Loic Vliegen was leading solo today at Liège-Bastogne-Liège when he was hit with such chronic cramp that he came to a standstill.
The Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux man had ridden very strongly in the day's main breakaway, which also contained his team mate Lorenzo Rota, with the duo chasing the climbers' classification in the Belgian monument.
However, the breakaway shattered inside the last 30km and Vliegen pressed on solo. He had a gap of about 30 seconds on just two of the other breakaway survivors when his right thigh cramp so painfully he had to grab it with his hand.
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The cameras picked him out rolling to the stop at the roadside as the two riders chasing him caught and passed him. Just behind the leaders, Ineos Grenadiers riders Tao Geoghehan Hart and Adam Yates were attacking off the front of what remained if the peloton, which was just 35 riders at that point.
More to come.
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