Julian Alaphilippe heads up our squad for Sunday’s rendez-vous.
The 108th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège will await the peloton with a tough 257.1km course comprising ten climbs: Côte de La Roche-en-Ardenne, Côte de Saint-Roch Montée, Côte de Mont-le-Soie Montée, Côte de Wanne Montée, Côte de Stockeu, Côte de la Haute-Levée, Col du Rosier, Côte de Desnié, Côte de La Redoute, and Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons.
The selection could start early, with the succession of hills boasting stinging double-digit ramps promising to gradually thin out the peloton, but the decisive moves are once again expected to come on the iconic Roche-aux-Faucons, whose 11% average gradient over just 1.3 kilometers can serve as the perfect terrain to make the difference, especially as the finish line in Liège comes only 13 kilometers from the top of this gruelling ascent.
The only Frenchman to amass multiple podiums in “La Doyenne” this century, Julian Alaphilippe will race the spring’s final Monument for the third time in his career clad in the prestigious rainbow jersey, after the 2020 and 2021 editions. The World Champion will be joined on the start line by Tim Declercq, Remco Evenepoel, Pieter Serry, Ilan Van Wilder, Mauri Vansevenant and Louis Vervaeke.
“We have a squad more or less similar to the one that was in action on Wednesday, riders who know the parcours and have a lot of motivation coming into the race. We can count on the World Champion, we have several other guys who can go on the offensive, so the feeling is good and hopefully we will get a nice result on Sunday as we bring down the curtain over the Spring Classics”, explained Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Klaas Lodewyck.
Photo credit: ©Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno / Getty Images
