spain) and Philip Gilbert (39/Belgium), on the other hand, was denied a podium place when she last competed in Liège. Defending Champion and Tour de France–champion Tadej Pogacar had to step down at short notice due to a bereavement in the family.
Shoulder blade fracture and lung injury at Alaphilippe
The race was overshadowed a good 62 kilometers from the finish by a violent mass crash, which also lowered the hopes of Alaphilippe destroyed. As his team later announced, the Frenchman suffered a fractured shoulder blade, two fractured ribs and a lung injury (hemopneumothorax). With the fall, Alaphilippe’s series of bankruptcies continued La Doyenne, the oldest bike classic. He had the long-awaited victory in his favorite race in 2021 Pogacar snapped away in the last meters. A year earlier had Alaphilippe already raised his arms in celebration when himself Primoz Roglic pushed past. Later he was even relegated to fifth place because of a maneuver in the final sprint.
Annemiek van Vleuten wins women’s race
In the women’s race, Liane Lippert (Friedrichshafen) finished eighth. The Vice European Champion was 1:58 minutes behind the solo winner after 142.1 kilometers Annemiek van Vleuten. The Dutch Olympic time trial champion, who is 39 years old after all, took the lead Grace Brown from Australia and compatriot Demi Vollering through.
Source: dpa/sid/red