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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian |
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Liege-Bastogne-Liege 1968
Defending Champion Walter Godefroot, winner of the 1968 Flanders, returned as the pre-race favorite. Young Eddy Merckx, winner of the 1968 Paris-Roubaix, skipped Liege-Bastogne-Liege to focus on the Giro d’Italia. The resolution of the 1967 L-B-L debate would have to wait.
The final breakaway came down to a 9 rider group, which included most of the race favorites. Onto the track Jacques Anquetil led arch-rival Raymond Poulidor to the wheel of a solo Godefroot as the sprint opened up. An attentive young Belgian Valere van Sweevelt burst off the wheel and gained the BIGGEST victory of his career!!!
L-B-L April 28, 1968 |
268 Km |
1. Valère VAN SWEEVELT (Bel) 7h22'00" |
2. Walter Godefroot (Bel) |
3. Raymond Poulidor (Fra) |
Starters: 140 |
Finishers: 48 |
Average Speed: 36.380 km/h |
L-B-L 1967
L-B-L 1969
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