Liège-Bastogne-Liège Showdown, Pogačar vs. Van Der Poel vs. Pidcock

The race that cycling fans have waited months for is finally here. At today's Liège-Bastogne-Liège, cycling powerhouses Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck), and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) will go head to head over the Belgium hills for 254.5 kilometers (157.828 miles).

In the last spring monument, today's Liège-Bastogne-Liège debuts under less than optimal weather conditions. The brisk temperatures had riders like Van der Poel starting in cold weather gear covering gear that covered his rainbow stripes. Though temperatures are gloomy, many announcers were optimistic that conditions wouldn't—at least 100 km into the race—deteriorate to the crippling rain, hailstone, and 1°C temperatures of last Wednesday's La Flèche Wallonne that resulted in only 44 of the 174 starters finishing.

With Van der Poel looking to add one of the oldest spring classics to his palmares, every move will be scrutinized. One such observation came after a crash around 99.3 km to the end. The Dutch rider narrowly missed a crash that took several riders out. This incident, coupled with the time needed to remove his leg warmers, left the world champion farther back than normal.

Besieged by a mechanical, Pidcock worked to reattach to Van der Poel's group.

With UAE Team Emirates on the front, Pogačar stayed closer to the front and away from much of the chaos.

Race announcers speculated if and when Pogačar would make his move; however, a persistent headwind underlined their pessimism.

"This isn't Strade," said one commenter, a reference to Pogačar's 81 km solo attack.

As Pidcock worked to advance, Van der Poel and company remained several seconds behind.

With around 73 km remaining in the 110th edition of the oldest spring classic, race dynamics, climbs, the elements and if and when one of these headliners decided to attack the peloton will write a storied outcome.