kicks off tomorrow with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

recon

Time was I only used to watch the grand tours. These days I love the classics.

Always preferred the classics…SUPER excited!!!
Love the grand tours for the scenery but the classics for racing. Especially when it’s properly miserable weather and blowing a hoolie.

the cobbled/gravel climbs (or even the flat bits) are great for smashing any team tactics into oblivion leaving it a proper “mano e mano” contest.

be intersesting to see how Mr Pidcock does tomorrow, and it looks pretty lack luster from jumbo visma (other fish to fry? )

can’t see past Alaphillipe for tomorrow though

can’t see past Alaphillipe for tomorrow though

Van Der Poel is racing isn’t he?

he’s not listed on the ALPECIN-FENIX roster

191 DE BONDT Dries BEL
192 DILLIER Silvan SUI
193 LEYSEN Senne BEL
194 MEURISSE Xandro BEL
195 RIESEBEEK Oscar NED
196 THWAITES Scott GBR
197 VERGAERDE Otto BEL

i guess he’s covided

Bora look strong with Sagan leading

Having ridden and raced a little on some of those roads, it’s hard to capture just how difficult those courses are to ride because the roads are so narrow and everyone wants to be at the front, particularly before each of the cobbled streets or climbs. I prefer Omloop as it takes in more of the classic Flandrien roads and uses the old RvV finale of the Muur/Kapelmuur followed by the Bosberg and finished in Ninove.
I was driving through Ninove exactly as the RvV finished one year – 500m from the finish as they were winding-up for the sprint and policeman wouldn’t let us stop and watch 🤣

Van Der Poel is racing isn’t he?

Not the Omloop. He’s doing KBK on Sunday.

Van Der Poel doing KBK not Omloop 😟

We went out to Omloop 2 years ago. Watched on Saturday. Rode on Sunday.
Stayed in a basic hotel with a great bistro downstairs, when we got back from the ride on Sunday we popped in and said we’d like to eat and they kept us a table and did us proud after we’d recovered from the miserable rain we ridden in for 4 hours.

what’s going on with Jumbo Visma ? seems like they’re not even riding KBK.

blimey they are not hanging around!!!

Loving this. The spring classics are fantastic anyway, but today’s is hitting the spot!

costly for dst that slip

Not really watched much racing over the years, don’t know why. Have GCN+ now though and am enjoying it very much. Of course I know the classics by name and reputation and its great to actually see the races for once.

gutsy from pidcock! (he looks tiny)

gotta love the way Alaphillipe rides

This is finely poised. I’ve missed the (semi) Classics.

a breeze

Quite a few painful-looking accidents today!

Great start to the season today. Just calculated my TV schedule for the next 2 months, over 100 hours! And thats before catching any of the womens races. This may impact my training regime!

That image is now saved on my desktop

2 really good races. Shame the coverage of the Women’s was a bit crap. Bring on KBK.

Yay, is the man god riding today?

Watched OHN with my 3yo and he says ‘the man with rainbows on is the best one.’ If you know, you know.

Got to say the teamwork ethic is strong at DQS – Alaphilippe does his turn at a breakaway, realises it isn’t going to stick so rather than drifting back through the bunch and out the back to roll home, he gets stuck back in to help pull the train for the sprint.

Unless VdP can force a break today at KBK, can’t see it not finishing in a bunch sprint.

Had forgotten (nearly) how sketchy thos narrow roads are for racing, or else maybe there was more overhead filming than usual – 😮

Was quite pleased that FBG, who apparently hates, loathes and detests exercise and cycling in particular, was getting quite sucked into watching it all unfold 🙂

What are people watching these on. Not a nassive racing fan but they’re nice yo have on in the background

Had forgotten (nearly) how sketchy thos narrow roads are for racing, or else maybe there was more overhead filming than usual – 😮

We did a small sportive last July around the area. It really is a network of tiny roads. The only famous ‘climb’ we did was the Molenberg, and we didnt know we had done it until I saw a windmill at the top of this small climb.
If allowed, we intend to do some more this year, around £10 entry fee, really well organised, beer waiting when we got back to the start.
If you are interested in such thing, Cycling Vlanderen on FB is worth following, along with this site:
Flanders rides

They are a great organising body, most weeks through the winter they have a route featuring, mostly, off road trails, fully signposted, around 45km, free for all to try out, just go along and follow the arrows.

MVDP off the front with 85 to go

Is GCN working for others?

error communicating with server 🙁

Arse

peleton have wound it up…..

lol at the breakaway tucking in behind MVDP

MVPD needs to go again, the break are going to sit on him.

and now crosswinds 😀

Is GCN working for others?

Nope, paid £20 for it yesterday too ffs

Not sure VdP can hang out here, but I can see him getting caught yet still winning it.