Tadej Pogacar, the world champion, surged ahead of 19-year-old French debutant Paul Seixas on the final climb to secure his third consecutive Liège-Bastogne-Liège title on Sunday, marking his fourth overall victory in the prestigious race.
Pogacar's Dominance Continues
Pogacar completed the 259.5-kilometer race in 5 hours, 50 minutes, and 28 seconds, earning his 13th Monument title and his third of the 2024 season after triumphs at the Tour of Flanders and Milan-San Remo. Reflecting on the win, Pogacar said, "It means a lot to win again one of the biggest races of the year, of cycling. There's a lot of pressure on me to deliver, and I'm really happy that we succeeded." The victory brings him within one Liège title of Eddy Merckx's record of five wins, set between 1969 and 1975.
Seixas Impresses Despite Defeat
Seixas matched Pogacar's pace when the Slovenian launched his attack on the Côte de la Redoute, staying on the wheel of the four-time Tour de France winner for nearly 20 kilometers while other contenders fell behind. However, on the climb to Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, with less than 14 kilometers remaining, the 27-year-old Pogacar accelerated decisively, leaving an exhausted Seixas behind. Pogacar praised his young rival: "On the Redoute I was really going deep. But on the top, he came next to me, and I was like, OK, really impressed. Maybe back in my head, I was already preparing to do a duel sprint because he was so strong." Seixas, who aimed to become the first Frenchman to win Liège since 1980, finished 45 seconds behind Pogacar. Belgian two-time winner Remco Evenepoel won the sprint for third place.
Vollering Triumphs in Women's Race
In the women's event, European champion Demi Vollering claimed her third Liège-Bastogne-Liège title after a solo breakaway 35 kilometers from the finish. The 29-year-old Dutch rider completed a dominant Spring Classics campaign, having also won the Tour of Flanders, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and La Flèche Wallonne. Puck Pieterse took second place, 89 seconds back, while Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney finished third.
This was only the 10th edition of the women's race, and Vollering, who previously won in 2021 and 2023, expressed her deep connection to the event. "I really love this race; it brings back so many good memories for me," she said. "Being still a club rider riding here without there even being a women's race yet, I was already dreaming about it without knowing if there would ever be a women's race. Then finally we got one, I became a pro, and I win for the third time here."
