Jungels made his break with 18 kilometres to go, pushing on over the top of the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons, and finished in 6 hours 24min 44sec in this International Cycling Union (UCI) World Tour event. 

That left him 37 seconds clear of Canada's Michael Woods, riding for EF-Drapac, and France's Romaine Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale, who escaped the chasing group.

Jungels’ teammate Julian Alaphilippe crossed the line just behind them in fourth, at 39 seconds, pointing to his jersey as he completed the 258.5km course.

Buoyed by victory at Flèche Wallonne in midweek, the Frenchman was instrumental in Jungels’ ultimate success as much of the attention focused on him during the race.

Jungels’ margin of victory was the biggest since his fellow countryman Andy Schleck’s startling solo victory in 2009.

"It's the greatest one-day race to me, the most beautiful," Jungels said

Alejandro Valverde of Spain, seeking to equal Eddy Merckx’s record of five wins at the last of the Ardennes Spring Classics, had to settle for 13th place, 51 seconds behind the winner. 

The uphill finish of the Liège race in Ans has suited Valverde in the past, and this may have been his best chance to equal the Merckx mark as there are reports that the race may return to a city centre finish in 2019.

Four days after her fourth consecutive victory in the Fleche Wallone Femmes race, Olympic champion Van der Breggen of The Netherlands, riding for the Boels Dolmans team, retained her women’s title in 3:34:23.

Australia's Amanda Spratt, of the Mitchelton Scott team, was second, six seconds behind, with third place going to her Dutch team-mate Annamiek van Vleuten, who was at 58 seconds.

The race, part of the UCI Women's World Tour, was over 135.5km riding from Bastogne to Liège missing the out leg of the male race.

The final 40km mirrored that of the men's race, taking in some of the tough cols along the route.