Liège–Bastogne–Liège

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Rebellin, Boogerd and Vinokourov (L-R) on the Côte de Saint Nicolas
Race details
Date	Late-April
Region	Ardennes, Belgium
English name	Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Local name(s)	Liège-Bastogne-Liège (French) Luik-Bastenaken-Luik (Dutch)
Nickname(s)	La Doyenne ("the oldest")
Discipline	Road race
Competition	UCI ProTour
Type	Monument classic one-day race
Organiser	ASO
History
First edition	1892
Editions	95 (as of 2009)
First winner	Léon Houa (BEL)
Most wins	Eddy Merckx (BEL) (5 wins)
Most recent	Andy Schleck (LUX)

Liège-Bastogne-Liège, often called La Doyenne ("the oldest"), is one of the five 'Monuments' of the European professional road cycling calendar, and one of 24 races in which points can be gained towards the UCI World Ranking. The first edition was run in 1892 for amateurs, the first race for professionals taking place in 1894 when Leon Houa (who won the 1892 race as an amateur) triumphed. It is run in the Ardennes region of Belgium, from Liège to Bastogne and back.

History

Liège-Bastogne-Liège was part of the UCI Road World Cup and is part of the Belgian Ardennes Classics series, which includes La Flèche Wallonne. Both are organised by Amaury Sport Organisation. At one time, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège were run on successive days as Le Weekend Ardennais. Only six riders have achieved the Ardennes double by winning both in the same year: the Swiss Ferdi Kübler twice (in 1951 and 1952), Belgians Stan Ockers (1955) and Eddy Merckx (1972), Italians Moreno Argentin (1991) and Davide Rebellin (2004), and the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (2006).

The race has in several editions been affected by tough weather conditions. In 1919, 1957 and 1980 there were severe conditions with low temperatures and snow. Two riders shared the win of the 1957 race. Germain Derijcke was the first over the line but because he crossed a closed rail crossing, the second placed rider, Frans Schoubben, was promoted to first place as well. Derijcke was not disqualified because he had won with three minutes advantage so the judges felt he had not profited from illegally crossing the closed rail crossing.^[1] The 1980 edition is memorable because of snow that besieged the race from the start and referred to as neige-Bastogne-neige (snow-Bastogne-snow) by commentators. Bernard Hinault attacked with 80 km to go and finished nearly 10 minutes ahead.

Route

La Côte de "La Redoute"

The race follows a straightforward 95 km route from Liège to Bastogne, and a winding 163 km route back to Liège. The second half contains most of the climbs, such as the Stockeu, Haute-Levée, La Redoute, Saint-Nicolas and the Col de Forges before finishing in the northern Liège suburb of Ans. The many hills give opportunities for riders to attack, and the race often rewards aggressive riders such as Michele Bartoli and Paolo Bettini.

Winners

Rider Team 1892 Houa, LeonLéon Houa (BEL) 1893 Houa, LeonLéon Houa (BEL) 1894 Houa, LeonLéon Houa (BEL) 1895- 1907 No race 1908 Trousselier, AndreAndré Trousselier (FRA) 1909 Fastre, VictorVictor Fastre (BEL) 1910 No race 1911 Daele, Joseph VanJoseph Van Daele (BEL) 1912 Verschoore, OmerOmer Verschoore (BEL) 1913 Moritz, MauritsMaurits Moritz (BEL) 1914- 1918 No race 1919 Devos, LeonLeon Devos (BEL) 1920 Scieur, LeonLéon Scieur (BEL) La Sportive 1921 Mottiat, LouisLouis Mottiat (BEL) La Sportive 1922 Mottiat, LouisLouis Mottiat (BEL) Alcyon 1923 Vermandel, ReneRené Vermandel (BEL) Alcyon 1924 Vermandel, ReneRené Vermandel (BEL) Alcyon 1925 Ronsse, GeorgesGeorges Ronsse (BEL) 1926 Smets, DieudonneDieudonné Smets (BEL) 1927 Raes, MauriceMaurice Raes (BEL) 1928 Mottard, ErnestErnest Mottard (BEL) 1929 Schepers, AlfonsAlfons Schepers (BEL) 1930 Buse, HermannHermann Buse (GER) Dukopp 1931 Schepers, AlfonsAlfons Schepers (BEL) La Francaise 1932 Houyoux, MarcelMarcel Houyoux (BEL) 1933 Gardier, FrancoisFrançois Gardier (BEL) Cycles De Pas 1934 Herckenrath, TheoTheo Herckenrath (BEL) La Francaise 1935 Schepers, AlfonsAlfons Schepers (BEL) Dilecgta 1936 Beckaert, AlbertAlbert Beckaert (BEL) Alcyon 1937 Meulenberg, EloiEloi Meulenberg (BEL) Alcyon 1938 Deloor, AlfonsAlfons Deloor (BEL) Helyett 1939 Ritserveldt, AlbertAlbert Ritserveldt (BEL) Dilecta-De Dion 1940- 1942 No race 1943 Depoorter, RichardRichard Depoorter (BEL) Helyett 1944 No race 1945 Engels, JeanJean Engels (BEL) Alcyon 1946 Depredomme, ProsperProsper Depredomme (BEL) Dilecta-Wolber-Garin 1947 Depoorter, RichardRichard Depoorter (BEL) Garin-Wolber 1948 Mollin, MauriceMaurice Mollin (BEL) Mercier-Hutchinson 1949 Danguillaume, CamilleCamille Danguillaume (FRA) Peugeot-Dunlop 1950 Depredomme, ProsperProsper Depredomme (BEL) Girardengo-Garin 1951 Kübler, FerdinandFerdinand Kübler (SUI) Frejus-Fiorelli-Tebag 1952 Kübler, FerdinandFerdinand Kübler (SUI) Frejus-Tebag 1953 Hertog, Alois DeAlois De Hertog (BEL) Alcyon-Dunlop 1954 Ernzer, MarcelMarcel Ernzer (LUX) Terrot-Hutchinson 1955 Ockers, StanStan Ockers (BEL) Elvé-Peugeot 1956 Bruyne, Fred DeFred De Bruyne (BEL) Mercier-BP-Hutchinson 1957 Schoubben, FransFrans Schoubben (BEL) Elvé-Peugeot Derycke, GermainGermain Derycke (BEL) Faema-Guerra 1958 Bruyne, Fred DeFred De Bruyne (BEL) Carpano 1959 Bruyne, Fred DeFred De Bruyne (BEL) Carpano 1960 Geldermans, AlbertusAlbertus Geldermans (NED) St.Raphael 1961 Looy, Rik VanRik Van Looy (BEL) Faema 1962 Planckaert, JefJef Planckaert (BEL) Flandria-Faema-Clement 1963 Melckenbeeck, FransFrans Melckenbeeck (BEL) Mercier-BP-Hutchinson 1964 Blocklandt, WillyWilly Blocklandt (BEL) Flandria-Romero 1965 Preziosi, CarmineCarmine Preziosi (ITA) Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune 1966 Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) Ford Hutchinson 1967 Godefroot, WalterWalter Godefroot (BEL) Flandria-De Clerck 1968 Sweefelt, Walter VanWalter Van Sweefelt (BEL) Smiths 1969 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Faema 1970 De Vlaeminck, RogerRoger De Vlaeminck (BEL) Flandria-Mars 1971 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 1972 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 1973 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni 1974 Pintens, GeorgesGeorges Pintens (BEL) MIC-De Gribaldy-Ludo 1975 Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni-Campagnolo 1976 Bruyere, JosephJoseph Bruyère (BEL) Molteni-Campagnolo 1977 Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Gitane-Campagnolo 1978 Bruyere, JosephJoseph Bruyère (BEL) C&A 1979 Thurau, DietrichDietrich Thurau (GER) Ijosboerke-Warncke Eis 1980 Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Renault-Elf-Gitane 1981 Fuchs, JosefJosef Fuchs (SUI) Cilo-Aufina 1982 Contini, SilvanoSilvano Contini (ITA) Bianchi-Poggio 1983 Rooks, StevenSteven Rooks (NED) Sem-France Loire 1984 Kelly, SeanSean Kelly (IRL) Skil-Sem-Reydell 1985 Argentin, MorenoMoreno Argentin (ITA) Sammontana-Bianchi 1986 Argentin, MorenoMoreno Argentin (ITA) Sammontana-Bianchi 1987 Argentin, MorenoMoreno Argentin (ITA) Gewiss-Bianchi 1988 Poel, Adri van derAdri van der Poel (NED) PDM-Concorde 1989 Kelly, SeanSean Kelly (IRL) PDM-Concorde 1990 Lancker, Eric VanEric Van Lancker (BEL) Panasonic-Sportlife 1991 Argentin, MorenoMoreno Argentin (ITA) Ariostea 1992 Wolf, Dirk DeDirk De Wolf (BEL) Gatorade-Chateaux d'Ax 1993 Sorensen, RolfRolf Sørensen (DEN) Carrera Jeans-Tassoni 1994 Berzin, EugeniEugeni Berzin (RUS) Gewiss-Ballan 1995 Gianetti, MauroMauro Gianetti (SUI) Team Polti 1996 Richard, PascalPascal Richard (SUI) MG Maglificio 1997 Bartoli, MicheleMichele Bartoli (ITA) Maglifico MG 1998 Bartoli, MicheleMichele Bartoli (ITA) Asics 1999 Vandenbroucke, FrankFrank Vandenbroucke (BEL) Cofidis 2000 Bettini, PaoloPaolo Bettini (ITA) Mapei-Quickstep 2001 Camenzind, OscarOscar Camenzind (SUI) Lampre–Daikin 2002 Bettini, PaoloPaolo Bettini (ITA) Mapei-Quickstep 2003 Hamilton, TylerTyler Hamilton (USA) Team CSC 2004 Rebellin, DavideDavide Rebellin (ITA) Gerolsteiner 2005 Vinokourov, AlexandreAlexandre Vinokourov (KAZ) T-Mobile Team 2006 Valverde, AlejandroAlejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne – Illes Balears 2007 Di Luca, DaniloDanilo Di Luca (ITA) Liquigas 2008 Valverde, AlejandroAlejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 2009 Schleck, AndyAndy Schleck (LUX) Team Saxo Bank

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Liège-Bastogne-Liège

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