Le Pays De France - Alaphilippe can slay demons at Liege-Bastogne-Liege

The Frenchman has come a narrow second twice in the Belgian classic, raced over cobbled hills and along narrow, winding roads in the Ardennes forest.

"I've often come close but never won," Alaphilippe said Saturday before again attempting the brutal 275.5km, seven-hour, marathon. "This is the most beautiful of all races."

The defending champion, Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar on Saturday ruled himself out of the race to be with his partner, cyclist Urska Zigart who is mourning her mother.

Last year, the two-time Tour de France winner came from deep to beat Alaphilippe to the line by a tyre's width.

In the previous edition, Alaphilippe crossed the line with his arms in the air allowing Primoz Roglic to pip him, an excruciating moment for the swashbuckling Quick-Step leader.

Things got worse as he was relegated to fifth for a late swerve that took out Pogacar.

The memories will sting.

Belgian champion Wout van Aert had covid earlier this month but managed to take part in the equally challenging Paris-Roubaix just a week ago.

"I have a small chance of winning, but a big one of being in the mix a least," said Van Aert.

- Frantic finales -

British team Ineos have won three classics this spring, including last week's Paris-Roubaix, even though their ace Tom Pidcock has failed to produce his top form. Former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski of Poland, winner of the Amstel Gold two weeks ago, could be their first option on Sunday.

Bahrain's Matej Mohoric can usually be counted on to try something. He did so with a death-defying downhill rampage to claim Milan San Remo in March.

Bahrain Victorious also have former winner Wout Poels in their ranks. Rain is forecast and the diminutive Dutchman is one of the riders who thrive in the cold. He won in snow in 2016.

Organisers ditched the old uphill finish four years ago, setting up a series of frantic finales contested by cycling's big guns in the most recent editions of the race that started in 1892.

There are ten short but steep cobbled climbs which are ripe for attacks before the peloton sweeps downhill through industrial estates, past the Standard Liege football stadium and across the barge-laden Meuse river towards the new flat final run in.

The main difficulty, other than the colossal endurance it requires, is keeping track of rivals on the forest roads where communications are difficult and riders can accelerate out of sight in the thick spring foliage of the winding roads.

(Y.Rousseau--LPdF)