Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2026 favorites, route, and how the race could be won
The 112th Liege-Bastogne-Liege covers 259.5 km through the Belgian Ardennes on April 26. Tadej Pogacar returns as defending champion hunting a fourth title. Remco Evenepoel leads the home Belgian challenge. Thomas Pidcock and Primoz Roglic bring Grand Tour climbing power to the Ardennes hills.
Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2026 follows the classic route through the Ardennes with a revamped middle section. After heading south to Bastogne, the peloton returns through the crucial sequence: the Cote de Wanne (3.6 km at 5.1%), Cote de Stockeu (1 km at 12.5%), and Cote de Haute-Levee (2.2 km at 7.5%) arrive in quick succession around Vielsalm. The Col du Rosier (4.4 km at 5.9%) is the longest climb with 63 km to go. The race is decided on La Redoute (34 km out) and the steep Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3 km at 11%) with 13 km remaining. Pogacar won his ninth Monument at the 2025 edition, powering away on La Redoute. Evenepoel finished second and will want to reverse that on home roads. The finish in Liege rewards the rider who survives the Ardennes gauntlet with enough power to hold off the chasers.