Kim Le Court and Tadej Pogačar emerged victorious in their respective races at the prestigious Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, marking the conclusion of the spring cycling classics. Le Court triumphed in a sprint finish in the women’s race, while Pogačar claimed a solo victory in the men’s edition.
Le Court Wins Women’s Race in Sprint Finish
In the women’s event, Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) secured her victory after a thrilling four-rider sprint to the line. The 29-year-old from Mauritius, who competes in both road cycling and mountain biking, outpaced Dutch riders Puck Pieterse and Demi Vollering, as well as French cyclist Cédrine Kerbaol. World Champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) was the top Belgian, finishing in fifth place.
Reflecting on her race, Kopecky said, “Overall, I think it was not bad. Our team performed well at the front and supported us as much as possible. Anna did a great job in the break before Roche-aux-Faucons, but it’s unfortunate she was caught before the climb. I had a solid start on the last climb, but the final kilometre was too much for me. Still, it is what it is.”
Despite missing out on a podium finish, Kopecky remains hopeful for the future, stating, “We set goals and push ourselves, and I believe this race is one I can win in the future, just not this year.”
Pogačar Dominates Men’s Race for Third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Title
In the men’s race, Slovenian World Champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) claimed his third Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory, following his consecutive win last year. Pogačar made a decisive move on La Redoute, just under 35 kilometres from the finish, and powered ahead, crossing the line solo with a lead of over one minute. Italian Giulio Ciccone finished second after winning the sprint for the line, while Ireland’s Ben Healy rounded out the podium in third.
Evenepoel Struggles After Injury Setback
It was a tough race for Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), who struggled to contend with the front runners, finishing 59th, more than three minutes behind Pogačar. Evenepoel, still recovering from a recent injury, reflected on his performance: “I’m not a robot. Everyone else had a full winter of training, but I’ve only had about a month and a half. In races like this, which last six hours, that’s when it shows. My legs felt very heavy at the end.”
Pogačar’s dominant performance further cements his status as one of cycling’s top riders, while Le Court’s victory adds another milestone to her rising career.