Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel decided to skip the midweek race on Wednesday, but are now set to feature in the coming race on Sunday, April 26 (local time).

Quick Picks

Our pick: Pogačar to win

Value bet: Seixas in the each-way

Long shot: Skjelmose as outright winner

Betting Preview

The 2026 edition of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race will be the 113th race in its history, and is the oldest cycling Monument. Also commonly referred to as "La Doyenne," it takes place over a demanding Ardennes loop.

The men's elite race spans 259.5 km from Liège to Liège, featuring 4,395 m of elevation gain across 11 key climbs.

Riders head south to Bastogne early on, then ignite on the return with steep Ardennes ascents like Côte de la Redoute (1.6 km at 9.4%) at 34 km to go and final Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (1.3 km at 11%) 13.3 km out.

What's notable about this year's race is that the 2026 route extends to 259.5 km from 2025's 252 km, adding distance in the middle section via tweaks like an earlier Côte de Saint-Roch and confirmed Col de Haussire.

This year's trip packs more elevation (4,395 m vs. 2025's ~4,300 m) and emphasises the traditional loop while retaining 2025 innovations, such as early Saint-Roch.

Betting Markets to Watch

As noted, both Pogačar and Evenepoel will be back participating in this race, having opted out of the La Fleche Wallone on Wednesday.

Between them, they have won the last five editions of this race, with Pogačar having won the last two in a row and three of the five.

Indeed, Pogačar will be considered a big favourite to win this race, due to his unmatched dominance in the Ardennes Classics and explosive climbing prowess. He has also been in top form recently, having kicked off 2026 with a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders win.

Another favourite is Evenepoel, the 2022 and 2023 champion, as he is in peak shape post-Amstel Gold Race win and brings prior Ardennes mastery, setting up a blockbuster duel after trailing Pogačar last year.

Paul Seixas emerges as a compelling outsider for Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2026, blending breakout talent with recent Ardennes dominance.

The 19-year-old stunned everyone in the La Fleche Wallone on Wednesday as he rode to victory, showcasing explosive power on steep climbs mirroring Liège's Redoute and Roche-aux-Faucons.

Our Prediction

You can check out our latest cycling futures odds for this race.

Our prediction is for Pogačar to be the likely winner, with Seixas offering additional value.

A long shot is Mattias Skjelmose. He enters off a strong second at the 2026 Amstel Gold Race, where he matched Evenepoel stride-for-stride on the decisive climb and outsprinted for the podium spot despite not defending his 2025 title win there.