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Michael Woods earns runner-up spot at Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Bob Jungels takes surprise win

April 22, 2018
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Canada’s Michael Woods earned the best Classics result of his career by coming second place in Sunday’s Monument Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Woods and Frenchman Romain Bardet fought out the podium spots 37-seconds behind race winner Bob Jungels.

The best young rider in the past two Tours de France, Luxembourg’s Jungels stamped his name in the Monument Classics history books by winning solo after an attack over the top of the La Roche-aux-Faucons. It was yet another 2018 Quick Step Wolfpack triumph and the first Luxembourger victory in nine years.

The Route

La Doyenne is an exhausting race, 60-km more than Flèche Wallonne and with 1500-metres of additional climbing. By the time the riders get to 2.1-km, 7.5 percent La Redoute, the fourth from last climb at 38-km to go, they are already knackered. The final climbs are La Roche-aux-Faucons (1.4-km at 9.4%), Sainte-Nicolas (1.4-km of 7.9 %) and the final grunt to the finish in Ans. Race day was a warm one.



The Breakaway

Almost immediately, a nontet of escapees broke the bonds of the peloton, the wildcard teams–Cofidis, Aqua Blue Sport, Wanty-Groupe Gobert, Direct Énergie, WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic and Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise–all represented. They rolled up a lead of 5:45 before Dan Martin’s UAE-Emirates started to make inroads on the gap.

While Movistar’s Carlos Betancur led up the second climb, Côte de Saint-Roch, most of the pace-making was UAE-Emirates, Quick-Step and Lotto-Soudal’s task. With 85-km to go, the Aqua Sport rider in the break, Casper Pederson, lit out on a solo bid for glory, but the Dane imploded, getting caught by five former breakmates and spat out the back.

The gap was 2:30 by the fifth from last climb, the Col du Maquisard, with 44-km remaining.

La Redoute Onwards

Movistar had taken over on the Maquisard, with Trek, Bahrain-Merida and Lotto-Soudal all represented up front in the fight for position as La Redoute loomed. Where was UAE?

Quick-Step whipped the peloton along on La Redoute, but when it was finished the now lone fugitive out front was still 1:45 ahead. Would someone attack on the La Roche-aux-Faucons? Bahrain-Merida sopped up the last escapee with 22-km to go.

Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/Quick Step) attacked but couldn’t hold onto Sergio Henao when the Colombian went by him. Jungels and Woods lit out after Henao. Jungels forced a gap on the descent.

Jungels took a 25-second gap over a 18-strong chasing group. Martin punctured just before the Sainte-Nicolas, onto which Jungels took a 53-second lead. Lotto-Soudal’s Jelle Vanendert, third at La Fleche Wallone, attacked on the climb to become Jungels’ closest pursuer.

Woods and Romain Bardet dashed up the road in the final 5-km to fight out for what looked like the final podium spot. But the duo overcame flagging Vanendert, held off the charging Alaphilippe and Woods snagged the second step, a huge result for the Canadian and EF-Drapac.


2018 Liège-Bastogne-Liège
1) Bob Jungels (Luxembourg/Quick Step) 6:24:44
2) Michael Woods (Canada/EF-Drapac) +0:37
3) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) s.t.