Michał Kwiatkowski has attacked after the top of the Taaienberg with 33km to go, Peter Sagan followed immediately and Sep Vanmarcke bridged across moments later. A long range move with both Sagan and Vanmarcke taking a big risk given they had no team mates behind but they were going to stay away. This was the moment the race was won.
The 100th edition of the greatest one day classic takes place this Sunday. Huge crowds, narrow lanes, rough cobbles, steep hills and more await along the 255km obstacle course. Here’s a preview of the race with the route, riders, TV and more.
Peter Sagan attacks up the Kemmelberg. He went on to win the sprint but his attack was the definitive moment as only a two other riders could follow him up, over and down the landmark climb. This was the moment the race was won.
Michał Kwiatkowski jumps with 250m to go. Peter Sagan tries to sprint but is quickly distanced by the Pole, his long term rival, who condemns him to yet another second place. This was the moment the race was won.
It may not be the Ronde van Vlaanderen or Paris-Roubaix but in recent years this race has made up for its lack of history and dull name with some exciting racing and it’s become one of the finest cobbled classics of the year, it’s 50km less than next week’s Ronde which allows more riders to be in the mix.
What do non-cyclists think of when they think about Belgium? A small country with two languages? The football resurgence? Plastic Bertrand? Chocolates? The EU institutions? Right now the country is in the news for the wrong reasons thanks to some murderous losers, hopefully an aberration.
As the Dwars Door Vlaanderen race shows, the show goes on. Indeed for the cyclist Belgium rhymes with the one day classics and cobbled climbs where the bleak landscapes are the field for sporting contests. No other country in the world celebrates cycling as much, it is a genuine national sport here. Another area where Belgium is world class is brewing, whether thanks to AB InBev – the giant company with its HQ in Leuven that claims to brew a quarter of the world’s beer – or all myriad of microbreweries and monasteries that produce such a variety of beer. One newcomer to the market is Kwaremont, a brand that’s directly exploiting cycling’s heritage and demographics.
Luke Rowe and Greg Van Avermaet attacked up the Taaienberg. Normally the climb has been reserved for Tom Boonen but he and his team were absent this time and with over 55km to go the pair went clear with Tiesj Benoot and Peter Sagan joining them over the top of the climb. This was the moment the race was won.
No suncream. No sand. No sheikhs. No skyscrapers. No seafront esplanades. Welcome to Belgium with its knowledgeable crowds, cold weather, cobbled tracks, betonwegs and muddy landscapes. The Omloop was one of the best races of 2015 and the hard but not harsh course makes an ideal start to the spring classics season.
This is Belgium’s version of the Galibier, Tourmalet or Stelvio. It might not be the highest nor the hardest but its name is celebrated as a place central to the sport’s history. What’s it like to ride?
Three Etixx-Quickstep riders and one Team Sky rider. Of the three riders on the Belgian squad, Tom Boonen has a powerful sprint, Niki Terpstra is a master at riding away late in the race with powerful surprise attack and Stijn Vandenbergh is a strong workhorse and one of the best specialists there is. Only Ian Stannard is about to steal their lunch.