Liège-Bastogne-Liège
The Liège-Bastogne-Liège (French: Liège-Bastogne-Liège) is a Belgian professional cycling race held in Liège and its surroundings and as its own name indicates, passing through Bastoña, on the last Sunday of April.
It is one of the five classic tests known as "cycling monuments", along with Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Giro de Lombardy, being the oldest of them. Its first edition took place in 1892 and for this reason it is known as La Doyenne ("The Dean"). There were some early editions that were not for professional racers.
It is also part of the Ardennes Classics, along with the Amstel Gold Race and the Fleche Wallonne. It was part of the Cycling World Cup during all the years in which it was held (1989-2004). Since 2009 it has been included in the UCI World Calendar and UCI WorldTour and from 2005 to 2007 it was in the UCI ProTour.
The rider who has won the most times is the Belgian Eddy Merckx, with 5 victories.
It is organized by the Amaury Sport Organization (organizers of the Tour de France) and since 2017 the race has had a female version of the same name officially called Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.
History
Tour
The race usually has an average length of about 260 km, traversing the hills of the Ardennes where the slopes and unpredictable weather make this classic more difficult.
The test has numerous levels or ports throughout its route, with a dozen of them scoring. Traditionally, in the last 35 km, they have almost always been: La Redoute, Sprimmont (some editions not scoring), Sart-Tilmar, Saint-Nicolas and Ans (not scoring).
However, Sart-Tilmar was replaced in 2008 by Roche aux Faucons with the aim of making the race more select. In addition, in 2010 before La Redoute and after Rosier the heights of Maquisard and Mont-Theux were included in replacement of Vecquée, with the aim of removing the level between the aforementioned Rosier (about 70 km from the finish line) and La Redoute (about 35 km from the finish line), a change that had hardly any impact on the development of the race. Due to works on the Roche aux Faucons level, this was replaced by the more stretched level of Colonsner in 2013.
Dimensions or ports 2012 edition
- Province of Luxembourg
- Ny (km 57.5): Up from 1.8 km to 6 %
- La Roche-en-Ardenne (km 82,5): Up from 2.9 km to 5.9 %
- Saint-Roch (km 128.5): Up from 1 km to 11.2 %
- Liège Province
- Wanne (km 171): Up from 2.2 km to 7.7 %
- Stockeu (km 177.5): Up from 1.1 km to 11.6 %
- Haute-Levée (km 183): Up from 3.4 km to 6 %
- Cota du Rosier (km 195,5): Up from 3.9 km to 6.3 %
- Vecquée (km 208): Up from 3.2 km to 6.2%
- La Redoute (km 225): Up from 2.3 km to 7.4 %
- Sprimont (km 232.5): Up from 1.5 km to 5 %
- Côte de la Roche-aux-faucons (km 246): Up from 1.6 km to 10 %
- Cota de Saint-Nicolas (km 252): Up from 0.9 km to 11 %
Liège-Bastogne-Liège sub-23
Since 1986, the Liège-Bastogne-Liège sub-23 tournament has also been held (in French and officially: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Espoirs) which is a Liège-Bastogne-Liège limited to under-23 riders, taking place a week before its namesake without age limitation.
Its first editions were amateur until the creation of the UCI Continental Circuits in 2005 when it began to be part of the UCI Europe Tour the first two years in category 1.2; then in the category created in 2007 also within the last category of professionalism: 2.Ncup (UCI Nations Cup); and finally in the specific category created in 2007 for under-23 riders, but also within the last category of professionalism: 1.2U.
It has about 180 km in its layout, about 80 km less than its namesake with no age limitation, although with similar heights.
Unlike its namesake with no age limitation, it is not organized by ASO (also organizer of the Tour de France among others).
Honours of Prizes
 Year | Winner | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | .svg){kind=small} Léon Houa | Léon Lhoest | Louis Rasquinet |
| 1893 | Léon Houa | Michel Borisowski | Charles Collette |
| 1894 | Léon Houa | Louis Rasquinet | René Nulens |
1894-1907 unrealized editions | |||
| 1908 |  André Trousselier | Alphonse Lauwers | Henri Dubois |
| 1909 | Victor Fastre | Eugène Charlier | Paul Deman |
1910 unrealized edition | |||
| 1911 | Joseph Van Daele | Armand Lenoir | Victor Kraenenen |
| 1912 | Omer Verschoore | Jacques Coomans | André Blaise |
| 1913 | Maurice Moritz | Alphonse Fonson | Hubert Noël |
1914-1918 issues suspended by the First World War | |||
| 1919 | Léon Devos | Henri Hanlet | Arthur Claerhout |
| 1920 | Léon Scieur | Lucien Buysse | Jacques Coomans |
| 1921 | Louis Mottiat | Marcel Lacour | Jean Rossius |
| 1922 | Louis Mottiat | Albert Jordens | Laurent Seret |
| 1923 | René Vermandel | Jean Rossius | Felix Sellier |
| 1924 | René Vermandel | Adelin Benoît | Jules Matton |
| 1925 | George Ronsse | Gustave Van Slembrouck | Louis Eelen |
| 1926 | Dieudonné Smets | Joseph Siquet | Alexis Macar |
| 1927 | Maurice Raes | Jean Hans | Joseph Siquet |
| 1928 | Ernest Mottard | Maurice Raes | Emile Van Belle |
| 1929 | Alphonse Schepers | Gustave Hembroeckx | Maurice Raes |
| 1930 | .svg){kind=small} Hermann Buse | Georges Laloup | François Gardier |
| 1931 | Alphonse Schepers | Marcel Houyoux | Jules Deschepper |
| 1932 | Marcel Houyoux | Léopold Roosemont | Gérard Lambrechts |
| 1933 | François Gardier | Roger Dewolf | Albert Bolly |
| 1934 | Theo Herckenrath | Mathieu Cardynaels | Jef Moerenhout |
| 1935 | Alphonse Schepers | Frans Bonduel | Louis Hardiquest |
| 1936 | Albert Beckaert | Gilbert Levae | Jan-Jozef Horemans |
| 1937 | Eloi Meulenberg | Gustaaf Deloor | Julien Heernaert |
| 1938 | Alfons Deloor | Marcel Kint | Félicien Vervaecke |
| 1939 | Albert Ritserveldt | Cyriel Van Overberghe | Edward Vissers |
1940-1942 editions suspended by the Second World War | |||
| 1943 | Richard Depoorter | Joseph Didden | Stan Ockers |
1944 edition suspended by the Second World War | |||
| 1945 | Jean Engels | Edward van Dijck | Jef Moerenhout |
| 1946 | Prosper Depredomme | Albert Hendrickx | Triphon Verstraeten |
| 1947 | Richard Depoorter | Raymond Impanis | Florent Mathieu |
| 1948 | Maurice Mollin | Raymond Impanis | Louis Caput |
| 1949 | Camille Danguillaume | Adolf Verschueren | Roger Gyselinck |
| 1950 | Prosper Depredomme | Jean Bogaerts | Edward van Dijck |
| 1951 |  Ferdinand Kübler | Germain Derycke |  Wout Wagtmans |
| 1952 | Ferdinand Kübler | Henri Van Kerckhove | Jean Robic |
| 1953 | Alois De Hertog | Maurice Diot | Raoul Rémy |
| 1954 |  Marcel Ernzer | Raymond Impanis | Ferdinand Kübler |
| 1955 | Stan Ockers | Raymond Impanis | Jean Brankart |
| 1956 | Fred de Bruyne | Richard Van Genechten | Alex Close |
| 1957 | Germain Derycke Frans Schoubben | Marcel Buys | |
| 1958 | Fred de Bruyne | Jan Zagers | Jos Theuns |
| 1959 | Fred de Bruyne | Frans Schoubben | Frans De Mulder |
| 1960 | Albertus Geldermans | Pierre Everaert | Jef Planckaert |
| 1961 | Rik Van Looy | Marcel Rohrbach | Armand Desmet |
| 1962 | Jef Planckaert |  Rolf Wolfshohl | Claude Colette |
| 1963 | Frans Melckenbeeck |  Pino Cerami | Vittorio Adorni |
| 1964 | Willy Bocklandt | Georges Van Coningsloo | Vittorio Adorni |
| 1965 | Carmine Preziosi | Vittorio Adorni | Martin Van Den Bossche |
| 1966 | Jacques Anquetil | Victor Van Schil | Willy In 't Ven |
| 1967 | Walter Godefroot | Eddy Merckx | Willy Monty |
| 1968 | Valère van Sweevelt | Walter Godefroot | Raymond Poulidor |
| 1969 | Eddy Merckx | Victor Van Schil | .svg){kind=small} Barry Hoban |
| 1970 | Roger de Vlaeminck | Frans Verbeeck | Eddy Merckx |
| 1971 | Eddy Merckx | Georges Pintens | Frans Verbeeck |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | Wim Schepers | Walter Godefroot |
| 1973 | Eddy Merckx | Frans Verbeeck | Walter Godefroot |
| 1974 | Georges Pintens | Walter Planckaert | declared desert |
| 1975 | Eddy Merckx | Bernard Thévenet | Walter Godefroot |
| 1976 | Joseph Bruyère | Freddy Maertens | Frans Verbeeck |
| 1977 | Bernard Hinault | Andre Dierickx | Dietrich Thurau |
| 1978 | Joseph Bruyère | Dietrich Thurau | Francesco Moser |
| 1979 | Dietrich Thurau | Bernard Hinault | Daniel Willems |
| 1980 | Bernard Hinault | Hennie Kuiper | Ronny Claes |
| 1981 | Josef Fuchs | Stephan Mutter | declared desert |
| 1982 | Silvano Contini | Alfons de Wolf | Stephan Mutter |
| 1983 | Steven Rooks | Giuseppe Saronni | Pascal Jules |
| 1984 |  Sean Kelly. |  Phil Anderson |  Greg LeMond |
| 1985 | Moreno Argentin | Claude Criquielion | Stephen Roche |
| 1986 | Moreno Argentin | Adrie van der Poel |  Dag Erik Pedersen |
| 1987 | Moreno Argentin | Stephen Roche | Claude Criquielion |
| 1988 | Adrie van der Poel | Michel Dernies | Robert Millar |
| 1989 | Sean Kelly. | Fabrice Philipot | Phil Anderson |
| 1990 | Eric van Lancker | Jean-Claude Leclercq | Steven Rooks |
| 1991 | Moreno Argentin | Claude Criquielion |  Rolf Sørensen |
| 1992 | Dirk de Wolf | Steven Rooks | Jean-François Bernard |
| 1993 | Rolf Sørensen | Tony Rominger | Maurizio Fondriest |
| 1994 |  Yevgueni Berzin | Lance Armstrong | Giorgio Furlan |
| 1995 | Mauro Gianetti | Gianni Bugno | Michele Bartoli |
| 1996 | Pascal Richard | Lance Armstrong | Mauro Gianetti |
| 1997 | Michele Bartoli | Laurent Jalabert | Gabriele Colombo |
| 1998 | Michele Bartoli | Laurent Jalabert | Rodolfo Massi |
| 1999 | Frank Vandenbroucke | Michael Boogerd | Maarten den Bakker |
| 2000 | Paolo Bettini |  David Etxebarria | Davide Rebellin |
| 2001 | Oscar Camenzind | Davide Rebellin | David Etxebarria |
| 2002 | Paolo Bettini | Stefano Garzelli | Ivan Basso |
| 2003 | Tyler Hamilton | Iban Mayo | Michael Boogerd |
| 2004 | Davide Rebellin | Michael Boogerd |  Alekszandr Vinokurov |
| 2005 | Alekszandr Vinokurov | Jens Voigt | Michael Boogerd |
| 2006 | Alejandro Valverde | Paolo Bettini | Damiano Cunego |
| 2007 | Danilo Di Luca | Alejandro Valverde | Fränk Schleck |
| 2008 | Alejandro Valverde | Davide Rebellin | Fränk Schleck |
| 2009 | Andy Schleck | Joaquim Rodríguez | Davide Rebellin |
| 2010 | Alekszandr Vinokurov | Aleksandr Kolobnev | Philippe Gilbert |
| 2011 | Philippe Gilbert | Fränk Schleck | Andy Schleck |
| 2012 | Maxim Iglinskiy | Vincenzo Nibali | Enrico Gasparotto |
| 2013 | Daniel Martin | Joaquim Rodríguez | Alejandro Valverde |
| 2014 | Simon Gerrans | Alejandro Valverde |  Michał Kwiatkowski |
| 2015 | Alejandro Valverde | Julian Alaphilippe | Joaquim Rodríguez |
| 2016 | Wout Poels | Michael Albasini |  Rui Alberto Costa |
| 2017 | Alejandro Valverde | Daniel Martin | Michał Kwiatkowski |
| 2018 | Bob Jungels |  Michael Woods | Romain Bardet |
| 2019 | Jakob Fuglsang | Davide Formolo | Maximilian Schachmann |
| 2020 |  Primož Roglič | Marc Hirschi | Tadej Pogačar |
| 2021 | Tadej Pogačar | Julian Alaphilippe | David Gaudu |
| 2022 | Event | Quinten Hermans | Wout van Aert |
Notes:
- The 1892, 1893, 1911, 1913 and 1925 to 1929 editions were amateur editions.
- At Liège-Bastoña-Lieja 1957, a tie was declared in the first place between Frans Schoubben and Germain Derijcke. Derijcke was the first to cross the line, but because he went through a closed rail crossing, the corridor second, Frans Schoubben, was also promoted to the first place.
- At Liège-Bastoña-Lieja 1981, Johan van der Velde was initially first, but was disqualified for doping reasons.
- In the Liège-Bastoña-Lieja 2005, Michael Boogerd initially third, was cancelled the results obtained from 2005 to 2007 for doping reasons.
- At the Liege-Bastoña-Lieja 2010, Alejandro Valverde was initially third, but was disqualified by his involvement in Operation Port (Operation Port).See Case Valverde)
Human awards by country
| Country | Victorias | 2.o place | 3.o place | Total | Last winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belgium Belgium | 59 | 59 | 56 | 174 | Event in 2022 |
Italy Italy | 12 | 10 | 13 | 35 | Danilo Di Luca in 2007 |
Switzerland Switzerland | 6 | 4 | 3 | 13 | Oscar Camenzind in 2001 |
.svg){kind=small} France | 5 | 11 | 9 | 25 | Bernard Hinault in 1980 |
Netherlands Netherlands | 4 | 6 | Wout Poels in 2016 | ||
Spain Spain | 4 | 6 | 2 | 12 | Alejandro Valverde in 2017 |
| Ireland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | Daniel Martin in 2013 |
| LuxembourgLuxembourg | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | Bob Jungels in 2018 |
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Maxim Iglinskiy in 2012 |
Germany Germany | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | Dietrich Thurau in 1979 |
| DenmarkDenmark | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Jakob Fuglsang in 2019 |
| SloveniaSlovenia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Tadej Pogačar in 2021 |
| United States | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Tyler Hamilton in 2003 |
.svg){kind=small} Australia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Simon Gerrans in 2014 |
Russia Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Yevgeni Berzin in 1994 |
| Total | 108 | 106 | 98 | 312 |
In bold active brokers.
- ↑ Michael Boogerd initially third, was cancelled the results obtained from 2005 to 2007 for doping reasons.
Statistics
Most wins
| Cycling | Victorias | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Eddy Merckx | 5 | 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975 |
| Moreno Argentin | 4 | 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1991 |
| Alejandro Valverde | 4 | 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2017 |
| Léon Houa | 3 | 1892, 1893 and 1894 |
| Alphonse Schepers | 3 | 1929, 1931 and 1935 |
| Fred De Bruyne | 3 | 1956, 1958 and 1959 |
| Louis Mottiat | 2 | 1921 and 1922 |
| René Vermandel | 2 | 1923 and 1924 |
| Richard Depoorter | 2 | 1943 and 1947 |
| Prosper Depredomme | 2 | 1946 and 1950 |
| Ferdi Kübler | 2 | 1951 and 1952 |
| Joseph Bruyère | 2 | 1976 and 1978 |
| Bernard Hinault | 2 | 1977 and 1980 |
| Sean Kelly. | 2 | 1984 and 1989 |
| Michele Bartoli | 2 | 1997-1998 |
| Paolo Bettini | 2 | 2000 and 2002 |
| Alexandre Vinokourov | 2 | 2005 and 2010 |
Consecutive wins
- Three victories in a row:
- Léon Houa (1892, 1893, 1894)
- Eddy Merckx (1971, 1972, 1973)
- Moreno Argentin (1985, 1986, 1987)
- Two victories in a row:
- Louis Mottiat (1921, 1922)
- René Vermandel (1923, 1924)
Ferdi Kübler (1951, 1952)- Fred De Bruyne (1958, 1959)
- Michele Bartoli (1997, 1998)
In bold active brokers.
More podiums
Eddy Merckx, nicknamed El Caníbal, and Alejandro Valverde are the cyclists with the most podium finishes in the race.
* Until the 2022 edition.
| Cycling | Victorias | 2.o place | 3.o place | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy Merckx | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Alejandro Valverde | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Davide Rebellin | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Walter Godefroot | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Moreno Argentin | 4 | - | - | 4 |
| Raymond Impanis | - | 4 | - | 4 |
| Frans Verbeeck | - | 2 | 2 | 4 |
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