Pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel is among an early near-50-rider-strong breakaway at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, forcing his rivals teams to chase.
Both Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Emirate-XRG and Decathlon CMA CGM, working for leader Paul Seixas, are leading the chase behind.
Evenepoel managed to get into the front group when the peloton split in the race’s early kilometres.
The group has a strong composition with other star riders including Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) among the escapees.
Evenepoel also has Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Nico Denz to help him in the front group.
With 135km left to race the group has a lead of 2.40.
The big break has representation from almost all teams bar UAE Emirates-XRG and Decathlon CMA CGM with some teams having three riders, such as Soudal Quick-Step which has Pascal Eenkhoorn, Dylan van Baarle and Louis Vervaeke all in the front group.
British hopeful Tom Pidcock is in the main peloton alongside Pogačar and Seixas.
The racing at Liège-Bastogne-Liège usually remains fairly calm once the day’s breakaway is established until the riders reach Bastogne and make the turn back towards the start-town.
Evenepoel, who arrives off the back of victory at Amstel Gold Race last weekend, is looking to reclaim the crown that he last won in 2023. So far, the Belgian has won the race twice while major rival Pogačar has won it three times including the last two editions.
Seixas is only 19 years-old but has elevated himself to contender status with his performances this season including winning La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday and the Itzulia Basque Country stage race earlier in the month.
Defending champion Pogačar is racing just his fifth race day of 2026 today. In the last four he’s won three including monuments Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, and been second in one, at Paris-Roubaix earlier this month. There he lost out in a sprint to Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike).
The men’s race still has very long way to go until it reaches its usual key climb of the Côte de la Redoute, which is just under two kilometres long but has an average gradient of 9%. It comes just under 40km before the finish.
From there the race will cross Côte de Forges, which is 1.3km long and averages 6.8%, and Côte de la Roche aux Faucons, which is also 1.3km but at a punishing 10%.
