Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2019 [LAST 30 KM]

April 28, 2019

Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2019 – Liège – Liège : 256 km

Gone is the final ascent to Saint-Nicolas and the uphill drag to Ans, replaced by a flat city centre finale last used in 1992. From the moment the riders crest the summit of the final climb, the Côte de la Roche aux Faucons, and begin a fast, initially very technical, test into Liege, anything is possible. As if that was not enough of a change, a trilogy of three hallowed Liège-Bastogne-Liège climbs make a return as well. The Stockeu is back for the first time since 2015, as well as the mid-race Wanne and the Haute-Levée, last used in 2016. Liège-Bastogne-Liège, in short, is heading back to its more traditional format with a vengeance, and that will automatically ensure that any number of outcomes are possible at the finish. Even a small group sprint cannot be ruled out, although, given the speed of the mostly descending 15 kilometres into Liège after such a tough climb to the Côte de la Roche Aux Faucons, it would seem highly unlikely.

Jakob Fuglsang (Team Astana) took the biggest win of his career at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, soloing to victory from the top of the Côte de Roche-aux-Faucons. Davide Formolo (Bora-Hansgrohe), one of the men he left behind, took second, while Formolo’s teammate Max Schachmann sprinted to third from an elite chase group.

The win caps a wonderful spring for Fuglsang and his Astana team. It’s his third win of the season and Astana’s 23rd, but the Dane has so often been a nearly man in the classics with three podium places so far. Victory at the final classic of the spring is just reward for his efforts.

In a race which fizzled at times but never really detonated, the main action once again came on the day’s final climb – despite the route revamp. Michael Woods (EF Education First) kicked off the action on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons after an earlier attack group had been caught.

Fuglsang was first to react, while the big favourite – and his spring nemesis – Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) faltered. Formolo went too, forming a lead trio over the top. The Dane kept pushing on though, eventually breaking his companions on the shallower rise at the summit.

From there it was all Fuglsang, with Formolo and Woods’ solo efforts making no gains, and an elite chase group including Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) failing to make headway either.

Barring a near-disastrous rear wheel slide on the final descent – “a scary moment, but a bit of adrenaline for the last part” he said later – it was plain sailing to the finish for Fuglsang.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said after the finish. “I’m glad my wife was right [about me being able to win here], and I will always listen to her from now on.

“On the last climb, I had the team leaving me in the perfect position,” he added. “Before the climb, they were a little bit everywhere most of the day but in the important moment they were there and they did an amazing job.

“Gorka [Izagirre] led me into Roche-aux-Faucons in a perfect way and when Woods launched his attack it was a perfect way for me to jump with him. I knew it from Friday when we saw the parcours that I could not wait, so I said ‘on the first part of the Roche-aux-Faucons I have to do a selection if I cannot go alone.’

“I tried and I looked back and saw [Woods] was gone. Formolo also let me get 2-3 metres and then I knew that now I had to leave everything out, now I have to die before the top and try to keep going.”

How it happened

It was a damp and chilly morning in Liège as the peloton rolled out to begin the 105th edition of the oldest Monument on the calendar. Perhaps due to the poor conditions, it didn’t take very long for the break to establish themselves, with little fight from the peloton in the early stages.

Four riders – Julien Bernard (Trek-Segafredo), Tobias Ludvigsson (Groupama-FDJ), Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Gobert) and Jérémy Maison (Arkéa-Samsic) – got away almost immediately, while Lilian Calmejane (Total Direct Énergie), Kevin Deltombe (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and the Wallonie-Bruxelles duo of Kenny Molly and Mathijs Paasschens would soon link up to make it eight up front.

The opening stages – still wet and cold – were a quiet affair, with Deceuninck-Quick Step and Lotto-Soudal among the teams setting the pace at the head of the peloton. The break’s advantage reaches 10:30 at one point, but was just over six minutes as the eight men reached the southernmost point of the route in Bastogne.

Deceuninck-Quick Step upped the pace with around 110km to race, so much so that the peloton split. The resulting chaos left behind a reduced peloton of around 80 riders, with Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) the major victim, abandoning 105km from the finish. Another former winner, Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) had abandoned earlier on.

Gorka Izagirre (Astana) and Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) were among the riders caught out, later attacking across the gap to try and save their races. Up front, Bernard left the break behind on the Côte de Mont-le-Soie, going solo 95km from the line.

He would last out front until shortly after the Côte de Haute-Levée, when attacks from the peloton saw his gap evaporate. Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) was among the most active men as a large group broke away from the peloton. There were some elite names in the move, including Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quick Step), but the two groups soon came back together on the Col du Rosier.

On that same climb, with 64km to race, Tanel Kangert (EF Education First) and Omar Fraile (Astana) countered, kicking off yet more attacks from the peloton. The Movistar duo of Carlos Verona and Winner Anacona were there, as were Alessandro De Marchi (CCC Team), Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale), David De La Cruz (Team Sky), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Merida), Michael Albasini (Mitchelton-Scott) and Bjorg Lambrecht (Lotto-Soudal).

The group worked well together, gaining 40 seconds on the peloton by the foot of La Redoute with 39km to race. There, it was Kangert who pushed on, but the climb passed with no attacks from the peloton.

On the way to the final climb of the day, the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, three riders made their way across to Kangert. Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) and Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe) made it a four-man group on the final climb of the day, but despite Wellens’ attack, they were all brought back by the Astana-led peloton.

Jakob Fuglsang, so often the bridesmaid this spring, followed an attack by Michael Woods (EF Education First), while Davide Formolo (Bora-Hansgrohe) made it across to make it a lead trio.

Fuglsang was solo once again on the drag over the top though, shedding the duo and going for glory. Further back, a group including Nibali, Yates, Mikel Landa (Movistar), Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida) got away from the peloton.

But Fuglsang was only gaining time on those behind. After podium places at Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne, the Dane wouldn’t be denied his big classic win here.

The Nibali group was working together, but Fuglsang wasn’t ceding any time – not to them, nor to Formolo. There was a hairy moment on the final descent when Fuglsang lost his rear wheel on some damp road markings, but he handled it masterfully, keeping it upright, and keeping his then-inevitable victory on track.

There were no such problems in the flat final 4km though, and he retained his advantage to the finish to seal the biggest win of his career.

Results :
1 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team 6:37:37
2 Davide Formolo (Ita) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:00:27
3 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:00:57
4 Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton – Scott
5 Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First
6 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
7 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Movistar Team
8 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain – Merida 0:01:00
9 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain – Merida 0:01:05
10 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky 0:01:26
11 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:29
12 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
13 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe
14 Jay Mc Carthy (Aus) Bora – Hansgrohe
15 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
16 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
17 Laurens De Plus (Bel) Team Jumbo – Visma
18 Tadej Pogačar (Slo) Uae Team Emirates
19 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team
20 Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda (Col) EF Education First
21 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
22 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin
23 Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton – Scott 0:02:09
24 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
25 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
26 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek – Segafredo
27 Bjorg Lambrecht (Bel) Lotto Soudal
28 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
29 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) UAE Team Emirates 0:02:12
30 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Team Sunweb 0:02:13
31 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:02:15
32 Tanel Kangert (Est) EF Education First 0:02:17
33 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:02:26
34 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek – Segafredo 0:02:28
35 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:03:03
36 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain – Merida 0:03:15
37 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team 0:03:34
38 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team Katusha Alpecin
39 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
40 Simon Clarke (Aus) EF Education First
41 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) CCC Team 0:03:37
42 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:04:11
43 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Team Dimension Data
44 Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Movistar Team
45 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
46 G Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First
47 Davide Villella (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:06:05
48 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 0:06:53
49 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky 0:06:56
50 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb
51 Marc Hirschi (Swi) Team Sunweb
52 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team
53 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:08:22
54 Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:09:20
55 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team
56 Ion Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team
57 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain – Merida
58 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
59 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
60 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
61 Nicola Conci (Ita) Trek – Segafredo
62 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:09:48
63 Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Team Sunweb
64 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
65 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin 0:10:36
66 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) AG2R La Mondiale
67 David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team Sky 0:11:32
68 Winner Andrew Anacona (Col) Movistar Team 0:11:59
69 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal
70 Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton – Scott
71 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
72 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain – Merida
73 José Gonçalves (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin 0:13:11
74 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
75 Edward Dunbar (Irl) Team Sky
76 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
77 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Team
78 Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
79 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Team Dimension Data
80 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
81 Nils Politt (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
82 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
83 Paul Martens (Ger) Team Jumbo – Visma
84 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
85 Benjamin King (USA) Team Dimension Data 0:17:39
86 Nathan Haas (Aus) Team Katusha Alpecin
87 Justin Jules (Fra) Wallonie Bruxelles
88 Josef Černý (Cze) CCC Team
89 Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek – Segafredo
90 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal
91 Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
92 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
93 Romain Sicard (Fra) Total Direct Energie
94 Petr Vakoč (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
95 Clément Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:24:12
96 Romain Hardy (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
97 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain – Merida
98 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin
99 Arnaud Courteille (Fra) Vital Concept – B&B Hotels
100 Jacques Willem Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data
101 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe
DNF Jérémy Maison (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Kenny Molly (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Kevyn Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Vital Concept – B&B Hotels
DNF Kevin Reza (Fra) Vital Concept – B&B Hotels
DNF Cyril Gautier (Fra) Vital Concept – B&B Hotels
DNF Yoann Bagot (Fra) Vital Concept – B&B Hotels
DNF Patrick Müller (Swi) Vital Concept – B&B Hotels
DNF Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Amael Moinard (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
DNF Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Elie Gesbert (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Paul Ourselin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Fabien Grellier (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Team Dimension Data
DNF Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Rob Power (Aus) Team Sunweb
DNF Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb
DNF Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain – Merida
DNF Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Angelo Tulik (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
DNF Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
DNF Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education First
DNF Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek – Segafredo
DNF Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Jerome Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Team Dimension Data
DNF Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Team Dimension Data
DNF Nathan Brown (USA) EF Education First
DNF Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
DNF Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama – FDJ
DNF William Bonnet (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
DNF Marco Mathis (Ger) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek – Segafredo
DNF Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
DNF Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
DNF Robert Gesink (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
DNF Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) CCC Team
DNF Joseph Rosskopf (USA) CCC Team
DNF Serge Pauwels (Bel) CCC Team
DNF Rory Sutherland (Aus) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Peter Stetina (USA) Trek – Segafredo