Day 5: Liege-Bastogne-Liege

The idea that Belgium is mostly a flat country punctuated with a few sharp hills is immediately put to rest when riders face the mountainous Liege-Bastogne-Liege route. That’s right…bona fide mountains. This 255km course, set in the French-speaking half of Belgium, features more than 12,000 feet (4000 meters) of climbing. The race, as its name implies, runs from Liège to Bastogne, and back again. Though the second half of the route is about 70 kilometers longer than the first. If all the climbing isn’t difficult enough, horrible weather has also dealt racers punishment over the years. Who can forget the image of Bernard Hinault winning in 1980 during a complete blizzard.  Or VDB climbing La Redoute in the 53…