{"id":205222,"date":"2026-04-24T14:29:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=205222"},"modified":"2026-04-24T14:30:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:30:06","slug":"pogacar-favored-to-win-liege-bastogne-liege-against-evenepoel-seixas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2026\/04\/24\/pogacar-favored-to-win-liege-bastogne-liege-against-evenepoel-seixas\/","title":{"rendered":"Poga\u010dar Favored to Win Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge Against Evenepoel, Seixas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sunday\u2019s Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge is a unique one-day race and arguably the most difficult one-day race of the year. It\u2019s not only the distance covered, 259.5 km, or the nearly 4,400 meters (nearly 14,420 feet) in altitude gained that make it such a grueling race.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s also that most of that altitude gain comes in the last 100 km, which gives precious little time for the riders to rest, and it\u2019s the nature of some of the climbs, such as the C\u00f4te de Stockeu (1 km @ 12.5%, max. 21%), the C\u00f4te de la Redoute (1.6 km @ 9.4%, max. 20%) and the C\u00f4te de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3 km @ 11%, max. 16%), all three of which are at least as difficult as the Mur de Huy climbed in Wednesday\u2019s La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Redoute and Roche-aux-Faucons climbs come, respectively, 34 km and 13.3 km from the finish line and are very likely to again be decisive in the outcome, as they were in 2024 and last year. In those races, Tadej Poga\u010dar (UAE Team Emirates\u2013XRG) launched his winning moves on Redoute, shook off riders that were following and soloed to victory. As the race is comparable to a difficult mountain stage in the Tour de France, it suits Poga\u010dar down to his toenails.<\/p>\n

The Slovenian has won the race three times, also winning in 2021. If he wins on Sunday, as I believe he will, he will be one victory behind Eddy Merckx,<\/a> who has won Li\u00e8ge five times. It will also make it 13 Monuments won, solidifying his second place behind Merckx\u2019s 19. It seems that every time Poga\u010dar rides in a race, it becomes historical.<\/p>\n

This is also true of his teenage rival, Paul Seixas, who on Wednesday became the youngest rider in history to win La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne. Seixas has raced against Poga\u010dar in two Classics so far, finishing seventh in last year\u2019s Il Lombardia and an impressive and courageous second in this year\u2019s Strade Bianche. And he won the junior version of Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge two years ago, at the age of 17(!). The 19-year-old is definitely special, but he won\u2019t beat Poga\u010dar on Sunday. Tadej is still more special. When he is at his best, no one can follow him.<\/p>\n

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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge Challenge (@lblchallenge)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n