This Sunday, April 25, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) topped all these competitors on Belgian soil. After winning the last Tour de France, the Slovenian added a first Monument to his list of achievements by postponing the 2021 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The French riders Julian Alaphilippe and David Gaudu completed the podium. Great favorite of the event that he had thought to win last year, the French world champion as well as the rider of the FDF failed in the sprint. A look back at the race…
Summary of the 107th edition of the Dean
The beginning of the day was animated by a breakaway of 7 men. There were Vliegen, Rota, Huys, Paasschens, Chernetski, Marczinski and Van Poucke. The maximum deviation reached 9 minutes. After a classic early race scenario, the Doyenne got excited with the Ineos' coup de force. The last step of the British rocket, Richard Carapaz counted 20 seconds ahead to the foot of the coast of La Roche-aux-Faucons. At the top of the last difficulty, a group of five riders, composed of Alaphilippe, Pogacar, Gaudu, Woods and Valverde, took off, never to be seen again. Then, 250 metres from the line, Alejandro Valverde started the sprint but his hopes of equalling legend Eddy Merckx with a fifth win over Liège-Bastogne-Liège were quickly dashed. Taking off, Julian Alaphilippe produced his effort 100 meters from the line… but it was without counting on Tadej Pogacar who, with a more important gear, took the advantage over the world champion in the last 25 meters, winning by half a wheel. Deprived of the Flèche Wallonne in midweek, Tadej Pogacar wins on Belgian soil. Always in the right shot, the Slovenian was the smartest in the final by hiding in the wheel of the world champion before jumping on the line at the end of a sprint well conducted. The winner of the last Tour de France wins his first Monument. At the same time, he became the youngest winner since Bernard Hinault in 1977. The little prodigy succeeds his compatriot Primoz Roglic in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 
31 years later and still no French victory
Big disappointment for the world champion Julian Alaphilippe! Expected to be the fastest of the leading group with Valverde, the Frenchman was beaten by Pogacar. Fifth last year because of his mistake in the sprint, Alaphilippe stumbles for the second time (2015) on the runner-up place in this Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Decidedly, the Dean does not succeed him. In third position we find the rider the FDJ David Gaudu. The tricolor confides in this race:
"I'm over the moon. To make a podium on a Monument knowing that there are only five in the year, I have something to be really very, very happy. We will now see in a few years to come and do something better. The decisive moment of the race was again La Roche-aux-Faucons. I had been putting this in my head since the morning and I have only this in mind all day. I knew that either it passed or I exploded the engine. And it narrowly passed twenty meters from the summit. We all got along well until the finish even though I knew I was probably the slowest in the group of five. But I preferred to collaborate. I feel like I'm progressing because now I can be in front with the best in one of the biggest races in the world. »
Despite the disillusionment of not seeing a Frenchman victorious from this Doyenne, we had not seen two French riders on the podium of Liège-Bastogne-Liège since 1953. Maurice Diot and Raoul Rémy had to bow behind Alois De Hertorg. 
Behind the podium, Pogacar, Alaphilippe and Gaudu, it is Alejandro Valverde who takes fourth place just ahead of Woods. At the back, Pogacar's teammate Marc Hirschi leads the chasing pack at 7 seconds. Top 10 classification: 1– Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAE Team Emirates) in 6h39'26'' 2- Julian Alaphilippe (FRA/Deceuninck-Quick Step) mt 3- David Gaudu (FRA/Groupama-FDJ) mt 4– Alejandro Valverde (ESP/Movistar) mt 5- Michael Woods (CAN/Israel Start-Up Nation) mt 6- Marc Hirschi (SUI/UAE Team Emirates) at 7'' 7- Tiesj Benoot (BEL/DSM) at 7'' 8 – Bauke Mollema (PBS/Trek-Segafredo) at 7'' 9- Maximilian Schachmann (GER/Bora-Hansgrohe) at 9'' 10- Matej Mohoric (SLO/Bahrain Victorious) at 9''
