Having won the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday (April 17) and followed it up with an even more decisive victory at the Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday (April 20) the pressure was certainly on Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Philippe Gilbert at the start of today’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege. But clearly not one to buckle under such scrutiny the Belgian smashed his way to triumph over the 255.5km course to make it three for three Ardennes Classic victories; he finished in a time of 6:13:18, out-sprinting brothers Frank and Andy Schleck (both Team Leopard-Trek), who had to settle for second and third respectively.
The impressive win makes Gilbert the first Belgian to win the Liege-Bastogne-Liege since 1999, the first Walloon to win since 1978 and only the second man ever to win the Ardennes hat-trick.
