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  • Spring Classics is upon us…
  • weeksy
    Full Member

    Well sort of… not quite the classics just yet, but this weekend is the first of the events with the big ones coming up soon.

    Anyone else looking forward to them ?

    leffeboy
    Full Member

    oh yes

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    best part of the year for road racing, by miles

    Klunk
    Free Member

    “big boys” are keeping their powder dry for Strada Bianca the weekend after this, though Tom “wall of death on a tt bike” Piddock is riding Nieuwsblad (sp) Saturday.

    DougD
    Full Member

    Looking forward to it. Went over to Oudenaarde last Sept for a long weekend of riding so will be interesting to watch them again this year knowing just what the roads and climbs are like.

    slowoldman
    Full Member

    The only downside to Spring Classics is having to make sure I get all my riding done during the week so I can fester in front of the telly all weekend with Belgian beer.

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    The only downside to Spring Classics is having to make sure I get all my riding done during the week so I can fester in front of the telly all weekend with Belgian beer.

    Definitely this

    weeksy
    Full Member

    I’m going to miss most of the racing live… so it’s either highlights or recorded versions for the whole of them really. I don’t think there’s a weekend we’re about for 1 day, let alone both.

    hardtailonly
    Full Member

    Where can we get the races, or highlights? Is it just Eurosport or GCN?

    leffeboy
    Full Member

    Where can we get the races, or highlights? Is it just Eurosport or GCN?

    cyclingfans.com used to be great for links to all the races, but often they are georestricted and in the end it was just much easier to sign up for GCN

    crossed
    Full Member

    It’s the only part of the road racing season I really look forward to.

    We’re going to be in Bruges this weekend so I might have to see how easy it is to get across to Ghent for the start of the race.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/omloop-het-nieuwsblad/2023/startlist

    Jumbo Visma with a strong squad.. Laporte ?
    Quick Step of course taking a strong one too.

    Maybe the boy wonder Pidcock ? All of the old favourites playing, Stuyven, Van Avermat, Asgreen, Sagan, Vanmarke etc…

    stevious
    Full Member

    Looking at the startlist for Omloop, most teams have at least one rider who could be interesting. Even Movistar.

    Really hope that Intermarché and EF continue to race the way they have been in the earlier races – they’ve been great fun to watch.

    Keep your eyes peeled for the Stefan Kung fanclub:

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Yeah, the Men’s race could be any one of about 15-20 riders! 10 Brits in there too. Would love to see Tom Pidcock and Fred Wright up there.

    [Incorrect link removed – Mods]
    Elynor Backstedt in there for Trek Segafredo.
    AvV but no Vos – she had an injury over winter cos I know she didn’t race the CX Worlds as a result of it so maybe still recovering.

    crossed
    Full Member

    @crazy-legs
    That’s the 2022 start list.

    This should be this years race:
    https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/omloop-het-nieuwsblad-we/2023/startlist

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Bugger! Was on my phone, just copied the wrong link. Thanks for the correction!
    /embarrassed face

    DrJ
    Full Member

    Women’s start list is here:
    https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2022-omloop-het-nieuwsblad-women-start-list/

    No Cecilia Ludwig – queen of the post-race interview 🙁

    slowoldman
    Full Member

    No Cecilia Ludwig

    She is if you look at the correct link.

    As for the men, Kasper Asgreen is looking good.

    stevious
    Full Member

    Annameik va Vleuten is just back from a couple of months training in Colombia. She’ll probably manage to win on a single sea-level breath.

    crossed
    Full Member

    Quick mention this morning to Mrs Crossed about it being Omloop this weekend, her response was…

    “well we’re already in Bruges so might as well got the train to Ghent for the start, it’s only 30 minutes each way and £20 return”

    Happy days!!

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Bargain… Last year i went to the E3 Herelbeke and the Gent Wevelgem, both were absolutely brilliant days..beers, laughs, chats, banter…. awesome time.

    kennyp
    Free Member

    Not just the best part of the cycling year, best part of the entire sporting year. I have a good supply of Belgian beer laid in for the eight week “who will beat Quick-Step” fest.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Well i’d assume both Jumbo and Alpecin will be doing just that.

    crossed
    Full Member

    I have a good supply of Belgian beer laid in for the eight week “who will beat Quick-Step” fest.

    We may well be stocking up on the drive back to Calais on Sunday!

    40mpg
    Full Member

    Well I took a little tumble yesterday hopping my bike over a fallen tree and have cracked a few ribs, so will be making full use of my eurosport subscription for a few weeks. Happy days! 😁

    t3ap0t
    Free Member

    Jumbo’s classics squad looking ridiculous now that they have van Baarle. The start list for this weekend looks great and that’s with WVA still to come in.

    De Lie is bookies favourite for Omloop..

    Is there usually a STW velogames for the classics?

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Is there usually a STW velogames for the classics?


    @NBT
    is usually the one for Velogames stuff, he seems to be the forum regular for the grand tour ones anyway!

    slowoldman
    Full Member

    weeksy
    Full Member

    he was racing in the Zwift world champs recently too… he’s a crazy boy.

    sl2000
    Full Member

    Victor Campenaerts set to use Classified hub and monster chainring at Opening Weekend
    A 62T chainring, narrow bars, Classified gearing and wide tyres are just part of his unusual Classics setup

    What happens if he punctures? Stuck in a 62T chainring if gets a regular new wheel?

    slowoldman
    Full Member

    Right I’m just popping out to get the beers in.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    What happens if he punctures? Stuck in a 62T chainring if gets a regular new wheel?

    My guess would be that there’s a spare bike with a more regular set-up, the mechanics can take the whole bike and potentially change the wheel or fix the puncture (I assume he’s running tubeless…?) in a slightly less stressed situation then swap him back to it later.

    Maybe there’s even a second bike with the same set-up…

    Those Classified hubs aren’t cheap though.

    I’m looking forward to tomorrow! Early road ride for me, back in time for the last couple of hours of racing. 🙂

    weeksy
    Full Member

    No spoilers on rest of forum please. I’ll stay out of this thread until Monday.

    Klunk
    Free Member

    been a few showers knocking around today but dry tomorrow with a bit of an “edgey” northerly 10-11 mile an hourer. Can’t wait though riding early morning tomorrow means regressing back too nearly full winter kit 🙁

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Preview here from the ever reliable Inrng:

    Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Preview

    And the Women’s Race preview:

    https://procyclinguk.com/omloop-het-nieuwsblad-women-2023-race-preview/

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Pidcock then, can’t help but think INEOS must be thinking it’s time for him to shit or get off the pot as far as classics are concerned. I would expect they want him to be a grand tour rider long term, if he wants to be a classics rider like an Alaphileppe type it’s time to start getting results.

    The idea of him racing down the Poggio is making my sphincters twitch already

    stevious
    Full Member

    I dunno. I think Pidcock’s already won today:

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Just back from my ride, settling in with EuroSport for the afternoon. 🙂

    Klunk
    Free Member

    rusty peleton 🙁

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    Settling in with GCN+….

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