|
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the European professional Road bicycle racing, road cycling calendar; usually coming as the last of the spring classics. It is held annually in late April, in the Ardennes region of Belgium, from Liège to Bastogne and back. It is considered one of the most arduous one-day cycling events in the world because of its length and demanding course. The most successful rider with five victories is Belgian rider Eddy Merckx, trailed by Italian Moreno Argentin in the 1980s and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde in the 2000s, who both won the race four times. Liège–Bastogne–Liège is part of the UCI World Tour competition. It is the concluding race of the Ardennes classics, Ardennes Classics series, which includes the Amstel Gold Race (other), Ams ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ardennes Classics
The Ardennes classics are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Belgian Ardennes and southern Limburg in the Netherlands: Liège–Bastogne–Liège, La Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race. First held in 1892, 1936 and 1966 respectively, the races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held closely following each other. Cyclists that are specialized in these hilly courses are known as puncheurs. In recent years, the three classics have been held within an 8-day timeframe. Since the late 2010s, all three of the men's races have been joined by equivalent races on the women's circuit: Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition, La Flèche Wallonne Féminine and Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes. History Prior, there was already a points classification for the Belgian Ardennes classics, called Ardennes Weekend (combining La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège). With the introduction of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tadej Pogačar
Tadej Pogačar (; born 21 September 1998) is a Slovenia, Slovenian professional road bicycle racing, cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . His victories include three Tour de France, Tours de France (2020 Tour de France, 2020, 2021 Tour de France, 2021 and 2024 Tour de France, 2024), the 2024 Giro d'Italia, 2024 Giro d'Italia, and nine one-day Monument (cycling), Monuments (Tour of Flanders (men's race), Tour of Flanders twice, Liège–Bastogne–Liège three times and Giro di Lombardia four times), as well as the World Championship Road Race. Comfortable in time-trialing, one-day classic riding and grand-tour climbing, he has been compared to legendary all-round cyclists such as Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault as one of the sport's greatest. In 2024 he became only the third male cyclist, after Eddy Merckx in 1974 and Stephen Roche in 1987, to achieve the Triple Crown of Cycling, winning the Giro, the Tour, and the World Championships in the same year. He is the only r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (born 25 April 1980) is a Spanish cyclist, who competed as a professional in road bicycle racing from 2002 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2022, and now competes in gravel cycling for the Movistar Team Gravel Squad. During his road racing career, Valverde took 133 professional victories, with some of his biggest wins having been the Vuelta a España in 2009 Vuelta a España, 2009, the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2008 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, 2008 and 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, 2009, the Tour of the Basque Country in 2017 Tour of the Basque Country, 2017, the Volta a Catalunya in 2009 Volta a Catalunya, 2009, 2017 Volta a Catalunya, 2017 and 2018 Volta a Catalunya, 2018, Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, 2006, 2008 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, 2008, 2015 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, 2015 and 2017 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, 2017, La Flèche Wallonne in 2006 La Flèche Wallonne, 2006, 2014 La Flèche Wallonne, 201 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddy Merckx
Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (born 17 June 1945), known as Eddy Merckx (, ), is a Belgian former professional road and track cyclist racer who is the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling. His victories include an unequalled eleven Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours (five Tour de France, Tours de France, five Giro d'Italia, Giros d'Italia, and a Vuelta a España), all five Cycling monument, Monuments, setting the hour record, three UCI Road World Championships, World Championships, every major one-day race other than Paris–Tours, and extensive victories on the track. Born in Meensel-Kiezegem, Province of Brabant, Brabant, Belgium, he grew up in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre where his parents ran a grocery store. He played several sports, but found his true passion in cycling. Merckx got his first bicycle at the age of three or four and competed in his first race in 1961. His first victory came at Petit-Enghien in October 1961. After winning eighty races as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moreno Argentin
Moreno Argentin (born 17 December 1960) is an Italian former professional cycle sport, cyclist (from 1981 to 1994) and race director. Born in San Donà di Piave (Veneto), Argentin won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Tour de Suisse. Known as ''Il Capo'' ("The Boss"), he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège four times, the La Flèche Wallonne three times, and the Tour of Flanders (men's race), Tour of Flanders and Giro di Lombardia once. He became Italian national champion in 1983 and 1989, and world champion in 1986. Argentin cofounded the Adriatica Ionica Race, first run in 2018. Career achievements Major results ;1977 :1st National Junior Track Championships (Team Pursuit) ;1978 :1st National Junior Track Championships (Team Pursuit) :1st National Junior Road Championships, Team Time Trial ;1979 :1st National Amateur Track Championships (Team Pursuit) :1st Piccolo Giro di Lombardia :1st Prologue & Stage 4 Giro della Valle d'Aosta :1st Team classif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cycling Monument
The Monuments are five classic cycle races generally considered to be the oldest, hardest, longest and most prestigious one-day events in men's road cycling, with distances between 240 and 300 km. They each have a long history and specific individual characteristics. They are currently the one-day races in which most points can be earned in the UCI World Tour and the only 3rd categorized UCI races, only behind Grand Tour races; Tour de France (1st category) and Giro and Vuelta (both 2nd category). , four of the five monuments hold women's races as part of the UCI Women's World Tour – with only Giro di Lombardia not having a women's race. Eddy Merckx is by far the most successful monument rider with 19 wins in total. He is the only cyclist in history to win three monuments in one season, a feat he achieved in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1975. List of monuments The five monuments are: * Milan–San Remo – the first major Classic of the year, its Italian name is ''La Primaver ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Léon Houa
Léon Houa (8 November 1867 – 31 January 1918) was a Belgium, Belgian road bicycle racer Career He is famous for winning the first three editions of Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1892–1894. The race has come to be known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), and is one of the five 'classic cycle races, Monuments' of the European professional road cycling calendar, and the oldest. The first two editions of Liège–Bastogne–Liège were amateur races. On 29 May 1892, he bested 32 amateur riders over 250 km to finish the race in 10 hours, 48 minutes and 36 seconds and became the first Liège–Bastogne–Liège champion. On 28 May 1893, he finished in 10 hours, 40 minutes and ahead of 25 other riders. Also in 1893, Houa won the amateur version of the Belgium National Road Race Championship. Houa went on to win the first professional version of the race held in 1894 in 8 hours, 52 minutes and 5 seconds over a distance of 223 km. Also in 1894, Houa captured th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
UCI World Tour
The UCI WorldTour is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the UCI ProSeries and various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an annual ranking system based upon performances in these. The World Ranking was launched in 2009, (known from 2009–2010 as the ''UCI World Ranking'') and merged fully with its predecessor the UCI ProTour in 2011. UCI WorldTeams must compete at all events that were part of the tour prior to the 2017 expansion. History Until the end of 2004, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) maintained both the UCI Road World Rankings, which awarded results for all its sanctioned races, and the UCI Road World Cup, which was awarded on the basis of performance in ten selected one-day events. Both were replaced from the 2005 season by the UCI ProTour and UCI Continental Circuits. However, disputes between the UCI and ASO, the organisers of the Tour de France and other classics, and e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Classic Cycle Races
The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. The five most revered races are often described as the cycling monuments. For the 2005 to 2007 seasons, some classics formed part of the UCI ProTour run by the Union Cycliste Internationale. This event series also included various stage races including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Paris–Nice, and the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. The UCI ProTour replaced the UCI Road World Cup series (1989–2004) which contained only one-day races. Many of the classics, and all the Grand Tours, were not part of the UCI ProTour for the 2008 season because of disputes between the UCI and the ASO, which organizes the Tour de France and several other major races. Since 2009, many classic cycle races are part of the UCI World Tour. Si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amaury Sport Organisation
The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO and also A.S.O.) is a private company, founded in 1992, that is part of the privately-owned French media group Éditions Philippe Amaury (EPA). ASO organises the Tour de France and other cycling races, as well as golf, running, sailing and off-road motorsport events over 250 days of competition per year, with 90 events in 30 countries. The president of ASO is Jean-Etienne Amaury, the son of Philippe Amaury and Marie-Odile Amaury, and grandson of EPA founder, Émilien Amaury. Cycling The Tour de France was instituted by the newspaper '' L'Auto'' in 1903. The paper was closed after World War II because of its links with the occupying Germans and a new paper, ''L'Équipe'', took over. ''L'Équipe'' organised the Tour and in 1965 the newspaper was acquired by Émilien Amaury. ''L'Équipe'' organised the race until it was taken over by its parent company, ASO. , ASO claimed to be the world leader in bicycle race organisation with 132 days of comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
