16:18. That's all from me, but stay tuned for a full report of today's proceedings here on Vavel.
16:12. And just like that the spring classics are over. Next stop is Belfast for the start of the Giro d'Italia on 9th May. Vavel have live coverage from every single stage of the Giro, but if you can't wait till then, check out our countdown of all the riders to look on the roads of Ireland and Italy.
16:06. Gerrans is the first Australian victor of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and thanks his Orica Greenedge team for their hard work.
16:03. Here's you're 2014 Liège-Bastogne-Liège top ten
16:00. But spare a thought for Dan Martin. The Irishman rode brilliantly in the defence of his title, and was on the wheel of Giampaolo Caruso before crashing on the final corner. I'm not sure whether he would have been able to hold of the charging Gerrans and Valverde, but he certainly didn't deserve to crash literally within sight of the line.
15:59. Alejandro Valverde led out the sprint but was beaten into second place by Gerrans, with Michal Kwiatkowski completing the podium
15:57. The Australian takes his second monument victory. Just like his win in Milan-San Remo back in 2012, he sat in the wheels, kept out of the wind and emerged with 150m to go to take the victory.
15:55. SIMON GERRANS (ORICA-GREENEDGE) WINS LIÈGE-BASTOGNE-LIÈGE
15:54. The chasers catch Caruso
15:54. Martin crashes
15:53. Caruso attacks but Martin is almost on his wheel
15:53. Dan Martin attempts to bridge across solo
15:52. Flamme rouge
15:52. Pieter Weening lifts the pace behind but the gap is still 10" with 1.5km remaining
15:51. And Pozzovivo leads them onto the final climb witha 9" lead
15:50. Don't forget the final 2km are uphill, the perfect springboard for counterattacks
15:49. 12" for Caruso and Pozzovivo at 4km. Dan Martin sitting at the back of the chasing group
15:48. Counterattacks flying off the front of the chasing group, led by Vanendert and Gautier
15:47. But no joy for Martin as Pozzovivo and Caruso have a 20" gap with 5km to go
15:46. Pozzovivo on the wheel of Caruso as defending champion Dan Martin attempts to bridge across
15:45. Denifl caught
15:45. Caruso (Katusha) attacks
15:44. Samuel Sanchez (BMC) sets the pace with Kwiatkowski, Weening (Orica-Greenedge), and Fuglsang all up towards the front
15:44. Stefan Denifl (IAM) attacks
15:43. Onto the Côte de Saint-Nicholas
15:42. Gorka and Ion Izagirre setting the pace for teammate Alejandro Valverde
15:41. Michael Kwiatkowski is the most prominent of the favourites, sitting five riders from the front
15:39. Orica-Greenedge setting the pace on the front of the peloton. Perhaps Simon Gerrans is feeling good today
15:38. Arredondo and Pozzovivo caught as the race enters the outskirts of Liège. 5km to go until the Côte de Saint-Nicholas
15:35. 14km remaining and just the one categorised climb to go: the Côte de Saint-Nicholas. That comes with only 6km remaining and surely provides the last chance for anyone without a fast finish
15:34. Chasing group not cooperating as a number of riders join from the rear. 13" for Arredondo and Pozzovivo
15:32. Valverde, Gilbert, Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol), and Lars Petter Nordhaug (Belkin) bridge across to the Nibali group.
15:31. Sanchez caught by the chase group as Nibali goes on the attack with Daniel Moreno (Katusha) and former teammate Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff-Saxo)
15:29. Twenty seconds for Arredondo and Pozzovivo, but we've got a flattish 10km coming up, and the two small climbers and the sort of riders who could open the gap
15:28. Counterattack from Samuel Sanchez (BMC) who attempts to bridge across to the leading duo
15:27. But it's Arredondo and Pozzovivo who are clear over the top
15:25. Attack! Arredondo goes and he's followed by Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale). It's a dangerous move provokes a reaction from the favourites with Gilbert, Valverde, and Martin are among those to bridge across
15:24. Ag2r set the early pace on the climb as Howes, who was on the attack a few minutes ago, suffers a mechanical at the worse possible time
15:23. And we're onto the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucon, 1.5km at 9.3%.
15:19. Bono has been out front for the best part of 240km but should be caught on the next climb. Great ride by the Italian, who has certainly allowed his teammates to sit back in the peloton
15:17. Howes has now been joined by Dennis Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) and Jerome Baugnies (Wanty-Groupe Gobert). They have a small gap over the peloton with Matteo Bono still thirty seconds up the road
15:13. Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons up next in approximately 10km, the penultimate climb of the day.
15:10. The attacks are starting. And it's Garmin-Sharp on the offensive with Alex Howes going solo over the top of the Côte des Forges
15:09. Former yellow jersey Daryl Impey (Orica-Greenedge) is the latest man to be dropped from the peloton
15:07. And Venter is dropped, meaning that Matteo Bono is now alone at the front, as his teammate Przemysław Niemiec sets the pace on the front of the peloton.
15:03. Pirmin Lang (IAM) and Pieter Jacobs (Topsport Vlaanderen), dropped from the breakaway, and about to be caught by the peloton. 35km remaining for the leaders.
14:58. Next climb is the Côte des Forges. As you can see it's not the most difficult test of the afternoon, but could provide a launching pad for riders to go up the road before the big guns play their cards on the last two climbs of the day.
14:54. But no joy for that trio as BMC hit the front to pull them back. Meanwhile only Bono and Venter remain in the lead and their gap is now barely more than one minute with 40km remaining.
14:52. It really is all kicking off now as Arredondo and Bakelants bridge across to Barguil.
14:50. And as I say that Warren Barguil (Giant-Shimano), winner of two Vuelta stages last year, goes on the offensive.
14:49. And the break has now split up completely, with Matteo Bono going clear with Jaco Venter in pursuit. Still no attacks from the peloton as Nathan Haas sets the pace for Garmin-Sharp.
14.47. Omega Pharma-Quickstep leads the peloton onto the climb. Will Kwiatkowski be tempted to make a move?
14:46. Michel Koch is the first man to be dropped from the break.
14:45. 2'18" for the break. We'll see what that figure is at the top of La Redoute
14:43. Just a reminder of the leaders. They are Jaco Venter (MTN-Qhubeka), Pirmin Lang (IAM Cycling), Matteo Bono (Lampre-Merida), Michel Koch (Cannondale), and Pieter Jacobs (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise).
14:41. Fast descent into the small town of Remouchamps, on the other side of which the break will find the Côte de la Redoute (2km at over 9%). Expect to see the first big moves off the front of the (seriously reduced) peloton
14:37. Perig Quemeneur (Europcar) has barely been off the front of the peloton for the last 20km. And he's certainly doing a good job as the gap to the break falls to 2'40" as they enter the final 50km.
14:33. And still it's Europcar on the front of the peloton. Surely Thomas Voeckler is their team leader, but they also have options with Cyril Gautier and Yukiya Arashiro. Both men have been in good form in past weeks, with the Japanese champion in particular performing well in Amstel Gold and the Tour of the Basque Country.
14:28. The fans are ready on the Côte de la Redoute. Philippe Gilbert lives in Aywaille at the base of the climb so can expect plenty of local support.
14:26. Much higher pace on the Côte de la Vecquée means there are no attacks like we saw on Haute-Levée. But it's not good news for the break, whose advantage is now only 3'35" as they crest the climb.
14:24. A splash of yellow at the front as Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo), in his first race back from provisional suspension, shows his face.
14:19. Peloton being led by Europcar and BMC, riding for Thomas Voeckler and Philippe Gilbert respectively. Still no sign of Alejandro Valverde's Movistar team.
14:16. The Côte de la Vecquée is next on the menu. 3.1km at 6.4% this is very similar to the Haute-Levée where we saw the attacks a few minutes ago
14:11. Bauke Mollema (Belkin) also hovering at the back of the main group. The Dutchman has two top tens so far this week so should be one of the favourites today.
14:08. Another big name apparently in trouble. Richie Porte (Team Sky) is currently the last man in the peloton. Not a good day so far for the British team.
14:07. Everything's calmed down a bit at the front of the peloton, but that little flurry of attacks has brought the break's advantage below five minutes with 70km remaining
14:04. Rui Costa abandons following his crash, as does last year's runner up Joaquim Rodriguez
14:03. A number of riders still going to go off the front of the peloton between the climbs. Julian Arrendondo (Trek Factory Racing) and Nathan Haas (Garmin-Sharp) driving the pace
14:02. Crash! Four riders on the floor including the world champion, Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida)
13:59. But we have a few moves going off the front as Jeremy Roy (FDJ) and Pierre Rolland (Europcar) decide the pace isn't high enough and attempt to spring clear. Their brought back but the high pace is high enough to shed Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) from the main group.
13:53. One man who doesn't look like he'll be winning today is Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). The Spaniard has twice been runner up in Liège-Bastogne-Liège but crashed in Amstel Gold and is now struggling at the back of the peloton.
13:51. Kevin Reza sets the pace for Europcar on the front of the peloton. Could we see something from Thomas Voeckler today? The Frenchman finished fourth here in 2012 and animated the Amstel Gold Race last Sunday.
13:48. Cobbles! But fairly benign ones as the peloton makes its way through the town of Stavelot and onto the Haute-Levée. Gap to the leaders now drops under seven minutes with 85km remaining.
13:44. Meanwhile at the back of the race, former winner Andy Schleck (Trek Factory Racing) has abandoned.
13:42. Kwiatkowski and Martin now back in the fold. Very strange move that...
13:37. Very interesting move at the front of the bunch as Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) goes clear with teammate Michal Kwiatkowski in his wheel. No reaction from the other favourites, and this certainly seems like a rash early attack with over 90km still to race.
13:27. Up front the break are now onto the Côte de Wanne (2.8km at 7.2%) and Marco Minaard is dropped. 96km to go and the serious climbing is now starting
13:24. Bit of nervousness beginning to creep into the peloton, and we have a few men down on the floor. Biggest names are Jan Bakelants (Trek Factory Racing) and last year's Amstel Gold winner Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff-Saxo), although both are now back on their bikes.
13:08. Meanwhile the first stage of the Tour of Turkey has just finished in Alanya, where Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) has taken a commanding victory in the bunch sprint.
12:52. Gap to the six leaders is now under 12 minutes with 120km remaining.
12:34. The break is now on the second categorised climb of the day, the Côte de Saint-Roch, a favourite for the photographers, as it produces images such as this.
12:27. With not much happening at the moment why not check out this quick video of defending champion Dan Martin and his Garmin-Sharp team on their race recon the other day.
12:18. The chase is slowly getting underway at the front of the peloton. The gap to our six escapees is now around 14 minutes with a hilly 145km remaining.
11.55. Meanwhile the break has reached Bastogne, and it's Michel Koch who takes the €5,000 prize for the first man across the line in the intermediate sprint.
11.48. As well as Chris Froome, another man who was not on the start line was Carlos Betancur (Ag2r-La Mondiale). The Colombian has been taken ill with a fever, so expect to see Romain Bardet take over leadership duties for the French team.
11:35. The men in the break are: Jaco Venter (MTN-Qhubeka), Pirmin Lang (IAM Cycling), Marco Minaard (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Matteo Bono (Lampre-Merida), Michel Koch (Cannondale), and, the obligatory breakaway man from Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, Pieter Jacobs.
11:30. The race is now well underway, and with 82km gone we have a six man break up the road with a big advantage of almost 16 minutes.
11:27. Check out our detailed preview of the race route and all the main contenders here.
11:25. The final selection should be made on the Côte de Saint-Nicholas with less than 5km to go, although the final two kilometres are uphill, and could provide a launching pad for a late attack.
11:23. But expect the main contenders to keep their powder dry until the final 50km, perhaps making their moves on the Côte de la Redoute or the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons.
11:21. Testing climbs all day will see the peloton slowly whittled down from the back, especially the test trio of the Côte de Wanne, the Côte de Stockeu and the Côte de la Haute-Levée around the town of Stavelot. Expect the cameras to cut to the rear of the main group as riders are shelled out the back.
11:19.
And here's what the riders will face. 263km including 10 categorised climbs. With as much climbing as an alpine stage of the Tour de France, it's easy to see why the likes of Froome and Nibali are among the contenders.
11:17. That means that Bernard Hinault retains his crown as the last defending Tour de France champion to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the legendary 1980 edition of the race.
11:15. There's some bad news for British fans: Chris Froome (Team Sky) did not start the race due to a chest infection. A statement from Sky said the Tour de France champion had been withdrawn as "a precautionary measure." You can read the full statement here.
11:13. But perhaps we will see a new victor? Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) seem the most likely prospects. Nibali has been quiet for much of the spring but is said to be targeting this race, while Kwiatkowski's precocious talent is clear for all to see, and the young Pole certainly seems in excellent form.
11:10. Everyone's favourite seems to be Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). The Spaniard has won here twice before (in 2006 and 2008) and has been in great form all year, including taking victory in Flèche Wallone on Wednesday. It would take a brave man to bet against Valverde, especially given his fast finish.
11:05. The 2013 edition of this race saw Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) claim the biggest victory of his career as with a stunning counterattack to overhaul Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) in the final kilometre. Both men should be in contention today, although Rodriguez's crash in the Amstel Gold Race last week may hamper his chances.
12:02. Running since 1892, this is the oldest race on the World Tour calendar. Historically the race has been dominated by the Belgians, who have claimed 59 victories, although La Doyenne has also been a happy hunting ground for the Italians who, led by a dominant Moreno Argentin in the 1980s, have won the race 11 times.
11:00. Hello and welcome to Vavel's live minute-by-minute coverage of the 100th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.