 Eddy Merckx(pictured in 1966) won his second Liège–Bastogne–Liège | |||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | April 25, 1971 (1971-04-25) | ||||||||||||
| Stages | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Distance | 251 km (156.0 mi) | ||||||||||||
| Winning time | 6h 57' 10" | ||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
← 1970 1972 → | |||||||||||||
The 57th edition of theLiège–Bastogne–Liègeroad cycling race inBelgium was held on 25 April 1971.[1] BelgianEddy Merckx concluded his second win in themonument classic, after beating his countrymanGeorges Pintens in a two-man sprint.[2]
Cycling iconEddy Merckx attacked solo inRocourt, at 92 kilometers from the finish inLiège, and soon had a five-minute advantage over his pursuers. In a rare display, he suffered a sudden fatigue on the Mont-Theux and was joined byGeorges Pintens. Pintens failed to distance a tired Merckx, and Merckx managed to outsprint his fellow Belgian at the line to seal his second victory in the classic.[3]
The race was run in harrowing weather conditions, with snow and cold rampaging the peloton. 27 of 122 starters finished the race.[2] Years later, one of Merckx'soigneurs revealed that Merckx, suffering from exhaustion after the race, needed to shower on a chair.[3]
| # | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Eddy Merckx | 6h 57' 10" |
| 2. | Georges Pintens | s.t. |
| 3. | Frans Verbeeck | + 4 ' 51 " |
| 4. |  Gilbert Bellone | s.t. |
| 5. | Antoine Houbrechts | s.t. |
| 6. | Ferdinand Bracke | + 5 ' 51 " |
| 7. | Joseph Bruyère | s.t. |
| 8. | Raymond Delisle | + 6 ' 45 " |
| 9. |  Felice Gimondi | + 6 ' 54 " |
| 10. | Attilio Benfatto | s.t. |
