It's the day of Liège - Bastogne - Liège, a race with monument status and the final race in the Ardennes triple. Ponzi and Bakelants have their win in Amstel and Fleche, who will be the third victor?
The flag is barely down or seven riders attacks: Geoghegan Hart, Velits, Siriwardena, Lilovski, Kortsidakis, Min and Poljanec.
The group of seven was too strong, but the second group containing six riders does get clear and becomes the morning breakaway: Geoghegan Hart Gesbert Kortsidakis Restrepo Siriwardena Velits
Velits especially a strong climber and might be one to watch if the breakaway holds out.
The maximal gap is around 7'15. Indosat, SPAR, Evonik, Isostar, Air France, Fablok and Moser all taking turns at the front like they did in the past races.
An Evonik rider raises his hand. Skujins has a puncture! Didn't he have the same problem in Amstel Gold Race? Maybe he's just unlucky or Evonik needs better material. Koch also had a puncture but this early in the race it was no problem for them. The gap is six and a half minutes with 160 kilometer to go.
The breakaway reaches Bastogne with a lead of 5'30. It's not really the halfway point, 135 to go, but from here on out we see the short and steep hills characteristic of this race.
Côte de Wanne is the prelude to the finale, 90 kilometer to go with a lead of 3'15. Rumac, Marzuki, Rosch, Bol and Riesebeek leading the peloton. Spilak also willing to do some work at the front, apparently Isostar will play the Mohoric card.
Over the Stockeu and Rosier, the breakaway maintains the gap and slightly increases it to 3'30 with 60 kilometer left. The peloton, still almost fully intact, is led by new blood: Polanc, Boros, Stimulak, Warchol and Lietaer.
Not even the Mont-Thieu causes a major split, 136 riders in the peloton going towards the Redoute. 42 kilometer, the gap is now exactly three minutes. Felline and Robov amongst the dropped riders.
We expect action or at least some splits on the Côte de la Redoute. Breakaway leading by 2'20, favorites in the first few positions but McKenna, Marzuki, Polanc, Becis and Warchol leading the group.
And there we have it, Van Garderen deals the first blow! Immediately following him are Skujins, Ponzi and Hagen.
The four have a decent gap over the top. Koretzky follows at 13 seconds, Gastauer and Ulissi at 24, then the peloton at 40 still led by Polanc. Some favorites don't think this is the move and wait.
27 kilometer to go, Koretzky joins the four leaders while Gastauer and Ulissi are caught by the group behind. The chasing group consists of around 40 riders including most favorites who waited, only 22 seconds behind. Missing are Bilbao, Arndt, Gerts, Watson, Turgis, Teuns, Preidler, Bongiorno, Le Roux and Moazemi.
23 and the five are caught, and the group behind also looks to make a comeback. The six leaders in the breakaway still lead by two minutes heading onto the next climb: Côte de la Roche aux Faucons.
Velits attacks on that climb, Siriwardena the only other break rider to follow, the other four not having to strength to do so. Group of favorites now at the foot, gap down to 1'40 with Spilak up front.
Spilak is so strong that he rides away from the group on Roche aux Faucons. Lopez tries to follow, while the big group which was set to rejoin is off at the back again. Schachmann, Van der Hugenhaben, Hagen and Sagan now the front of the group.
Velits meanwhile reaches the top with a lead of 40 seconds over Siriwardena and Gesbert. Geoghegan Hart, Kortsidakis and Restrepo about to be caught by the group of favorites.
Spilak and Lopez were caught again but the group is thinned out to only 28. These are the contenders with 15k to go: De Bie, Van der Hugenhaben, Olivier Hagen Gastauer Boswell Skujins, Lopez Ponzi Koretzky McCarthy Ulissi Ginanni, Formolo, Furdi, Konrad Bakelants, Schachmann Mohoric, Spilak Vakoc Sagan Lutsenko, Gidich Beltran Van Garderen, Buchmann Chernetskiy
And now Hagen attacks, flying past the former breakaway. Bakelants, Sagan, van Garderen, Ponzi, Mohoric, Gastauer, Lutsenko, Koretzky, McCarthy, Skujins, Beltran, Ulissi, Ginanni all follow in a long line. Basically all puncheurs except De Bie, Spilak, Boswell, Vakoc and Chernetskiy.
Velits still leading though, who reaches the outskirts of Liège with a lead of 50 seconds over the chasing nineteen with only ten kilometer remaining. A group with De Bie, Spilak and Vakoc about to return.
The lead is going down, 35 with 7 kilometer to go at the foot Côte de Saint Nicolas. Spilak came back to lead together with Geoghegan Hart and Konrad for Gazelle. The group of favorites now consisting of 26, with Boswell at 50 seconds just ahead of a group with Buchmann, Chernetskiy, Formolo and Van der Hugenhaben.
Hagen attacks on Saint Nicolas, followed by Bakelants and Skujins. Only a matter of time before they catch Velits.
And indeed, his adventure ends just before the top of the climb. Gastauer, De Bie, Mohoric, Sagan, McCarthy, Ulissi, Van Garderen, Koretzky, Lutsenko, Vakoc, Beltran and Ponzi also follow Hagen. Ponzi actually as last in line.
3k, a group of 15 heading to the foot of the final climb in the pouring rain: De Bie Hagen Gastauer Skujins Ponzi Koretzky McCarthy Ulissi Bakelants Mohoric Vakoc Sagan Lutsenko Beltran Van Garderen
The gap is a minute to the likes of Ginanni, Spilak and Velits.
The riders sprint to the flag. Ponzi, Lutsenko, Hagen, Bakelants, Skujins, Sagan, Mohoric seven on a row from left to right. Behind them Gastauer and De Bie.
Bakelants and Skujins come out as best so far. Gastauer and De Bie smartly profiting off the slipstream. Vakoc fully dropped of the group, Mohoric and Sagan falling back as well from their leading position.
The climbing is done, a flat stretch of 500 meters towards the finish. Skujins and De Bie dropping back, it's Bakelants leading Gastauer out of final corner. Van Garderen with a nice acceleration on the final section. Ulissi, Koretzky, Hagen, Lutsenko and Ponzi in the next positions.
250 meters for Bakelants who looks set for victory. Gastauer versus Van Garderen for P3 unless Koretzky, who has passed Skujins for fourth, has a final push.
Jan Bakelants wins Liège - Bastogne - Liège for the second time in his career! He is the King of this year's Ardennes triplet with a win in both Fleche and Liège. His season is successful in the Belgian national jersey.
Ben Gastauer second, Tejay Van Garderen third. Very good results from both men who will surely be happy with a podium place.
Koretzky fourth, Ulissi fifth with a good sprint. Skujins looked promising for a podium but drops to sixth. Hagen not really involved in the sprint despite initiating the attacks, he finishes in seventh.
Ponzi disappointing in eighth. Lutsenko ninth and defending winner Sagan complete the top ten. Mohoric eleventh.
Wildcard Beltran with twelfth place ahead of McCarthy as last of the first group. De Bie gave up midway through the sprint to finish fourteenth at 34 seconds.
Vakoc fifteenth ahead of Ginanni and Olivier. Kortsidakis as best of the break in eighteenth, with the Gazelle duo of Furdi and Konrad completing the top twenty. Gesbert 21st, Restrepo 22nd as former break riders as well.
Siriwardena 23rd ahead of Spilak, who finishes 24th after working for Mohoric without the wanted result in the end. Velits 25th, the race was a climb too long for him. Geoghegan Hart, Lopez, Formolo, Benoot and Bongiorno rounding out the top thirty.
