Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Last Liège for ‘aLIEGandro’… And other than that joke, it will be so beautiful to see ‘Bala’ again on the hills that made him become one of the most brilliant classics riders of all time. It won’t be the same finish, Ans, where he triumphed four times, yet last time around in 2021 he proved again he remains one to be feared, even against the current generation.

The route of the 2022 ‘Doyenne’ is very similar to last year’s. Only two climbs -tough and very picturesque, the Côte de la Roche-en-Andenne and the Côte de Saint-Roch- will be covered in the first 150km, as the riders will later face no less than eight in the last ninety k’s. They will start with Mont-le-Soie (167km) and a chain of ascents the hardcore fans know by heart (Wanne-Stockeu-Haute Levée, from 174 to 187km), to follow with the long Côte du Rosier (201km; five kilometers in total) and the steep Desnié (more than 8%; 214km).

The last 30 kilometers will bring the two most famous and decisive côtes: La Redoute (227km), which gained significance and was returned to the prestigious place it always held in this race; and the brutal Roche-aux-Faucons (243km), with two tough slopes after its official summit and its real end just 12km before the end, heading into the final descent towards Liège’s Quai des Ardennes.