Pogacar secures third Liege-Bastogne-Liege victory with dazzling solo attack
BRUSSELS: Tadej Pogacar claimed his third Liege-Bastogne-Liege title on Sunday with a breathtaking solo attack 34 kilometres from the finish, echoing his triumph last year. The Slovenian world champion surged clear on the iconic Cote de la Redoute climb and never looked back, completing the grueling 252km race in six hours and nine seconds.
Riding for UAE Team Emirates, Pogacar crossed the line 63 seconds ahead of Italy’s Giulio Ciccone and Ireland’s Ben Healy, who sprinted for second place.
“It feels great to finish the first part of the season like this,” said Pogacar. “It wasn’t the plan to attack at La Redoute, but I saw an opportunity and decided to go for it.”
The 26-year-old’s latest triumph brings his Monument tally to nine, placing him joint-third on the all-time list behind cycling legends Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck. He also became the first rider to podium in six consecutive Monument races, and a top-three finish at Giro di Lombardia in October would complete a historic sweep.(Reuters)
