But The Old Lady has had a makeover this year, as the race will lack the traditional late climbs at Saint-Nicolas and Ans, which will be replaced with a flatter, more sprinter-friendly final run into the centre of Liege.

While heavy climbing remains in the second half of the race – 256km for the men, 138.5km for the women – the dynamic of the event will be altered.

But in favour of whom remains to be seen as two hugely talented fields converge for the third of the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Tour Ardennes Classics races in eight days.

France’s Julian Alaphilippe, winner of Wednesday’s La Flèche Wallone race, is in top form and looking for a fourth victory this season.

Belgium’s 2011 winner Philippe Gilbert is also on song, having won the Paris-Roubaix two weeks ago.

Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, winner of this race in 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2017, will be seeking to equal the record total of five titles held by Belgium’s Eddy Merckx.

But there are strong challengers everywhere, including Team Sky’s 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and Michal Kwiatkowski, Britain’s Adam Yates and Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands.

Like Valverde, Rio 2016 road race champion Anna van der Breggen will also have her eyes on a record tomorrow – the maintenance of a winning record in a women’s race first run on this course in 2017.

She goes into the race boosted by her midweek victory at La Flèche Wallone, but will be challenged strongly by two fellow Dutch riders.

Annemiek van Vleuten was runner-up to her on Wednesday and second also in last Sunday’s Amstel Gold race.

And London 2012 and multiple world road race champion Marianne Vos was third in the Amstel race and fourth on Wednesday.