Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) said after Liège–Bastogne–Liège on Sunday that he ended up in the race's large early breakaway "by accident," then switched into energy-saving mode as the gap grew to nearly four minutes before losing contact on La Redoute and sprinting to third behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Paul Seixas.
Pogačar took his latest Monument victory, with Seixas finishing second at 45 seconds and Evenepoel completing the podium at 1'42" as he led in the peloton with a strong and extended sprint.
The race split after just four kilometres, producing a front group of more than 50 riders. Evenepoel was among them, but not by design. "I was just in position 30," he told the Cycling Pro Net video channel after the finish. "So it's not that I was really jumping to be in the break. I think it just split at some point and then I found myself in the front. It was by accident that we were in there. It was not the goal."
Once the advantage passed two minutes and kept rising, Evenepoel's approach changed. "I just had to save and make sure I would arrive as fresh as possible to the hills," he said. The gap pushed toward four minutes, with UAE Team Emirates XRG among the teams forced to chase.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège men Results
Liège - Bastogne - Liège • Apr 26
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates XRGUAE Team Emirates XRG | 5:50:28 |
| 🥈 | Paul Seixas | Decathlon CMA CGM TeamDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +0:45 |
| 🥉 | Remco Evenepoel | Red Bull - Bora - HansgroheRed Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe | +1:42 |
| 4 | Emiel Verstrynge | Alpecin-Premier TechAlpecin-Premier Tech | +1:42 |
| 5 | Egan Bernal | INEOS GrenadiersINEOS Grenadiers | +1:42 |
| 6 | Pello Bilbao | Bahrain VictoriousBahrain Victorious | +1:42 |
| 7 | Romain Grégoire | Groupama-FDJ UnitedGroupama-FDJ United | +1:42 |
| 8 | Christian Scaroni | XDS Astana TeamXDS Astana Team | +1:42 |
| 9 | Tobias Halland Johannessen | Uno-X MobilityUno-X Mobility | +1:42 |
| 10 | Filippo Zana | Soudal Quick-StepSoudal Quick-Step | +1:42 |
| 11 | Mauro Schmid | Team Jayco AlUlaTeam Jayco AlUla | +1:42 |
| 12 | Léo Bisiaux | Decathlon CMA CGM TeamDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +1:42 |
| 13 | Ben Tulett | Team Visma | Lease a BikeTeam Visma | Lease a Bike | +1:42 |
| 14 | Clément Champoussin | XDS Astana TeamXDS Astana Team | +1:42 |
| 15 | Mauri Vansevenant | Soudal Quick-StepSoudal Quick-Step | +1:42 |
| 16 | Jai Hindley | Red Bull - Bora - HansgroheRed Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe | +1:42 |
| 17 | Mattias Skjelmose | Lidl-TrekLidl-Trek | +1:42 |
| 18 | Ramses Debruyne | Alpecin-Premier TechAlpecin-Premier Tech | +1:42 |
| 19 | Alex Baudin | EF Education - EasyPostEF Education - EasyPost | +1:42 |
| 20 | Giulio Ciccone | Lidl-TrekLidl-Trek | +1:42 |
| 21 | Ion Izagirre | CofidisCofidis | +1:42 |
| 22 | Santiago Buitrago | Bahrain VictoriousBahrain Victorious | +1:42 |
| 23 | Cian Uijtdebroeks | Movistar TeamMovistar Team | +1:42 |
| 24 | Steff Cras | Soudal Quick-StepSoudal Quick-Step | +1:42 |
| 25 | Ben O'Connor | Team Jayco AlUlaTeam Jayco AlUla | +2:27 |
| 26 | Georg Zimmermann | Lotto IntermarchéLotto Intermarché | +3:43 |
| 27 | Quentin Pacher | Groupama-FDJ UnitedGroupama-FDJ United | +3:43 |
| 28 | Andreas Leknessund | Uno-X MobilityUno-X Mobility | +3:43 |
| 29 | Rudy Molard | Groupama-FDJ UnitedGroupama-FDJ United | +3:43 |
| 30 | Maximilian Schachmann | Soudal Quick-StepSoudal Quick-Step | +3:43 |
How La Redoute decided it
Before the race, Evenepoel had identified La Redoute as the point where the Monument would likely be settled. "Everybody knows La Redoute is usually where the race is decided," he said in pre-race comments to Cycling Pro Net. "I don't really see another scenario this year."
He wasn't wrong, either. However, he would not be the one doing the deciding. Pogačar was led out by his team at warp speed with gaps appearing everywhere before the world champion even launched his move. Evenepoel was dropped very early on the ascent despite good positioning. "They went really fast from the bottom and I could feel that if I would try to follow, I would completely blow up," he said.
The Olympic champion followed a pace he knew he could commit to and maintain on the climb while Pogačar and Seixas disappeared up the road. He then found his rhythm and started working to bring back Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) before going for the final podium spot in the sprint.
His sprint, much like when he won Amstel Gold Race, was very powerful and had the rest well beaten in the race for third. "I felt that I could lose the momentum if I would not launch, but I could hold it till the line," he said. "Third place was probably the maximum for me today, pretty good day overall for us, I think."
It is another bittersweet Monument for Evenepoel. He would've hoped that he could go wheel to wheel with Pogačar and Seixas on La Redoute but the world champion and new upcoming world beater, Seixas, were way ahead of everyone else on the road today.
Cover image credit: Billy Ceusters
