PROFESSIONALS | 04/20/2024 | 4.23pm
by Daniele Gigli
Liège-Bastogne-Liège will experience the 110th act of its glorious history tomorrow. In the doyen of the classics Italy has so far celebrated 12 affirmationsthe first in 1965 with Carmine Preziosi it’s the last one in 2007 with Danilo Di Luca. In the middle the victory of Silvano Contini in 1982, the extraordinary poker of Moreno Argentin (three in a row from 1985 to 1987 and then in 1991), the sumptuous doubles of Michele Bartoli (1997-1998) and of Paolo Bettini (2000 and 2002) and the triumph of Davide Rebellin in 2004. The best edition for our cycling was that of 2002, when Bettini won ahead of Garzelli, Basso, Celestino and Codol, with five Italians in the first five places (seven in the first nine counting Casagrande’s 8th and the 9th of Rebellin). The Liège-Bastogne-Liège is the Monument that Italy has not won for the longest time and in the last 16 years it has given us only 5 podiums, the last of which was 2nd place in Formolo in 2019.
Belgium leads the ranking by nations with 61 triumphs, Italy occupies a flattering second place. In total, 15 countries boast successes and 21 have achieved at least one podium. The best among the 82 riders who wrote their name in the roll of honor is Eddy Merckx, with 5 wins, one more than Argentin and Valverde. The Belgian and the Iberian share, at 7, the record of placings among the top three.
The most anticipated cyclists of the 2024 edition are Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu Van der Poel. The Slovenian champion is looking for an encore after his success in 2021. In the event of victory, he would be the 19th in history to win the Liège at least twice and would reach 6 Monument victories in his career, becoming with the Dutchman the active rider with the most triumphs in the classic tops. If Van der Poel wins, he would reach 7, he would be the 10th in history to excel in four of the five Monuments and he would become the first to win the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liège in the same year (and in the rainbow jersey). Bastogne-Liège.
Possible prestigious pairing for the British Thomas Pidcock and Stephen Williams. The first after the seal at the Amstel Gold Race, the second after the breakthrough at the Freccia Vallone. The Amstel-Freccia-Liège trio in the same year was only managed by the Italian Rebellin in 2004 and the Belgian Gilbert in 2011.
Source www.ciclopico.it – complete article and other statistical curiosities at the link https://ciclopico.it/classiche-monumento/liegi-bastogne-liegi-2024-favoriti/
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