Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2020: Roglic outsprints elite group

Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Hirschi, Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar battle it out in the finale of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, while Mataj Mohoric rejoins them in the last kilometre. Roglic outguns Alaphilippe in the sprint, as the World Champion celebrates too early. Moreover, he is later relegated for dangerous sprinting. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2020

1. Primoz Roglic (slo)
2. Marc Hirschi (swi) s.t.
3. Tadej Pogacar (slo) s.t.
4. Matej Mohoric (slo) s.t.
5. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) s.t.
6. Mathieu van der Poel (nld) + 0.14
7. Michael Woods (can) s.t.
8. Tiesj Benoot (bel) s.t.
9. Warren Barguil (fra) s.t.
10. Michal Kwiatkowski (pol) s.t.

Race report
Iñigo Elosegui, Kobe Goossens, Alexander Kamp, Michael Schär, Kenny Molly, Omer Goldstein, Valentin Ferron, Paul Ourselin and Gino Mäder are the initial breakaway. While Kamps punctures and drops back, Mathijs Paasschens bridges across to the leaders. The nine open up a maximum gap of 6 minutes.

Van Avermaet and Yates crash out with 100 kilometres remaining.

On the Côte de Stockeu Schär heads out alone. Mäder regains contact before drops him again on the Rosier.

Schär is reeled in on La Redoute.

Julian Alaphilippe strikes on the Roche-aux-Faucons climb. Marc Hirschi and Primoz Roglic rejoin him, in that order, before Tadej Pogacar and Michal Kwiatkowski bridge across on the false flat at the top.

Hirschi accelerates again when a group with Van der Poel comes closer. Alaphilippe, Roglic and Pogacar go with the young Swiss.

Mohoric regains contact with the leaders on the hom straight, but he is – obviously – out of steam when Alaphilippe opens up the sprint. Which the World Champion with a strange manoeuvre that hinders both Hirschi and Pogacar.

Alpahilippe pushes on and lift his arms up in triumph, but it is a premature gesture as Roglic bests him in a photo finish sprint. In hindsight it does not matter, as the Frechman is relegated for the sharp swerve which caused trouble for Hirsci and Pogacar, who now finish in second and third.

Other interesting reads: route and start list of Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2020.