What are the clichés of a Flemish race? Cobbles and crosswinds come to mind but amongst the others are big crowds, Luc, Rodania and riders exploiting every space possible including the cycle path and kerb.
Only now this last part will be outlawed in 2014. A new UCI rule is coming and any kerb-hopping, path-picking, lane-switching riders will be disqualified.
Labelled “the sprinters’ classic”, this Sunday’s race might have a flat route but most of the winners since in recent years have come from breakaways, usually thanks to attacks launched late in the race.
Once a prestigious race, Paris-Tours has slipped a little in status but the addition of extra climbs in recent years has spiced up the finish to provide a thrill worth watching more so because it’s the last big race in Europe until the 2014 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. That’s 147 days away.
With one kilometre to go Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) has attacked and immediately gets a gap. Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) chases but Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) comes around him and slowly closes the gap to catch a labouring Rodriguez. As they approach the final bend Dan Martin uses the last part of the slope to drop Rodriguez and solo away for the win, capping a fine piece of teamwork with Ryder Hesjedal. This was the moment the race was won.
The oldest one day race of the year. Liège-Bastogne-Liège might be in Belgium but it has over 4,700 vertical metres of climbing, comparable to an Alpine stage of the Tour de France. But unlike the stage race, Sunday’s event has steep climbs and twisting descents that test tactics and nerves too. It’s a supreme physical contest where there’s rarely a surprise win.
Here’s a preview with the route, including details of the new Colonster climb, the riders (including the final start list), TV schedules, weather, what’s sweet and sour in Liège and a quick take on the race history, including the myth of Bernard Hinault’s frozen fingers.
Paris Roubaix is a race. It’s good to remember this because everyone had Fabian Cancellara as their favourite before the race and after the race everyone saw him holding the winner’s trophy. If you’d missed what happened in between it would possible to shrug and accept that the obvious result occurred, a victory for logic as much as for Cancellara.
Only the 254km race was so good that the result wasn’t known until the final three seconds when Cancellara came out of Sep Vanmarcke’s slipstream on final straight of the Roubaix velodrome to pass the Belgian and lift his arms in celebration. This was the moment the race was won.
Fabian Cancellara accelerates on the Paterberg and Peter Sagan tries to match him. But the Slovak’s exposed to the stiff breeze and struggling to follow. A gap opens up between the two riders. One metre, two metres and by the time they reach the top the Swiss rider has distanced his arch-rival by a few seconds. This was the moment the race was won.
Easter Sunday is coming and whilst it’s church and chocolate for many in Europe, half of Belgium is preparing for the annual ritual of De Ronde.
The Tour of Flanders is one of the highlights of the cycling calendar, a manic race across seemingly ordinary countryside but where numerous cobbled sections and short wall-like climbs make for one of the hardest races of the year. Appropriately the race will have five hours of TV coverage, an endurance event even for those on a sofa. Full details below.
Peter Sagan rides away from the lead group with 3.5km to go whilst Greg Van Avermaet, Bernhard Eisel and Borut Božič try to chase. These three riders were Sagan’s greatest rivals in a sprint finish. So instead of outsprinting them, he outrode them. This was the moment the race was won.
Once a midweek consolation for the sprinters amidst the classics season, this is a World Tour race on a Sunday and a full-on dress rehearsal for next Sunday’s Tour of Flanders.
Mont Cassel, the Kemmelberg and more difficulties await but the biggest threat comes from the weather with snow likely. This could change the route or even force a cancellation of the race. A confident press release last night said the race “is sure go ahead” but if a race can stop traffic, it can’t control the weather. The start has been moved to Gistel nearer the coast but nobody can be sure until tomorrow morning. Should the race go ahead then the weather will remain a real danger with winds of 50km/h.
With fingers crossed for the race, here is preview with all the usual commentary on the route, TV timings and two forecasts, one for the weather and one for the race.
Going to watch a bike race is not as simple as you might think. Get it wrong and you’ll catch a cold instead of the action. There are some hints, tips and skills that can substantially improve the experience. Given the classics season is upon us again, it’s time to share some of these.
As well as tips for the day, there’s a wider look at travel if you’re coming from near or far, for the day or the trip of a lifetime.