The 102nd edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège took place in quite heavy weather conditions, with snow, rain and a very low temperature. After a long lasting breakaway with 8 riders, the two final climbs finally forced the destiny in this race and the favourites didn't get a chance to battle for victory when the race was won by the Dutch rider Wout Poels (Team Sky)!

The summary of Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2016

200 riders started this morning in Liège for the 253 kilometers which made up the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race route this year, under almost freezing temperatures, around one degree, and with some snow flakes.

Despites the difficult weather conditions, a group of 7 riders got away from the peloton after only a bit more than ten kilometers: Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff), Paolo Tiralongo (Astana), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18), Alessandro De Marchi (BMC Racing Team) and Jérémy Roy (FDJ).

Because of the snow on the initial race route, the organisor decided to modify the race route from kilometer 45 to go directly south and get back on the initial race route at kilometer 75, at the foot of the first difficulty of the race, the Côte de La Roche-en-Ardenne. This change allowed to circumvent a zone where the snow stayed on the road and reduced the total race distance by 5 kilometers. At the start of this modified part of the race the 7 leading riders were joined by Vegard Stake Laengen (IAM Cycling).

After having come back on the initial race route, Jérémy Roy is first on top of the Côte de La Roche-en-Ardenne and the leading group continues on its way to a maximum gap of 9 minutes in Bastogne, where the race started its way back to Liège (Ans).

On top of the Côte de Saint-Roch, the gap still is 7'45" but the peloton then continues to come closer on them. After the Côte de Wanne and the Côte de la Haute Levée (and thus without the Côte de Stockeu which is usually between those two climbs), it was in the climb of the Col du Rosier that Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie) started chasing behind the leading group (following an initial attack by his team mate Lilian Calmejane who was also followed by Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEDGE) but Voeckler was the only one to continue) which saw its gap reduce drastically. On top of this climb, Voeckler arrives 1'50" behind the breakaway while the peloton arrives on top with a 2'15" delay.

In the Col du Maquisard, Pavel Brutt is dropped and Alessandro De Marchi decides to attack, followed only by Thomas de Gendt and Nicolas Edet. Again joined by Vegard Stake Laengen, these four riders continue in the rain towards the Côte de la Redoute and in this climb Nicolas Edet accellerates, followed by Alessandro De Marchi. While Thomas de Gendt temporarily came back on them, it's finally a leading duo with Edet and De Marchi who starts the climb of the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons with a gap of ... only 10 seconds on the peloton.

Before they arrive on top, the peloton gets back on them and thus announces the end of the breakaway which got off rather quickly in this Ardennes classic, with still 23 kilometers to do. The peloton is led by almost the whole Etixx-QuickStep team but just after the top of this climb which was usually the forelast climb of the race (but not this year with the Côte de la Rue Naniot being added in the final), at 18 kilometers from the finish, Carlos Betancur attacks for the Movistar team. 2 kilometers further, his solo adventure already comes to an end however and the race can thus start all over again!

In the climb of the Côte de Saint-Nicolas we see several breakaway attempts and in the end, Diego Rosa (Astana) and Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) manage to get away but they are rapidly taken back by a group of about twenty riders. The Côte de la Rue Naniot then sees Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEDGE), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Samuel Sanchez (BMC Racing Team) and Wout Poels (Team Sky) get off from this group and these four leading riders stay ahead in the non referenced climb in Ans, thus taking away all the dreams of the favourites and especially of the biggest favourite, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). After the last left turn, Wout Poels accellerated and the Dutch rider thus wins the race ahead of Albasini and Costa!

The classification of Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2016

Here's the top 10 of this 102nd edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège:

1/ Wout Poels (Team Sky) - 6h24'29"
2/ Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEDGE)
3/ Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida)
4/ Samuel Sanchez (BMC Racing Team) - +0'04"
5/ Ilnur Zakarin (Team Katusha) - +0'09"
6/ Warren Barguil (Team Giant-Alpecin) - +0'11"
7/ Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff) - +0'12"
8/ Joaquin Rodriguez (Team Katusha)
9/ Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo)
10/ Diego Rosa (Astana Pro Team)

The video summary of Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2016

photo © A.S.O.

door Thomas Vergouwen
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