Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025, the oldest Monument in cycling and one of the toughest one-day races on the calendar, is shaping up to be another epic battle on the rugged roads of the Ardennes. While all eyes will naturally be on Tadej Pogačar, fresh off his victory at Wednesday’s Flèche Wallonne, and two-time winner Remco Evenepoel, a strong British contingent will also take the start, each rider hoping to carve their name among the world’s elite puncheurs and climbers.
Seven British riders will be on the start list for this year’s edition of La Doyenne.
Among them, Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech), winner of the 2024 Flèche Wallonne, will line up with ambitions of making his mark once again in the Ardennes. A rider who excels on rolling terrain, Williams boasts a strong palmarès including victories at the Tour Down Under and the Tour of Britain. Buoyed by his recent string of successes, he approaches Liège-Bastogne-Liège brimming with confidence. Alongside him will be his young teammate Joe Blackmore, who has been a revelation over the past year. After impressing at the Tour of Rwanda and clinching victories at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Espoirs and the 2024 Tour de l’Avenir, Blackmore will make his senior debut at the “Doyenne”. His natural punch, sharp race instincts, and calm maturity – honed through his U23 triumphs, could allow him to surprise many on debut.
At the ambitious Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Tom Pidcock will be one of the key cards to play. The 25-year-old Yorkshireman is known as the Swiss Army knife of the peloton, having already conquered races such as Strade Bianche and the Brabantse Pijl, while also claiming a memorable solo victory atop Alpe d’Huez during the Tour de France and two Olympic golds in mountain biking cross-country. In 2023, Pidcock came tantalisingly close to victory here, finishing second behind Evenepoel, becoming the first Briton to podium at Liège since Robert Millar in 1988. This year, he returns with even more experience under his belt and a real shot at going one better. Supporting him will be Mark Donovan, a reliable climber and team player, whose steady presence will be crucial over the 250+ kilometre grind.
Meanwhile, Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike) will also be eager to make his mark. The 2023 Tour of Norway winner has shown consistent progression, with strong displays at the Tour of Poland and other stage races, and could be one to watch if the race splinters late on. Oscar Onley (Team Picnic-POSTNL) is another young Brit keen to step up. After eye-catching performances at the Tour of Britain and the Tour of Guangxi, Onley has the engine and tenacity to endure the relentless climbs and perhaps feature prominently in the closing stages.
Rounding out the British line-up is none other than Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers). The 2018 Tour de France champion and multiple Grand Tour podium finisher may be approaching his 39th birthday, but his enduring class and tactical acumen still make him a dangerous outsider. With a career built on stamina, grit, and impeccable race sense, Thomas could very well influence the race dynamics, even if youth might be against him when facing the likes of Pogačar (26) and Evenepoel (25).
With a British squad blending youthful exuberance and seasoned experience, fans have plenty of reasons to keep a close eye on proceedings. The key question is whether one of them can withstand the onslaught from the likes of Pogačar, Evenepoel, and Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose – the new star of the Ardennes classics after his stunning victory at the Amstel Gold Race last week against both aforementioned favourites. Skjelmose is very much a man to watch today, dreaming of adding La Doyenne to his palmarès.
A decisive move could come on the feared Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons or perhaps even later, on the technical, fast run-in towards Liège city centre. How to Watch : In France, Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 will be broadcast live on France 3 from 1:35pm local time. In the United Kingdom, coverage begins at 11:00am on TNT Sports and Discovery+, both of which require a subscription to access.
