EVENEPOEL FLIES TO AN EMOTIONAL VICTORY AT LIEGE-BASTOGNE-LIEGE AFTER NASTY ALAPHILIPPE CRASH.

Remco Evenepoel ended Belgium’s 11-year wait for a home champion at Liege-Bastogne-Liege after a brilliant solo attack and 29km time trial to the finish. Julian Alaphilippe was taken to hospital after crashing into a three with 60km remaining. Quinten Hermans and Wout van Aert made it one-two-three for Belgium after prevailing in a bunch sprint for the minor podium places.

A disappointing spring classics season ended in delight for QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl, as Remco Evenepoel put in the performance of his short career so far, to deliver them a Monument on his debut in the race.

The headlines will be all about one man, but home joy was compounded as Quentin Hermans (Intermarche Wanty Gobert) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) made it an all-Belgian podium.

Like Philippe Gilbert before him, Remco did it on La Redoute. After clawing himself into position towards the top of the climb, Evenepoel put in a ferocious attack just before the crest that seemed to break the resolve of all about him. Certainly none could follow it.

For the next and final 29km of the race, he never looked back. Each of the remaining riders from the breakaway in turn was soon sighted, locked onto, caught, and spat backwards.

Evenepoel was alone at the line, able to punch the sky and take in the crowds. He has arrived.

The team most disappointed will be Bahrain Victorious. It was their riders who spent the most time on the front of the peloton on the road to La Redoute, who brought the break back within range, and who tested the legs of those around them on the climbs before.

It was a gap that had at one point topped six minutes, containing more than a dozen riders of varying abilities. It even, at one point, looked like it might go the distance.

That was, in part, thanks to a moment that no-one could have wished for. With 59.4km of the race remaining, as the peloton descended at up to 70kph, a slip of a Bahrain Victorious wheel caused a chain reaction that sent as many as 25 riders to the floor, from one side of the road to the other.

While most had soft landings, were able to get back on their feet and even back into the bunch, not all did. The worst off of all was Evenepoel’s team-mate, World Champion Julian Alaphilippe, who ended up in a ditch and was taken from the scene in an ambulance.

The decimation of the bunch enabled the break to regain its advantage and make it to La Redoute with a lead but without structural integrity.

With more than 4000m in their legs, the famous climb did for the last of the collaboration, and left Bruno Armirail (Groupama FDJ) out on his own.

Behind, Bahrain Victorious riders including Mikel Landa and Wout Poels put in testing attacks but no-race winning ones. By the top of the iconic climb, they were no more than twenty strong.

Evenepoel made no effort to hide his intentions. He positioned himself for all to see, and when he went, he went like a rocket. A visible gap on the descent soon became a measurable one as he set his sights on the riders further up the road. Five seconds, fifteen, thirty, as Liege loomed.

Each rider caught was to be digested not savoured. Armirail, the last of them was able to hold his wheel but Evenepoel showed no desire for them to work together. He was always going to win alone.

On the final, unclassified climb of the day he said goodbye to the Frenchman and rode for home. Although on the final upward metres of the day the peloton was briefly able to reduce the gap, they had to go into the red to do so. On the descent and the later flat Evenepoel, in full time trial tuck, was able to increase it again to almost a minute. He took in the crowds, savoured the moment and celebrated a victory that will go down in history.

He was welcomed over the line by big hugs from Patrick Lefevere and Wilfried Peters, as well as his family.

At 41.4kph, it was the second fastest record Liege-Bastogne-Liege in history, the fastest since 1963.

“It was amazing,” Evenepoel said afterwards. “It was really hard, with the headwind to keep pushing, but I knew everyone was suffering. I think today was my best day on the bike, maybe ever.”

“I’ve been suffering mentally and physically the last half year but finally everything is getting better and getting stable. I’ve been showing the best Remco since turning pro.”