All the cycling monuments can say that they are a special test. However, only one of them is capable of affirming that it was the first, the original, the one that bears the name Liège-Bastoña-Liège and is nicknamed by all as ‘La Dean’. One of the pillars of modern cycling.
The first edition of this race took place in 1892 and only 33 cyclists started, all Belgians. At that time the competition did not even have professional status. Already in that first race, 250 kilometers were covered with hallmarks that have endured to this day: short and steep climbs, descents where you can test yourself and a totally devilish accumulated unevenness.
The test, carried out as a promotional act for the newspaper L’Expresse, would have a great reception in its beginnings. The first edition showed a very interesting route that favored the epic, in the second the Liege-Bastogna-Liege already gained notoriety and incorporated foreigners in its starting list and for the third, in 1894, the race already appeared as an appointment in the professional calendar.
These first three editions had a common denominator: the victory of a man named León Houa. The Belgian indisputably dominated those first years of competition but I cannot enlarge his palmares as the test would not be held for 14 years. The lack of economic support condemned setting aside a Liège-Bastogne-Liège that would return in 1908 to lay the foundations of a true monument.
Despite the fact that the name of the event grew over many years, the winners continued to be local. Only a few exceptions, such as the Frenchman André Trousselier (1908) or the German Hermann Buse (1930), deprived the Belgian of victory in the first 34 editions.
The natives dominated the route and the irruption of Eddy Merckx (maximum winner of the race, 5 times) only increased the Belgian record in a competition that they continue to have completely dominated. To this day they continue to be the nation that has won the most times with 59 first places, followed by far by Italy’s 12.
‘La Decana’ has been immortal in the professional calendar, only being absent during periods of war, becoming the oldest World Tour event today. Liège-Bastogne-Liège is in enviable health right now and can boast of being the only test this season that will face two monsters like Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.
Since 2017, the women’s edition of the event has also been held, where Annemiek van Vleuten has the best record in the peloton with two victories and four podiums. Liège-Bastogne-Liège is also growing in this regard and incorporates the female presence to set the right example as the good ‘Dean’ that it is.
