Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) added a fourth Liège-Bastogne-Liège title to his palmarès on Sunday, dropping his most determined challenger of the spring – 19-year-old Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM – with a brutal acceleration on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons before soloing 13.9 kilometres to the line in Liège. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) took third, 45 seconds back, after a punchy sprint.
It was Pogačar’s third Monument of 2026 after victories at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, and it moves the World Champion to within touching distance of cycling’s all-time greats in the Ardennes. Seixas, riding only his second Monument, became the breakout story of the day, matching the rainbow jersey on the Côte de la Redoute before finally cracking under one of the most decisive single accelerations seen on the Faucons in recent memory.
What Happened on the Road to Liège
The 252-kilometre route from Liège to Liège featured 11 categorised climbs, but as ever, La Doyenne was decided in the final hour. The first major selection came on the Côte de Stockeu, where the lead group of around 30 was reduced to roughly half that number. The race exploded for real on the Côte de La Redoute with 35 kilometres to go.
It was Pogačar himself who lit the fuse on La Redoute, dragging Seixas, Evenepoel and a handful of others clear. The Slovenian tested his rivals repeatedly over the top, but the teenager from Decathlon CMA CGM responded to every move – an extraordinary sight that briefly raised the prospect of a genuine upset.
The decisive moment came on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, a 1.3-kilometre wall averaging 11%. With 14 kilometres remaining and 580 metres to the summit, Pogačar dropped the hammer for a second time. Seixas held the wheel for a few seconds before the elastic snapped. By the top of the climb, the gap was 12 seconds. With 5 kilometres to go, it was 30. By the line, 45 seconds.
The Power Numbers Behind the Attack
According to power data published by UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Pogačar averaged roughly 490 watts over the final 1.5 kilometres of the Faucons, with a peak of around 720 watts on the steepest 11% ramp – an effort estimated at about 7.4 W/kg average for the climb’s last surge. Independent estimates put the initial acceleration at close to 8.5 W/kg sustained for nearly four minutes.
For context, that is the kind of effort most well-trained amateurs can sustain for around 60 seconds, not four minutes – and certainly not at the end of more than five hours of racing. The numbers help explain why Seixas, despite an impressive ride, simply could not stay with the move.
Seixas Confirms His Place Among the Stars
Even in defeat, Paul Seixas was the rider everyone wanted to talk about. The Frenchman had already announced himself with a dominant Itzulia Basque Country GC win earlier in April, and confirmed his Ardennes credentials with second at La Doyenne in his first appearance.
In the final kilometre Seixas had to fight off Evenepoel for second, eventually crossing the line solo. At 19, he is now the youngest rider on a Liège-Bastogne-Liège podium since the Second World War. Decathlon CMA CGM may have unearthed a future Monument winner – and Pogačar, asked at the finish whether he had finally found a worthy challenger, said simply: “He is the best young rider I have raced against.”
Why This Result Matters
Pogačar’s fourth La Doyenne moves him level with cycling royalty: only Eddy Merckx (5) and Moreno Argentin (4) have stood on the top step in Liège more often. With three Monuments already in 2026 – and Paris-Roubaix earlier in April – the Slovenian is on course for one of the most complete Spring Classics campaigns in modern cycling history.
It also redraws the map for the rest of 2026. Evenepoel, who finished third, has work to do before the Tour de France in his new Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe colours. And the emergence of Seixas means the so-called “next generation” is no longer a distant threat – it is already on the podium.
What Amateurs Can Take From the Roche-aux-Faucons Move
Pogačar’s Faucons attack is a textbook example of how punchy, sub-five-minute climbs are won and lost. A few takeaways most riders can apply to a local hill or punchy gran fondo:
- Save the surge for the steepest pitch. Pogačar didn’t accelerate at the bottom; he waited for the 11% ramp 580 metres from the top, where small power differences create the biggest gaps.
- Use the gradient against rivals. Above 10%, drafting saves almost nothing. A short, hard surge is far more decisive than a long, steady push.
- Train short, repeated VO2 efforts. The 4-6 minute window above threshold is exactly what’s developed in structured cycling training plans built around Zone 2 endurance plus targeted VO2 intervals.
How Pogačar’s 2026 Spring Stacks Up
Three Monuments in a single spring is something only a handful of riders have ever achieved. Pogačar’s 2026 campaign now reads: 1st Strade Bianche, 1st Milan-San Remo, 1st Tour of Flanders, and 1st Liège-Bastogne-Liège, with Paris-Roubaix the only blemish. The numbers put him squarely in the conversation around the greatest Spring Classics campaign in cycling history.
Vollering’s 35-kilometre solo to a record third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes earlier in the day capped a complete UAE-FDJ weekend in the Ardennes. Together, the two performances effectively closed the book on the cobbles-and-classics half of 2026 and pivoted the peloton’s attention firmly toward the Giro d’Italia and, eventually, the Tour de France.
Key Takeaways
- Pogačar wins his fourth Liège-Bastogne-Liège, level with Argentin and one shy of Merckx.
- Paul Seixas, 19, finishes second in his first La Doyenne – the youngest podium finisher in living memory.
- Evenepoel takes third, 45 seconds down, in his first Monument for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
- The decisive move came on the 1.3km/11% Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons with 14km to go.
- Pogačar’s 2026 spring is now 4 Monument starts, 3 Monument wins.
Source: race reports from Cyclingnews, Cycling Up To Date and the official Liège-Bastogne-Liège press service, with power data released by UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
