Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Part 3
Liège–Bastogne–Liège closes the Ardennes classics, three races packed into eight days each April, and its final climbs through eastern Belgium are the last test of the spring. The other two are the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne. Winning all three in one spring is a feat only two men have managed. Davide Rebellin was the first, in 2004. Philippe Gilbert followed in 2011, sealing the set on his home roads: he comes from Remouchamps, at the foot of La Redoute.
This ride follows the finale of the 2017 race from Francorchamps into Liège. It opens with the Col du Rosier, the longest climb of that race, then descends past Spa, the town whose name gave us the word spa. After the Col du Maquisard come Remouchamps and La Redoute, the climb that decided the race through the 1980s and 1990s. Beyond Sprimont the ride crosses the Ourthe to the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, where Bob Jungels attacked over the top in 2018 to win alone. Across the Meuse comes the Côte de Saint-Nicolas, known as the Italian climb for the flags that families of Italian descent hang from their windows on race day. The ride finishes in Liège, where the race itself has finished again since 2019.
Region: Wallonie
City: Stavelot
Distance: 63.68 km
Elevation Gain: 1130 m
Elevation Loss: 1448 m
Difficulty: 948 (Hard)
FIETS Index: 0.51 FIETS
Avg Grade: 1.02 %
Max cat climb: 2
Min elevation: 66 m
Max elevation: 570 m
Ride Category: Hilly