On Saturday 26 April, 8,000 Belgian and international cycling fans will ride their version of Liège-Bastogne-Liège the day before the pros. The LBL Challenge is the biggest recreational cycling event in Wallonia and is fully booked for the third year in a row thanks to those 8,000 participants. The LBL Challenge is not a race, it is not timed, all participants can enjoy the challenge and the nature of the Ardennes at their own pace.
The Côte de la Redoute, Côte des Forges and Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. Well-known names that ring a bell with every fan of cycling. They are the three final hills that Lotte Kopecky, Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar and all other pro riders will face on Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the oldest monument on the international cycling calendar. These three iconic hills are also part of the LBL Challenge course on Saturday, the challenge for all cycling fans who are familiar with their (Walloon) classics.
New this year – both in the LBL Challenge and the pro race – is the Col de Haussire. With a distance of 4.1 km, an average gradient of 7.8% and peaks of up to 15.5%, this climb in La Roche-en-Ardenne is known as the toughest climb in Belgium. With other climbs including the Mur de Durbuy, Côte de Chambralles, Côte de Niaster, Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne, Col du Rideux, Col de Roche-à-Frêne and Côte de Cortil, there will be no shortage of tough climbs on Saturday, some of which have also featured in the history of pro racing.
3 Distances
The start and finish of the LBL Challenge are on Rue de l’Esplanade in Sprimont (Banneux). Depending on the chosen distance, participants can start freely between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturday. The finish closes at 8 p.m. These are the three distances on offer: 253 km (including 11 hills and some 4,000 vertical metres), 163 km (9 hills and 2,600 vertical metres) and 80 km (7 hills and 1,500 vertical metres). The new, very tough Col de Haussire only features on the 253 km course but the other distances also absolutely provide plenty of climbing challenges.
The middle distance is the most popular with 3,500 participants, closely followed by the longest distance with 3,300 participants. 1,200 cycling fans have signed up for the 80 km. The 8,000 participants come from 64 different countries. Belgians are best represented in their own country with 38%, followed by the French (22%), Dutch (17%), Germans (8%) and Brits (7%).
Safety & Awareness Raising
Organisers Golazo and A.S.O. place a strong focus on safety. To this end, they are working together with the various police zones on the course and with safety partner Safe Cycling, which installs protective padding, safety nets, anti-shock walls, pole protection and LED boarding where necessary. There will also be extra signallers at the most dangerous points and lead-out motorcyclists to prevent potentially dangerous bunching of the peloton.
Raising awareness among participants is also important. The We Care About Cycling campaign – focusing on respect for other road users, following the traffic rules and keeping the environment clean – has a prominent place on the communication channels of the LBL Challenge and in all direct communication to the participants.
Additionally, this will all be highlighted again on Saturday via the speakers and large video screens at the start, which will broadcast a video calling for respect for the Highway Code at all times. There is even an LBL Challenge WhatsApp channel through which the participants can be reached.
