EARTH-SHATTERING DAY! 🤯 | Men's 2026 Liege-Bastogne-Liege Race Highlights | TNT Sports Cycling

The last of the Spring Classics, a bridge to the Grand Tours. Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the old lady, 112th edition, and a massive, massive starting cast. Pitcock had made it over from the Tour de l'Alpes. All eyes, though, were on 19-year-old Paul Sixas, who in the midweek had become the youngest ever winner of Flèche Wallonne. He was up against Remco Evenepoel, a two-time winner, Tadej Pogacar, a three-time winner of Liege. 260 kilometers, 11 classified climbs, the oldest of the Great Spring Classics. Leaving Liege, taking the quick route to Bastogne, just one climb along the way in terms of classified ascents, 10 on the way back, and all the famous names. Stockeux, Edimexis, Playground, Haute-Levée, and then down towards La Redoute, the traditional battleground in this race before they go back towards Liege. But who would do it? An opportunity for a fourth win for Pogacar that would put him level with Argentine and Valverde. But that was under threat early on. A group of 52 riders up the road, including Remco Evenepoel and Egan Bernal. UAE and Decathlon were forced to chase. The gap was as high as 3 minutes and 40 at one stage, but with 135 kilometers to go at down to two and a half minutes. Pogacar's UAE team was working hard and they were having to sacrifice riders such as Tim Wellens with well over 120 kilometers still to ride. A lot of the bunch already distanced and a mechanical at such an unlucky time for Tom Pidcock. He'd been getting back to racing after a nasty crash in Catalonia, winning a stage in the Alps, but he would struggle to get back on. This race was going at a million miles an hour. The fastest ever Liege-Bastogne-Liege was 12 months ago. This was going to break all of those records and by a long way too. In the front though, things were becoming a little strange and with 90 kilometers to go, Evenepoel, Bernal and the rest were back in the bunch. Wellens had done his job. An unwillingness to cooperate properly at the front with the group too big meant that it came back rather quickly. So at the front with Pidcock over a minute down and losing further time, Bogacar's men went to work to control things. They took it inside the final 50 kilometers too, bit by bit sapping the energy of the competitors. Then La Redoute, the big moment as it happens most years. Benoit Cousinefroy performed a brief lead out and then it was down to Bogacar with Evenepoel already slipping and sliding in the first few hundred meters. It didn't look like it was going to be the Belgian's day and for a while it looked as though Bogacar was going to do what Pogge always does and ride away. But a look behind saw 19-year-old Cexas hoping to become the youngest winner of the race in over a hundred years right on the wheel. A further few hundred meters up the hill and the gaps were absolutely huge. The difference was stunning. Bogacar, the present. Cexas, the future. Both together, both on another planet. Bogacar would put in dig after dig and Cexas was still with him. Riding past the titans of yesteryear and Bogacar even over himself there looking to win for a fourth time. Over La Redoute though, they were together and it was still race on. Certainly between the top two. Behind they were playing catch-up. Matthias Skjelmors at the closest in that game. But he was all alone and with plenty of headwind towards Liège he'd soon be caught. Evenepoel among the chasers. 30 kilometers to play for what looked already like it was going to be third place. Almost a minute of a gap for Cexas and Bogacar. The young man from Decathlon. A French team that's never won a monument despite existing for over three decades and pulling hard. On to the final climb. The Côte de Roche-aux-Faucons. And it was 600 meters from the top that the gap opened up. Cexas suddenly blowing. Only riding a race of this distance for the fourth time in his career. The Worlds, the Euros, Lombardy and now this. But giving us a glimpse of what's to come in the next few years. Skjelmors behind would try again but he'd be caught and Evenepoel would put in the dig with four k's to go. Bogacar by this point was a minute ahead of Cexas. The young Frenchman not worrying for his own second place on the podium. Dalei Bogacar was wearing a black armband riding in memory of his late teammate Christian Munoz who sadly lost his life a few days before this. It was in memory of Munoz but a fourth win for Bogacar in Liege. He's now level with Argentin and Valverde. The headlines on the day though written by Paul Cexas. After an earth-shattering day on the roads of the Ardennes King Pog was not quite dethroned in Liege but the prince, the promise and now the pride of France is certainly Paul Cexas. The young 19-year-old winner in waiting it seems. A third place going to Remco Evenepoel. The longest of long sprints. Pride, passion and his own power guiding him towards the end there. Bernal who'd been in that break with him early on also finishing higher. France's 46 long years of hurt not quite done. Their last Liege winner still remains Bernard Hinault for the men but today Pogacar has done it again. It's now five Slovenian wins in the last seven years. Pogacar, Cexas and Evenepoel the top three. So the end of the spring classics. What a spring for Pogacar. Only Roubaix was missing. Cexas though certainly present. Fast forward to the Tour. Could be an interesting one, eh?