Cycling star Pogačar wins Liège–Bastogne–Liège for third time. Kim Le Court takes women's race

Cycling star Tadej Pogačar launched one of his trademark uphill attacks to win the Liège–Bastogne–Liège classic race for the third time on Sunday.

The defending champion made his move some 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the end of the undulating 252-kilometer (156-mile) trek to open up a gap of 10 seconds at the top, and then kept increasing it all the way to the line.

It was his third victory overall at the spring classic race, which is also one of the five “monuments” in one-day cycling along with Paris-Roubaix on the cobbles, the Tour of Lombardy, Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders.

Pogačar now has nine “monument” victories.

He was so far ahead Sunday that he even had time to turn and smile at the roadside camera filming him, then touched hands with fans near the finish before raising his arms in the air with victory assured.

He won in just over six hours and finished 1 minute, 3 seconds ahead of Italian Giulio Ciccone in second and Irishman Ben Healy in third. They contested a sprint to the line.

In decent racing conditions, Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates teammates increased the speed at the front of the main pack and the peloton caught a small group of front-runners with 60 kilometers to go, and with the main favorites still in contention.

But when Pogačar surged ahead on the Côte de La Redoute climb, no rider could follow him.

It was a similar story on Wednesday, when Pogačar launched a trademark uphill attack to win the Flèche Wallonne classic for the second time.

The 26-year-old Slovenian will aim to win the showcase Tour de France for the fourth time later this year.

It was a disappointing race for two-time champion Remco Evenepoel as the Belgian rider was dropped by Pogačar up the Redoute climb.

The two-time Olympic champion could not gain any time back and instead dropped down to finish in 59th place, 3:11 behind Pogačar.

Mauritian rider Kim Le Court won the women's race for the first time as four riders contested a sprint finish.

The 2023 champion Demi Vollering attacked first but Le Court countered her and then held off Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse, who won the Flèche Wallonne classic on Wednesday.

Pieterse finished second ahead of countrywoman Vollering and French rider Cédrine Kerbaol in fourth.

The four riders completed the 152.9-kilometer (94.8-mile) route in 4 hours, 15 minutes, 42 seconds.

It was the first classics win for the 29-year-old Le Court.

Kerbaol broke ahead near the end and led by 14 seconds with 11 kilometers left and threatened to extend her advantage, but Pieterse went after her.

World road race champion Lotte Kopecky of Belgium could not follow and cracked in the final climb up Roche-aux-Faucons.

But Pieterse, Vollering and Le Court caught Kerbaol with a few kilometers remaining to make it a four-way sprint finish.

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Mauritius' Kim Le Court de Billot of the AG Insurance Soudal team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

First place, Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates URG team, center, celebrates on the podium with second place, Italy's Giulio Ciccone of the Lidl Trek team, left, and third place Ireland's Ben Healy of the EF Education Easypost team during the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

First place, Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates URG team, center, celebrates on the podium with second place, Italy's Giulio Ciccone of the Lidl Trek team, left, and third place Ireland's Ben Healy of the EF Education Easypost team during the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates URG team greets the crowd as he prepares to cross the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Mauritius' Kim Le Court de Billot of the AG Insurance Soudal team, left, crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates URG team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Mauritius' Kim Le Court de Billot of the AG Insurance Soudal team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates URG team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Mauritius' Kim Le Court de Billot of the AG Insurance Soudal team, left, crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates URG team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A massive coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, is facing growing resistance from protesters in Albania.

The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership.

But the venture, spanning an abandoned island and a nearby stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of long-time Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The luxury project has two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, a communist-era military base.

The planned development of hotels, apartments, villas and a marina is linked to Kushner and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.

In an interview this week with U.S. podcaster David Senra, Ivanka Trump said they discovered the site by accident.

“We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it,” she said. “We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated.”

An investment firm linked to Kushner has been granted special investor status by Albanian authorities.

Albania has 450 kilometers (280 miles) of coast that remained largely underdeveloped during decades of harsh communist rule.

Protest groups fear the sections of that pristine coastline could be snapped up by powerful investors. And public anger grew after video showed an activist being dragged by a private security guard while demonstrating at the site.

The development is planned within a nature reserve and one of Albania’s most valuable biodiversity areas, a key stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast.

Protesters have carried cardboard cut-outs of pink flamingos, one of the protected migratory bird species, at rallies in the capital Tirana.

Since late May, excavators and other heavy machinery have entered the area, opening access routes, digging into the sand, clearing land among pine trees and installing fencing.

Environmental groups from Albania and elsewhere in Europe condemned the work, with one prominent local group charging that long-protected habitats are being "irreversibly destroyed.”

Albania’s state anti-corruption agency has confirmed it opened an investigation related to the project but has not disclosed details.

The government says the land earmarked for the project is privately owned. But competing claims have emerged questioning the privatization — a common type of legal dispute.

Rama has committed to the venture, saying it would align with Albania’s ambition to become a major global tourism destination.

“Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion),” Rama said.

He added: “There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here.”

However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale. In November, Serbia's Parliament passed a special law to enable the building of a luxury complex in the capital, Belgrade, to be financed by an investment company linked to Kushner.

The following month, Serbia's prosecutor for organized crime charged four people, including a government minister, with abuse of office and falsifying of documents to help pave the way for the development.

Kushner later withdrew from the planned multi-million investment that would have replaced a sprawling bombed-out military complex, a designated heritage zone whose legal protection was lifted by the former officials now on trial.

Flamingos are pictured over Narta lagoon area, western Albania, Saturday, June 6, 2026, where a massive coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner is facing resistance over concerns about environmental impact and transparency. (AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli)

A view of Narta lagoon area, western Albania, Saturday, June 6, 2026, where a massive coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner is facing resistance over concerns about environmental impact and transparency. (AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli)

Police officers block a street during a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over concerns about environmental impacts and transparency. (AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli)

Protesters hold pink flamingo cutouts during a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over concerns about environmental impacts and transparency. (AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli)

Police use a water cannon to disperse protesters during a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over concerns about environmental impacts and transparency. (AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli)

Police officers block a street during a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over concerns about environmental impacts and transparency.(AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli)

Protesters scuffle with police officers blocking a street during a demonstration in Tirana, Albania, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, opposing a luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump over concerns about environmental impacts and transparency.(AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli)